As many premium cigar manufacturers finalize their plans for the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) trade show and convention, one made their plans for the show known and it’s not what the industry expected. In a press release, Villiger Cigars revealed that it would not be exhibiting at this year’s IPCPR trade show for the first time.
Villiger Cigars North America’s president Rene Castañeda stated that the company’s decision not to exhibit should not be viewed as a slight on the industry as a whole. Villiger Cigars remains committed to the premium cigar segment and has plans to announce new handmade premium products set for release in the near future. It also thanked the IPCPR for all it has done for the industry and voiced its support of the trade organization’s efforts while announcing it continue to support the IPCPR via monetary donation. While the company is choosing to sit out this year’s IPCPR show, it has announced that it will concentrate its efforts on next year’s Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE). The TPE trade show is owned by Tobacco Media Group (TMG), the publisher of Tobacco Business Magazine and a subsidiary of Kretek International.
Here is Villiger’s announcement in regards to its trade show exhibiting plans in its entirety:
Greetings to all our peers, customers, business associates, and friends:
We at team Villiger have been overwhelmed by the support that has been afforded us, by all of you over the last few years. Villiger’s North American operation has grown by leaps and bounds, and we look forward to continuing this trend, as we work together with you.
With the above stated, I also wish to share the news that Villiger North America has made the decision to not attend the IPCPR this coming June 2019. As we all know the IPCPR as an organization does an amazing job of catering to the handmade premium cigar segment. Villiger at its core is a cigar company that produces premium handmade cigars, cigarillos, premium machine-made cigars, and pipe tobacco. For this reason, we as a company have decided to direct all our efforts toward the Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) in Las Vegas, Nevada this upcoming January 29-31, 2020.
