China to Host International Cigar Expo in November
There’s another cigar convention coming this year, and it’s a big one. China will be hosting its second ever International Cigar Expo this fall, and if all goes according to plan, the trade show should run from November 8 to 10, shortly after the Big Smoke Las Vegas weekend. The announcement was made earlier this week at the Global Invitation Kick-Off Conference of 2021 International Cigar Expo in Chengdu, China.
Scheduled to take place every two years, the ICE trade show is happening at the Tianfu International Convention Center in Chengdu, one of the largest cigar markets in China, and will exhibit premium cigars as well as related products from both Chinese and foreign manufacturers.
Not just limited to cigars, the show covers everything from lifestyle to culture including cigar accessories, pipes, drink pairings and more. Seminars, cigar tastings and social events are also part of the program.
The ICE plans to invite more than 150 companies, both domestic and overseas, to attend. The confirmed list of participants includes Habanos S.A., Davidoff of Geneva, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, Chinese cigar manufacturer Great Wall Cigars and cabinet manufacturer Bulldog.
Over the past several years, China has become a massive market for the cigar industry with steady rises in sales, especially for Cuban cigars. China recently overtook Spain to become the No. 1 market for Cuban cigars this year.
The first ICE took place in 2019 in Shenzhen, China, and joins other premium cigar conventions such as the PCA trade show in Las Vegas scheduled for July; the InterTabac show in Dortmund, which was canceled this year and last year due to the pandemic; the TAA (also canceled for 2021); and the Tobacco Plus Expo, currently underway and wrapping up this week.
The Expo will be co-hosted by the China Cigarette Sales Corporation and the China Tobacco International Group Limited.
