As the view through the Robert Burton Associates’ exhibit area at last year’s NATO Expo shows, the business of the expo is business—a mind-boggling assortment of products, old friends to see and new contacts to make.
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[FEATURE STORY]
Tobacco Plus Expo 2007
New name, same great show
By Kathleen Cantwell
The newest thing about this year’s Tobacco Plus Expo is its name. It used to be the NATO Expo. Its two main sponsors are still the National Association of Tobacco Retailers and Tobacco Outlet Business Magazine. And, according to Reuter Expo President Susan Reuter, who runs the show, “We still are the largest tobacco show in the country. We have more exhibitors selling various tobacco products.”
It’s just that over the years, show organizers noticed more and more exhibitors were showing products other than tobacco—lighters and other tobacco accessories, candies, beverages, impulse items. So they decided to change the name to reflect the wide range of products now available to tobacco retailers seeking to expand their product mix. Reuter says 200-plus exhibitors are expected, occupying about 500 booths.
The Expo audience is just as diverse. The largest number of attendees are, of course, tobacco retailers. But large numbers of wholesalers attend as well, particularly wholesalers who also have retail stores. “We get a really good cross-section of buyers,” Reuter says.
Tobacco Plus Expo ‘07 will be held on Thursday and Friday, April 26 and 27, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. On Wednesday evening, NATO will kick things off with its Industry Gala Awards Reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel, convention headquarters.
At the reception NATO will once again present its annual Pinnacle Awards honoring retail and manufacturer members who have demonstrated extraordinary support for NATO and involvement in legislative issues facing the tobacco industry. The reception will be by invitation, which should go out in mid-March, and is open to all NATO members and all show exhibitors, says NATO Executive Director Tom Briant. “It’s not as formal as last year,” he says. Tuxedos and long dresses won’t be needed. Business attire will be just fine. And dinner will be a western barbecue-style dinner.
“The trade show will also include many informative and educational seminars that retailers should seriously consider attending,” Bryant says. This year’s offerings are:
- The Breakfast Keynote on “State of the Industry” with tobacco investment research expert Nik Modi will give an overview of the business and current issues, including smokeless as the next growth phase.
- Later Thursday morning, retail expert George Whalin, president and CEO of Retail Management Consultants, will share his insights to help attendees become more savvy marketers in “‘Into the Future:’ Power Trends Shaping the Future of Retailing.”
- At Friday’s Breakfast Session, TAZ Marketing and Consulting Group President Lou Maiellano will take a look at the brave new world of tobacco and how to negotiate the changing landscape successfully in “Managing Your Business in the New Emerging World of Tobacco.”
- Afterward, Smokers Choice President Darren Schwartz and Smoker Friendly International LLP’s VP of Sales and Marketing Mickey Falconburg will teach you everything you want to know about MYO/RYO and how to make the most of this growing market.
The exhibit hall will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. And from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday there will be an Opening Night Reception with food, cocktails, and admission by ticket only.
“We have a great opening night get-together on Thursday,” Reuter says. “It’s really a great networking session.”
To register or for more information, contact Marilene Rivera,
(888) 737-3976, marilene@reuterexpo.com, or visit www.tobaccoplusexpo.com.
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