2019 International Cigar Expo was held in China

The first International Cigar Expo (ICE) hosted by China Tobacco was held in Shenzhen, China from November 21^st to 22^nd.

and was a comprehensive exhibition of the cigar industry. It was jointly hosted by China Cigarette Sales Corporation and Shenzhen Municipal Tobacco Company, organized by Shenzhen Tobacco Import and Export Co., Ltd., and supported by the four China Tobacco Industry Co., Ltd. in Anhui, Shandong, Hubei and Sichuan.

ICE attracted more than 80 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions, exhibiting cigars, accessories, cigar tobacco, cigar media, drinks & spirits, retail and other categories. Over 5,000 people visited the exhibition during two days. Xu Ying, Deputy Chief Commissioner of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration of China, Guest of Honor, Briunny Garabito Segura, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to China, and Marcelo Puello, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Dominican Republic attended the opening ceremony.

During the exhibition, an international cigar industry development forum was held, and special seminars were organized on the topics of cigar raw materials, peripheral industries, point-of-sale construction, and cigar tasting. Participating representatives and visitors had full communications and discussions on the development of the cigar industry and provided suggestions. The forum opened up ideas for the development of Chinese cigar brands and created conditions for further exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese and foreign cigar industries.

The colorful cultural activities at the expo also impressed the participants. The pairing of cigars and Chinese tea in the “Cigar and Cha” tasting party provided an excellent example of the integration of cigars and Chinese tea culture. The “Sino-Dominican Friendship Night” cigar tasting party allowed Chinese consumers to taste various Dominican Republic cigars and enjoy Dominican music. The scenes of cigars and tea, cigars and motorcycles, cigars and golf, and cigars and premium lifestyle, set up by the organizer allowed visitors to fully experience the lifestyle related to cigars. The cigar rolling experience also allowed visitors to experience the cigar making process directly.

During ICE, five Chinese cigar companies signed 12 projects with 13 overseas companies, covering cigar raw materials, technology, brand cooperation, point-of-sale construction, and cigar distribution. Contracted companies have stated that the signing of these projects will effectively promote the cooperation between Chinese and foreign cigar industries and promote common development.

With the continuous development of China’s economy and society, cigar consumption has gradually entered the public perspective and has begun to take shape. China Tobacco is committed to creating an authoritative, professional, open, and internationally influential cigar exchange and cooperation platform, which effectively promotes the overall industrial chain of domestic cigar tobacco leaf cultivation, raw material processing, manufacturing, sales channels, cultural communication, and peripheral facilities, etc.

The International Cigar Expo is planned to be held every two years, and the next Expo will be held in 2021.