LAS VEGAS – Tobacco retailers from around the country will gather in Sin City today for the start of the Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE), which features more than 250 exhibitors and several educational sessions ranging in topic from cigarette trends to the future of vaping.
Since its inception in 2009, the show has grown significantly, with organizers expecting double the number of retailers in attendance vs. last year, although they did not say how many retailer attendees gathered in 2016.
The event will be at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Speakers will include David Bishop, managing partner of Balvor LLC, Barrington, Ill.; Bonnie Herzog, managing director for beverages, tobacco and convenience-store research for Wells Fargo Securities, New York; and Thomas Briant, executive director of NATO, Minneapolis.
In addition to the seminars, TPE 2017 will offer product selections from exhibits offering exclusive show deals. Themed spaces within the conference and trade-show floor are designed for networking, including the Cigar Lounge & Rum Bar, complete with a live singer; the Vapor District Lounge, which features a video arcade and craft beer; and the Alt Alley Lounge, which has a D.J. The General Lounge incorporates a new-product showcase and retailer raffle.
“In an industry like ours, it’s important to mix business and pleasure,” said Jason Carignan, chief marketing officer for Kretek International, Moorpark, Calif., a sponsor of the conference. “There are ideas to be exchanged and products to be explored. … We’ve mapped out the show so shopping is easy, the learning is interesting and relaxing is essential.”
TPE is a business-to-business trade show showcasing tobacco, vapor and alternative- and general-merchandise products.
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