[FEATURE STORY]

RTDA Celebrates 75
Houston convention and show to be biggest yet

By Kathleen Cantwell

The main purpose for the RTDA’s annual show is to bring retail buyers together with sellers. Photo courtesy of RTDA

When the Retail Tobacco Dealers Association's annual show opens in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 5, it will be the largest one ever and a special cause for celebration. It is the RTDA's 75th annual extravaganza.

"We continue to get a lot of inquiries and a lot of potential first-time exhibitors," says Executive Director Joe Rowe. "That's somewhat of a surprise." What he finds surprising is that even after 75 years, there continues to be new products and new accessories developed for the cigar industry.

"Our show is cigar dominant," he says. "It's a pleasant surprise to see the category grow and new exhibitors come in here. ... There will be upwards of 50 first-time exhibitors, so that's a lot."

The RTDA 75th Annual Convention and International Trade Show will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston from Saturday, Aug. 4 to Wednesday, Aug. 8. Rowe expects there to be more than 1,300 booths, up 5 percent from last year, which was the biggest show to date.

Each year, it gets harder to find a place large enough to hold the show, Rowe says, "and of course, Houston is a first-time venue for it." He says the organization likes to get some movement in terms of where the shows are held, to make it convenient for members in different areas of the country to attend. "And Houston is the fourth largest city (in the United States) and has a lot of attractions," Rowe says.

While exact times and details were still to be determined at press time, events start the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 4, with three seminars offered free to members:

In "Pipe Marketing for Retailers," Ed O'Connor, director of sales and marketing for Tobacconist Magazine, will lead a panel of industry experts sharing their knowledge of effective techniques for maximizing sales of pipes, including marketing and merchandising strategies.

In "Get a Grip!™ Overcoming Stress and Thriving in the Workplace," top-selling author Bob Losyk will help make participants more productive with a practical, fast-paced and humorous presentation on how to handle stress in the workplace. Bob is the author of the book by the same name, as well as "Managing a Changing Workforce: Achieving Outstanding Service with Today's Employees." A much-sought-after speaker, he has presented his management techniques to more than 1,800 audiences worldwide.

Jorge Luis Armenteros, CMT, will address "The Value of Retailer Product Knowledge and the Importance of Today's Tobacconists." Owner of the Little Taste of Cuba retail stores in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Armenteros is also president of Tobacconist University, which he founded in 1996. Rowe describes the university as an important teaching tool for retailers, giving them tools to help grow their business and create a bond with their consumer.

"He's been working on this project for 10 years, and it's about 90 to 95 percent complete," Rowe says, "It's up and online. This will be a kickoff." The seminar will give RTDA members an introduction to it. TU's focus is product education. Its introductory curriculum is an in-depth academic study of tobacco, its history, agriculture, processing, manufacturing and marketing. In the seminar, Armenteros will put the importance of what tobacconists do into context and look at ways to find more societal acceptance in today's environment.

Saturday evening, the night before the trade show floor opens, the RTDA will hold a large reception for all retailer and exhibitor attendees, which Rowe describes as "a large opening birthday bash." The RTDA has been working in conjunction with a couple of their exhibitors to create some mementos of RTDA's 75th anniversary, says Rowe. XICAR, for instance, will be providing a cutter. Zippo is also celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and has created a special commemorative Zippo lighter featuring the two logos. "This is a one-time item," Rowe says, "Strictly not for sale."

Free seminars will all be in the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 4. "Once we open the convention floor, we don't do anything that would distract the retail buyer from the seller," Rowe says.

While retailers are meeting and greeting, their spouses can enjoy two different trips. On Monday, Aug. 6, they can tour Galveston Island, once the richest city in Texas and the site of the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. Today it is home to the historic Strand District with more than 100 shops, restaurants and art galleries. The tour, which includes lunch, also features the "Broadway Beauties," a group of distinctive historic homes that portray early 20th-century family life among Galveston's most elite.

Tuesday, Aug. 7, will feature a tour of Houston's museums to see some of the city's most famous art—the famed Art Car Museum, the studio of sculptor David Adickes and the home and gardens of the Bayou Bend estate, with thousands of objects showcasing the American decorative arts from the 1620s through the 1870s. Lunch will be served at Ouisie's Table, one of Houston's most popular restaurants.

Both tours require advance registration by Saturday, June 30.

For more information on the RTDA convention and show and registration, visit rtda.org.

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