18 TOBACCO BUSINESS | MARCH / APRIL | 22 What is TPE? That is a question that, even after almost two decades, retailers and others in the tobacco industry continue to ask—with good reason. TPE, which stands for Tobacco Plus Expo, is an annual trade show put on by Tobacco Media Group (TMG), a subsidiary of Kretek International and Phillips & King. Over the years, TPE has changed and evolved along with the industries it represents. In the past, TPE was viewed by many to be a show for discount tobacco outlets. As emerging product categories such as e-cigarettes and vapor took center stage in the tobacco industry, TPE embraced the “new” while other similar trade shows opted to exclude or treat it as a fad. It’s no surprise that after so many years some people still ask what TPE is because, year after year, TPE evolves to reflect the full scope of the tobacco industry and then some. Today, TPE is a trade show with something for everyone. It has traditional combustible tobacco products like cigarettes, it has pipes and pipe tobacco, it has mass-market cigars, and it also now has plenty of premium cigar offerings. That’s just one side of the trade floor. A few steps away from these tobacco businesses are where the “plus” in Tobacco Plus Expo comes into play. There’s CBD companies, glassware, synthetic nicotine products, oral nicotine and plenty of “other” stuff. At TPE, retailers are treated to what can be considered the best of both worlds. TPE22 was a trade show that took many by surprise. In the age of COVID-19, many came into the show not sure what to expect. What they found was a trade show that had evolved and grown in just half a year. 2021 was challenging, and TMG was forced to move the show from its typical January timeframe to May. TPE21 was the first trade show back at the Las Vegas Convention Center to be held post COVID-19, and the general feeling coming out of that trade show was that it was good to be back together and doing business in person rather than virtually. There were high expectations set for TPE22, and TMG’s teamworked hard to not only deliver but to exceed those expectations set by TPE21. What’s New Walking the trade show floor at TPE22 showed just how much things have changed since the previous show. The trade show floor was expanded in comparison to the 2021 show. Booths were bigger and more elaborate. Returning again this year was Drew Estate, a long-term partner of TMG and Kretek International that brought its two-level trade show booth to TPE22. The pavilions, which are an affordable option for many smaller companies, were also back, and from the first day of the show until the closing on Friday, Jan. 28, they were packed with retailers who were busy writing orders and manufacturers fulfilling the TPE motto of “a fun place to do serious business.” Of note was the heavy presence of the cigar industry at TPE22. In addition toDrewEstate, therewere a number of iconic andwell-knownpremium cigar brands exhibiting this year, including Davidoff, Altadis U.S.A., Perdomo Cigars, Plasencia, Aganorsa Leaf and Sutliff Tobacco Company, among many others. For many cigar manufacturers, TPE22 offered a chance to W : THE UNEXPECTED TRADE SHOW STAFF REPORT
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