Episode 76 Pre/Post IPCPR Show

Episode Summary

Episode 76 of A Cigar Hustler's Podcast is a two-man show recorded in the chaos just before the 2019 IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. Mikey (Powstanie Cigars) and Mike Two open with travel war stories, show prep, and a rundown of podcast housekeeping — the show's placement on PodCoin and iTunes cigar podcast charts, international listenership, and the most-downloaded episodes to date (Skip Martin, Jeff Moutet, Danny Vasquez and Robert Caldwell all rank in the top five). They also touch on the Warbear release shipping out ahead of the show and the recent interviews with Hirochi Robaina and La Familia Robaina.

The core of the episode is a long, candid conversation about the IPCPR's rebrand to the Premium Cigar Association (PCA), discovered early through a trademark filing ahead of the official Friday press conference. The hosts walk through the organization's history — from the Retail Tobacco Dealers of America (RTDA) to IPCPR in 2007 — and argue the change is partly about distancing premium cigars from e-cigs and vapor in the eyes of the FDA, and partly about an organization trying to fix declining attendance.

From there they dig into the long-rumored "Cigar Con" consumer day proposed for the 2020 trade show. Mikey comes out in favor of it from a brand owner's perspective: face time with consumers who travel to see him is worth more than a booth full of nothing, and the show is the one place you can find Saka, Caldwell, Skip Martin, Bufi and Rosales in the same room. They debate which day it should land on, whether it would cannibalize the biggest ordering day, whether retailers should fear consumers seeing wholesale pricing, and how free-cigar giveaways and pay-per-cigar multi-vendor event arrangements actually work behind the scenes.

The pair also vent about the real cost drivers at the show — a 3% booth price increase for 2020, union labor rules that ban your own dolly on the floor, and the widely shared example of nearly $5,800 to hang a banner — plus whether Vegas is still the right venue and why holding the show over the 4th of July is hurting attendance. The episode closes with a Warbear t-shirt giveaway, a gender reveal announcement, and gym talk.

In This Episode

1. 01
   Travel Chaos and Pre-Show Prep
   Missed connections through Houston, confiscated pocket knives, and calling every retailer ahead of the trade show.
2. 02
   Podcast Housekeeping and Listener Stats
   PodCoin and iTunes rankings, international downloads, and the top five most-downloaded episodes featuring Skip Martin, Jeff Moutet, Danny Vasquez and Robert Caldwell.
3. 03
   IPCPR Becomes the Premium Cigar Association
   The trademark filing that leaked the PCA rename, the RTDA-to-IPCPR history, and why distancing premium cigars from e-cigs matters for FDA fights.
4. 04
   Cigar Con: The Consumer Day Debate
   Why Mikey supports a consumer day at the 2020 show, which day it should fall on, and whether it would hurt order-writing.
5. 05
   Retailer Fears and Wholesale Pricing
   Whether letting consumers onto the floor exposes wholesale margins — and why the hosts think it doesn't matter.
6. 06
   Free Cigars and Multi-Vendor Event Economics
   How show buys, discounted pricing and pay-per-cigar giveaway arrangements actually work for brands at consumer events.
7. 07
   Booth Costs, Unions and the Vegas Question
   A 3% booth increase, absurd convention center labor fees, and whether the show should move off Vegas and off 4th of July weekend.
8. 08
   Warbear Giveaway and Personal Updates
   The t-shirt contest winners, the Warbear release shipping, a gender reveal, and two-hour workouts replacing the cold plunge.

Brands & Cigars Discussed

Linked items are in our shop. Mentions without a link aren’t currently stocked or couldn’t be matched with confidence.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 76 of a Cigar Hustlers podcast. This will be our post-pre-IPCPR show, so sit down and relax and enjoy the show. Let's get this show on the road. I am Mike, and he's Mike.

No, I'm Mike, too. This is Cigar Hustlers podcast. Yes. Well, it's just the two of us today, Michael.

Well, it's very loud. I kind of like it when it's just the two of us. It is a nice change. Sometimes it's nice.

We've been so... Wait, what microphone are you? I'm two. Two, two.

Microphone two. You sound fine. Check one. Check one, two.

And I'm microphone four. Oh, no, I'm out of two. Okay. Come on.

It's been a long time. It's been just two of us. Yeah. Because we have so many guests that want to be on the show now.

Yeah, this is me running out of fuel. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. We're going to make it.

It's going to make it. It's going to make it. It's going to go through. I believe in it.

All right. Well, when this show airs, the IPCPR will have happened. yes this is post excuse me post IPCPR show so this is a recording a pre-recording pre-recording while IPCPR is kind of going on not in front of a live studio audience so that's kind of cool because there's a lot going on I mean right now it's absolute chaos here oh it's chaos outside that door over there and here we are just fucking doing a podcast we got no worries it's got to go No, things have to happen. Yeah, so before we kind of get into the IPCPR-PCA conversation, which I think will engulf the majority of this podcast.

Yes, I have a few things before that also, but go ahead. Okay, go ahead. Well, I just wanted to briefly touch on my trip. Which trip?

So I did like a quick trip. Oh, the sad trip? Yeah, the sad trip, but it doesn't matter what the trip was for, but the things that occurred to me as I was going to this. Oh, they were an event.

We really don't talk anymore unless there's microphones. Yeah, we really don't. Because, you know, if you're here, I'll just hold it. I'm like, oh, what's happening?

He's coming in the room. I can't talk. So what happened? So my flight got delayed.

Your departing flight? Yep. My departing flight got delayed. Direct flight?

Or do you have a... No, no, no. No, no. Everything's hubs when it comes to United.

So they took my toothpaste. Weapons of mass tooth decay. I'm going to take over the plane with the fluoride. I left my pocket knife in my backpack.

They definitely took that shit. They definitely took the pocket knife. " If I knew I had five hours to kill, I would have... Years ago, when I first started doing this, I had a buddy who used to fly for work, and he had his pocket knife.

He went over to one of those planters at the airport, you know, where they have the big trees outside of security. Stuck it in the dirt, came back a week later when he landed, got it back out. Smart. Smart man.

Smart man. Yeah, the flight got delayed, so I almost didn't... I missed my connecting flight when I got off the plane. That's what I hate, when you miss the connection.

So IAH, the Houston International Airport, is gigantic. Yes. So I get off the plane, and, you know, I gotta go make a, I go, do you have any other flights, you know, and they're like, oh, well, we have one, but, and you can go on standby, but you're not gonna make it, you have to be there in 15 minutes, and I'm at gate E. Challenge accepted.

I'm at gate E, and I have to be at gate A. I'm like, all right, all right, let me cold plunge and I'll be on my way. Dude, that was-- Did you make it? Oh, I made it.

Oh, you made it. It was tough, though. " This is it. They told me.

I ran. I have to go. I'm having a small heart attack here. Work it out.

Talk amongst your friends. So, I made it. And then on the way back, same scenario. But it wasn't as bad.

Did you get into Houston again, or once you left Houston? I got delayed going into Houston, which made me miss my Orlando connecting flight. Oh, no. Yeah.

I don't mind so much missing connections leaving, but when you're ready to come home, you just wanna go home. Yeah, no shit. Oh, no camera. Earl.

It's Earl. Yeah, Earl. Hi, Earl. Alright, so that was pretty much what, you know, I've called every single retailer that we do business with this past two weeks.

Yes. Are you all booked up for the show? I'm all booked up for the show. Oh.

Can't wait. I'm excited, you know, the war bear has officially landed, we're gonna be shipping him out here. He's here. He's here.

He's here, he's out there growling as we speak. So, I'm excited, I'm really excited this year. Everybody seems to be excited about the bear. And what's really cool too is my mentality towards everybody, I just don't really give a shit, now you don't care anymore.

Which is awesome, which actually is like, awesome. I don't know, I don't know what else to say. Well, your brother cares, he's out there about to have a heart attack or a stroke or something. Good for him.

He's carrying all the stress for you. Excellent. All right, so what do you have, Mr. Palmer?

Well, I've noticed in the videos I'm doing a lot over here now that I didn't used to do this. Yes? There seems to be a lot going on. Oh.

Well, I could tell you that in the last three episodes I have asked every single person if they would win in a fight or not. You have. That seems to be your go-to question now. I don't know why I just kind of...

I'd keep it up. It's kind of neat. But, you know, maybe we'll just kind of checker it in. I don't think we should do it every time.

I'll do it every time. The only person that was really answered is Hirochi. Yeah, Hirochi was the best one. He's like, "Yeah, I'd kick his ass.

" Yeah, I'm a Cuban judo sportsman. I could kick Spence's ass without any trouble. That was amazing. By his beard.

I will pull him down by his beard. That was fantastic. And, you know, Hirochi's a pretty fit guy. He's pretty solid.

Yeah, yeah. Well, if you watch that video, I mean, he's a farmer. He's out there working, lifting and pulling and digging. He does it.

His hands are dirty. He's a real deal. All right. So that was, that was, I loved that part.

Like I was on the flash news today and I was like, yes, that is awesome. Oh, Spence heard it. I'm sure he's Elizabeth now. La Familia Robana just retweeted, or not retweeted, reposted, I guess it would be, reposted the Instagram link for the show.

Excellent. Yes. That's very nice of them. Well, I had a great time with them.

We're gonna have to get them back on here and definitely get Todd Vance's story and stuff, so. Yeah, we need to get Todd Vance so Todd can have a show by himself. And Hiroshi was, uh, was amazing, so. He was, he was very, very nice, very accommodating.

Quick, easy to interview. We'll have to do it again. So, what else you got? Okay, hold on.

You've traded on me, you're now, you are now a rain person and I'm still banging it. They're on sale. I don't know. You can get three of these for the price of one of those now.

I'm sure that'll change soon, but... We'll see. I've been asked several times lately where I went to school to learn how to do this. " Hey, I think I can figure this out.

" And here we are. YouTube is a wonderful thing, let me tell you. YouTube and the guys who are at Hot Ticket, that's how I learned how to do this. A little shameless plug for the Hot Ticket podcast guys.

But I am quite critical now when I watch and listen to other shows. Critiquing. I am critiquing. Constantly critiquing.

So I am available for production consultations. I finally messed up on an email. Oh yes, you did, you did. So, 74 episodes, and I did episode 72, and man, were you excited about that.

Oh, I was so thrilled. Because, whew, it's taken that long for me to fuck up. " And you know, all it took was, you know, just sprinkle a little IPCBR chaos in the mix, and here we are. Just to enjoy this.

Right, oh yeah, I got a nice little email from you. So, yeah, I screwed it up. You screwed it up. So, congratulations.

Oh, shout out to Hogshead Cigar Lounge. Yes. You need to tell that little story. What story is that?

They called you. They did? They called you to tell you that they enjoy the show. I talk to Bob all the time.

Oh, you happen to mention that they did call specifically to tell you about the show. Yeah, no, he listens to the show, you know, they listen to the show for sure, you know, and I don't know what else you want me to say about it. But, you know, it's cool that, it's nice to see that retailers can get, can listen and kind of get some insights on actual stuff in the industry, you know? So, I think if that's where you're kind of going with that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was nice. So, but Bob's cool, man. I like talking to him. He's a good dude.

Oh, and now, if you come into, as of yesterday, coming to Cigar Hustler on Sunday mornings, the podcast will be playing on the big time. Oh, you announced that as well. Very nice. Oh, yes.

Gotta plug our own show. Plug everybody else's. Come on in, have a cigar. Have a cigar.

And stare at us while we're not here. It'll be fantastic. It'll be fantastic. But you have to play, like, the skip episodes.

Oh, he should just start at one. Oh, one's not a video. You gotta do YouTube. He should start on the first video one and just play him in order.

He should just do current, the week, or whatever. Oh. All right. Okay, a little show update.

Yes. We are now on PodCoin. Ooh. If you listen to PodCoin and register, you win credits.

And then you can turn credits into gift cards. Ooh, that sounds lovely. Yes. So, we are in the top 50.

We've only been on it for a week. We are in the top 50 cigar-related podcasts on PodCoin. Wow. We're in the top 25 on iTunes.

I didn't know there was 50 fucking cigar podcasts. More than 50 on PodCoin, at least. Really? Yeah.

Top 25 for iTunes, and we're still number two on PodCoin. We gotta beat 'em. We're getting close, though. We'll get there.

We have like three times a follower of Cigar Dave. He's dropped way down. He just, uh, Cigar, no wait, which, what's the one that's in, uh, ahead of us? Cigar Authority.

Cigar Authority. David, David Garofalo? Yeah, David Garofalo. Yeah.

But, we are now... Who'd win a knife at you or David Garofalo? Me. Ah, there you go.

And we'll see you at the show. See you at the show. David. Um, let's see, we're big in the Middle East now.

Yeah? Yes. That's nice. 22 downloads in Iran.

Oh, wow. 19 in Jordan, 18 in Bahrain. I wonder if the military presence has expanded in those as of the... I'd like to think they're using this to torture prisoners.

That's it, you know? They just put it on and make them listen. Hey, here's what we're gonna do. You're gonna give us some answers.

No, no. Not the music. No, it's not the music. You're gonna listen to the podcast.

This is Gar Hustler's podcast. All right. Cool. What has it got?

85 listeners in Romania. Nice. So we're still with two listeners in Romania. We have no listeners in Saskatchewan, Canada.

That's the only Canadian province that they call them. I feel like it's gonna happen. Territories? We're close.

It's the only place in Canada we're not heard. Alright. The top 10 episodes, number one episode is Mr. Skip.

Is this based on Podbean? This is downloads on Podbean. This is just Podbean. Podbean's the only one that gives us exact figures.

So, which Skip episode? The third one, actually, which is kind of strange. Really? Yes.

That is strange. Yes. As of this, these notes are actually from last week. Skip had had 428 downloads in the last 30 days.

Wow. Mr. Jeff Moutet is number 2 with 392. Nice.

And Skip number 1 is 3rd. So Skip's just flat out dominating. Oh yeah, well, he's also on the, he takes over the Moutet show too, so. All right.

All right, cool. Mr. Danny Vasquez, episode 50 is number 4. Wow.

370, so he's just 6 behind Mr. Skip's number 1 episode. In episode number 63, Robert Caldwell rolls out the top five. Very nice.

I like that. That's new for you. A little top five action. Yes, yes.

Good for you. So what else you got? Because then we're going to get into the IPCBR. I'm ready to talk about IPCBR and PCA.

Do you want to do a mock sales presentation to a customer? What do you mean? I'll pretend to be a customer and you try to sell me cigars. I don't really do that.

You don't sell cigars? No, I just say, here's a price sheet. Hi, how are you? Nice to meet you.

Normally, I know the people. So, what's going on? Talk about the War Bearer? Talk about, you know what I mean?

Like, there's no... I thought the viewers would enjoy watching you try to sell the cigars. I don't really try and sell the cigars. Okay.

We don't have to, then. So, that doesn't happen. Okay. " Like, that doesn't, that's not, you know...

He's so full of himself over there. That doesn't happen. I'm just telling you the truth. Okay.

So... Maybe I could do a little dance or something, if you'd like. That's what I do. I do a lot of dancing.

I was just looking for a reenactment thing for the- No reenactment. Okay. Normally the phone calls that I, when I call people are funnier. " That's what I should have done, videoed you making phone calls.

Yeah. Hey, how are you? This is Mike from Postanya. Who?

Mike from Postanya. What? How do you spell that? P?

That happens. Phil, there's a guy on the phone from Po something? Never heard of him. Never heard of her.

Do we sell those? We don't carry those here, sir. Well, I'm looking at this invoice, sir, and I see that you have definitely purchased them, so... He says we have them!

Yeah, that's a real thing. Well, can you tell me what they look like? What your box looks like? Do they come in boxes, or are they just bundles?

The War Bear? No, I'm being the guy who doesn't know you. Oh, we're still on that. I'm sorry, I can't keep up with you.

Can't keep up. Alright, let's move on with one of the news. Okay, so the IPCPR is changing its name. Yeah, the PCA, sorry, go ahead, they're not announcing it until the show, but somebody went online and found their registration, the trademark registration, right, that the IPCPR owns.

So, yes. So, PCA, Premium Cigar Association, formal announcement to be at a press conference on Friday at the start of the 2019 IPCPR show. Let's see, in 1933, they were known as the Retail Tobacco Dealers of America, the RTDA, until 2007 when they changed the name of the IPCPR. Uh-huh.

That's all you got? No, there's more. Okay, keep going. But wait, there's more.

Well, I wanted your opinion on the name change. That's all I have about the name change. Okay, so, I mean... Why do you think they're changing the name?

Because when things aren't going right, you change the name. You know, when you start to, when your dynamic has to evolve with current demands, or lack thereof, you change the fucking name. You think it has to do with the FDA, because premium cigars is what they're trying to be? Well, I mean, that's another thing, it does solidify them away from e-cigs and any other stuff.

Sure. Because what the IPCBR is in for, International Pipe and Cigar Retailers Association. It was too long, it's like SHIELD, it's just too many acronyms. And it used to have an Indian.

Now it doesn't have an Indian. Oh, that's right. The new logo is a leaf, a green multicolored leaf. Politically correct association, PCA.

Oh, very nice. So, yeah, I think the big thing about the PCA, and before I kind of get into this, we don't have the microphones hooked to the camera. So what does that mean? Nothing.

It'll sound like the Hunt episode. I can raise the volume on the camera. Oh, you blew it. That's all right.

This is what happens when you're rushing things. I know, we're rushing. So, like the bear. So first of all, you know, I haven't really talked to anybody else about this, and my views and opinions could change after I sit down with some, the few, very few people.

The views and opinions of the show are? The very few people that I respect in the cigar industry. Both of them? You know, yeah, all two of them.

So, it could change, but the big thing, the big conversion about the PCA is they're going to offer, For a regular consumer day. Cigar Con, that was next on my list. Yeah. More notably, the addition of Cigar Con, the long-rumored consumer day for the 2020 trade show.

Yeah. And like, everybody's in an uproar about it. Wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers, everybody's upset. Well, nobody wants to do the dog and, I mean, you already have to do a dog and pony show for the trade show.

Well, I can say that I'm for it. As of right now, I'm for it. Are you? Yeah.

Why is that? Because it makes my life easier, for one. How does it make your life easier? I get to meet everybody.

I seldom travel to the West Coast, right? Maybe, if I'm lucky, once a year, twice a year, right? So if somebody's going to take the time and effort to come and see me, I'm going to spend time with them. I'm going to talk with them, you know, we'll shoot the shit or whatever, you know.

I think that that's a big deal, right? Well, that's the draw, because everybody's there. Right. I mean, where else do you get to see the Mike Szczepankevichs and the Skip Martins and the Steve Sunkers?

Well, you get to see them at multi-vendor events, which, you know, also is... Yeah, but there's not as many people, though. I mean, where else are you going to get Saka, Caldwell, Bufi, Martin, Rosales? I mean, where are you getting all those guys at one time?

No, I totally agree. You know, there's some rumors that it's going to be on the first day. I honestly don't see that happening. If it does happen, I'll kind of be shocked, but...

What day do you think they should have it? The last day. Well, then some people will leave. They already do leave.

That's true. Maybe the day before the last day? I don't know, but not the first day. So your problem with it right now is that it's the first thing.

I don't really have a problem with it at all. I have a problem with an organization not trying to fix a problem. And the problem is attendances are down, they're not making enough money, and that's kind of the manufacturers and the brand owners and retailers are all responsible for that, right? You can get show deals without being at the show.

Yeah, without being at the show. That's the biggest problem. Right? And because of that, retailers don't go.

Right. No reason to. Why go spend the money? I mean, I can tell you why you should go and spend the money, because it's important to go in and...

Yes, I know, support your organization or support the industry. You can just go ahead and finish my sentences then. That's not what I was going to say. It's not important to support your organization.

What is important is to rub elbows with other retailers, continue to solidify relationships with manufacturers and brand owners, and possibly consume products before you purchase them, because if they suck, then you don't have to fucking panic and sell them later. Are you going to pass out free cigars on the Consumer Day? Because they're saying that as of right now it is not a requirement. A requirement, yes.

Yeah, I don't know how that all is going to play out, you know, I'm not necessarily geared towards just hemorrhaging cash for no reason, you know what I mean? Quantities are already low, so I couldn't say that, hey, I'm like, hey, check out this new Powstanie, like, I couldn't see me doing that, but I'll hang out and meet people, no problem. You don't currently go to any of those multi-vendor events where you just show up to get free cigars, though, do you? I have.

I've gone to them. Do you guys, at those ones you go to, do you pass free cigars out at those? They go at a cost to the retailers. They pay for them.

But usually it's a discounted cost. Yeah, it's included in the, you know, when like if, let's say, I would go to one and I buy a ticket, it's included in the cost of my ticket. So that money trickles down to you somehow? No.

" They say, "Okay, is there any way you can help me with pricing on a cigar? " They say, "Okay, well, let me see what I can do. Let me see what I have in stock. " Now, if I can't, and they take it anyways, they take it anyways.

So you go. So at that point, it's considered like an event, right? They've paid for you to fly out, because they've purchased product. Right.

They made a show buy. Right. So you go out, you know, you, what's, it's, it's mixed. So like, uh, some of the, the people that you meet are fucking awesome.

You know, um, you know, I'm, I made some great friends. I went to the, uh, the Memphis, uh, smoke last year at Tinderbox. Right, that's the one you went to. And, you know, I'll just, I'll plug Sean Payne and, and forgive me, Andy, if I screw up your name, Andy Maleskas, uh, you know, those dudes, you know, friends for life.

Right. So now I have... Are those just consumers, though? Yeah, those are regular consumers that attend the event.

Now, there are other people that are like, "Hey, what's free? What's this? " You know what I mean? Like, those guys...

Oh, with the Memphis thing, there wasn't the handing out of the cigars? No, well, usually it's already done or something like that, you know, or sometimes you hand them out, whatever the case may be. So like the Tampa one, they used to do the trick-or-treat thing, and now they used to give you the bag full of cigars. So it's easier.

So they did it that way, too. So, like, there was another one that I worked at, and probably because I have details, I probably shouldn't say where it was, but you got, as the, you would get a dollar a cigar for every cigar that you passed out. Right. You have to, you have to give X amount of cigars.

We're going to give you a dollar for each one. Now, how much of that would you like to donate to my favorite charity? That's the way it was presented to, to all the brands. Mm.

So, so you could. I'd like none. I wouldn't even do it. Yeah, well, see, that, that, that's, that's just it.

And that's below what it costs you to make a cigar. Right, yeah, it already is. I mean, cigars cost more than a dollar to make anyway. And then I want you to kiss the ring?

Fuck. You're out of your mind. I can tell you off air with that. Well, you know what show it was.

Yeah, I'll figure it out. So, as far as PCAs is concerned, meeting, you know, setting up a consumer day, you know, they gotta do something. And I'm not against it. The complaint about being the first day is that that's the biggest day for sales.

But you don't know if it's gonna be the first day or not. Like, they haven't officially... No, no, they haven't. It's just one of the things.

But even if it is, let's say it's a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So normally Thursday is your big sale day. Right. Now your big sale day is just going to be Friday because you can't do any sales on Thursday.

So it just pushes it back. No, it's not going to work that way. And here's why. I'm going to take my orders.

But you can't legally take orders on consumer day. Well, then if that's the case, then it would probably be before the official IPCPR kicks off. IBCPR kicks off. So what, like in your hotel room?

No, it's like, if IBCPR, like, if IBCPR technically starts Friday with seminars, right? Right. And then IBCPR goes on Saturday. Saturday.

Right? So, if they parlayed that on Friday, okay, I could see that. That's not a big deal. So if they turn Friday instead of the seminar day into the consumer day.

I mean, the seminars are kind of a joke anyways, to be honest. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I've gone and I've seen them, you know, I learned more from hanging out with Skip and Andrew Wood. Andrew Wood, and, you know, if you want to talk about social media, you know, I have no problem with that too, I don't really pick up any of that from the seminar stuff, so, yeah, if they shit can all that, that's fine by me.

I'm listening. I mean, that's pretty much all I got, so if the consumers come in that day and want to hang out and smoke some cigars, no, it doesn't, it's the same day, you're replacing the seminars with… Well, that's what I mean. I mean, unless they go seminars, then free day. But they're not- Because they, the seminars are free anyway.

The retailers are going to the seminars. Not consumers. Oh, I gotcha. Oh, so, yeah.

" Open the door and let them walk in. So, I mean, it doesn't change as far as sales. It wouldn't affect your sales. Right.

It wouldn't affect your sales. No. If anything, though, it would help you as a brand. " Yeah, man, I shot this shit with him, he was a good egg.

I could see that happening. I've experienced that elsewhere. Why wouldn't I want to experience that there? Yeah, on a bigger stage, so to speak.

It just doesn't, you know, so... Interesting point. I'm for it. I'm for it.

I'm sure I'm going to get some hate mail from that, but, you know, hey, look, I'm not scared of change, and if it doesn't work, They can always revamp it, but they've got to do something. And they've also got to change the better. And this isn't a praise to PCA or IPCPR because the fact of the matter is these dates are terrible. A lot of guys aren't going to this show because of the fact that it's 4th of July weekend.

Next week they're doing the week after, I believe, the 11th, I seem to remember. So that's a big deal. Why do you think the Consumer Day fell off before? They tried to do it in 2013 and it didn't go.

A lot of people are holding off their decision whether or not they're going to go next year based on whether or not there is a consumer day. People are afraid of change. That's true. It's just that simple, right?

I mean, they honestly don't know what the outcome is. I know that some retailers are terrified that consumers will see wholesale pricing. Dude, you know, I don't think, if you're a good retailer, then you have an excellent way of explaining, It's not a big secret the way the pricing is done anyway. Yeah.

It isn't that difficult to figure out. Right. Anybody can... And even if you do figure out, it doesn't matter.

It's not like your retailers aren't crushing it. You know what I mean? No. Especially your local guys, especially your small shops.

So, you know, I'm not against it. Well, there you go. He's not against it. I'm not against it as of today.

They're raising the prices in 2020, 3% for booth space. You know what I am against is the fucking pricing on the convention centers. I know, it's crazy. And the post that Skip Martin put up about how much it costs just to hang a thing.

Raising the flag, 5,800 bucks is fucking ridiculous. I mean, you know, it's to a point where like, I can't, I have like one of those little collapsible dollies to bring extra stuff. Right, I was gonna say, we got in trouble for that the year. They make you pick it up and carry the box when you get onto the showroom floor.

Like, those things are absolutely absurd. Those are the bigger concerns, but that's not PCA, that's the unions. Yeah, so I'd find a better location. Vegas doesn't really...

No, I think they should. Well, why do they do it all in Vegas? I mean, they try it other places and it doesn't work. I think that the argument is that people will go to Vegas, have fun in Vegas, like they can make a vacation out of it, you know.

Well, shoot, they could do more than that here in Orlando. The problem with Orlando is the fact that there's so many smoking regulations in downtown Orlando. Yeah, you can't smoke anywhere. You couldn't smoke during the show either the year I was here?

On the floor? Uh, I don't know. I don't remember. Maybe.

Yeah. That might've been a thing. What if they had it outside? Oh, in the summer?

Well... Fucking, I'm gonna melt. Have it at a different time. Okay, we need to take a break.

Okay, take a break. All right, we're gonna take a break. We'll be right back. Hey, this is Mike Tu from The Cigar Hustlers Podcast.

If you're enjoying the audio version, make sure you get over to YouTube to The Cigar Hustlers Podcast All right, and we're back, and the sound is better now, I would imagine, for the last part of the show. It's much better, the last five minutes. The last five minutes of the show. So, the reason why they do it in the summertime is because that's the easiest time.

Sales usually dip at a whole for retailers. Do they for the rest of the country? In Florida, isn't it the busier season? I would say in certain areas, maybe.

No, because not even. It's more snowbird stuff. So snowbirds are the increase in business for florida. Yeah.

Yeah, okay. Summertime, everybody leaves. Well, a lot of people come here, too, though, for vacations. But a lot of people leave here, as well.

So, you know, more often than not, your overall, your average retailer probably has a dip in sales. So they have the, you know, usually they have more, except for the 4th of July weekend, you know. Yeah. It's a terrible time to have it.

Yeah. They just have it on the 4th of July. Mm-hmm. So, I'm all for PCA.

I'm all for Consumer Day. Meet some people. Have some fun. Let's play Twister.

I want to play Twister with Steve Saka and Skip Martin on Consumer Day. Let's do that. That would be hilarious. Yeah.

I mean, we could throw some other ones in there, too, but I think that'd be right there and it would be amazing in itself. He's very lanky, so. No, I want people to struggle. You want big people?

Yeah, I want, you know, the biggest dudes in the industry. I want Pete Hernandez. Abe. Yeah, I don't know Abe really, so, I mean, other than from Kiss My Ashes.

Oh, gotcha. I couldn't get him, you know, but I could definitely get the other guys from Twisted. Yeah, you could, right. Yeah, you and Saka are like boys now.

Yeah, we're close. Yeah. Friends. We've been way back.

Are you guys sharing a room at the IPCPR? We got a history. Oh, at the PCA? At the PCA.

Yeah, God, Jesus. Oh, I hope they come in with IPCPR shirts on, and then they make the announcement, and then they rip them off, and they have PCA shirts. I can't see that happening. No?

Do you remember when Kmart changed their logo? You're probably not, you're very young. No. Yeah.

Kmart changed their logo, and that's back when I was on the management program, and we did that. We had the coats and ties on, and then we ripped the coats and ties off down to the collared shirt that said the new Kmart logo on it. Oh, this is the new logo, but it was still Kmart. It was still Kmart.

It was Kmart before, it was Kmart then. Well, it started out being Jupiters. Jupiters. Jupiters.

Then SS Greg's E, and then... You wanna know what they're called now? Bankrupt. Bankrupt.

Yeah, no kidding. Yeah. Very sad. It's because of the retail conventions they had to go to.

Because they changed the names. They wanted to make it a retail consumer day. So what else? Come on.

We need just a few more minutes. Just make it worth coming back after the break. A few more minutes. Oh, we have sold another t-shirt.

Yes. Oh, you know, we're thinking about doing this whole thing we're talking about. Oh, the patron thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We're thinking about doing the patron program. We have to come up with what you get at what level. Yeah. So, I mean, you know, why don't we get some feedback for that?

Oh, we have several contests that need to be wrapped up. We do have a couple of things going. We do. Somebody messaged me about the IPCBR renaming that we haven't gone to.

But hopefully by the time it's there, that would have been resolved. That's not really tied into the show, though. Yeah, that was me. But we only had two people enter into the Warbear t-shirt.

Just two, eh? Just two. You want to just give them both a chance? They're just not committed to YouTube.

No, we're only giving one away. All right, we'll decide which one. Who are the two? Let's see.

Let me hear it. It's... People we know? Yeah, Aaron over in Tampa.

Aaron Ellerman. Okay. And the other guy, I don't know who he is, he's got a handle on YouTube. Okay.

I'll have to look it up and see. But yeah, those are the only two. Hmm. Well, were we giving away a shirt?

Some other stuff? We were just giving away a War Bear shirt. I don't think the prize was big enough. Okay.

Shirt. People don't like shirts? People don't like shirts. Well, Aaron entered.

These lovely shirts, actually. actually yes these these so so uh anyway at the uh the gender reveal um oh we can talk about that uh mikey's having a new baby girl oh yeah i am hey congratulations girl uh your wife threw you under the bus and said you walked by every mirror every window every reflective yeah every reflective surface surface in the house flexing and pointing look man the fact of the matter is i put a lot of time and effort in this okay i'm nowhere close to where i want to be but you know i like seeing That's the results of your hard work. You know, there's mirrors in the friggin' elevators of the Venetian. " It's like a gold hint, it's fantastic.

There has been no workout updates. Are you not cold plunging anymore? Did that fad go on? You know, I had no choice but to ease up off the cold plunge.

Why did you have to give up the cold plunge? Because of how long my exercising is at this point. I work out for two hours in the morning. Two hours?

Yeah. My God, what are you doing? And then I try and parlay another hour in the evening if I can squeeze it in. Do you go back to the gym at night?

No, I got dumbbells at home. And then I got a row machine. You're working out too much. Oh, you got to keep the rowing machine?

I thought you had to get a rowing machine. I got to keep the rowing machine. Yeah, you got to keep the rowing machine. That's good.

So, yeah, no, man. You know what? Now she's having a baby girl. You might want to get like an exercise bike or something, too.

You could probably, you know, anything you wanted here for the next couple of weeks. I just want the rowing machine. I'm happy with the rowing machine. Jeez.

But you know what I would like? I'd like to get one of those little Amazon houses, like, put in the back and build my own gym. Oh. That'd be amazing.

I can't afford any of that. A shed. I can't afford the house or the equipment, so. Well, your backyard, it looks like it's shrinking because it's so nice now.

Yeah, well, I had to make it look nice for the gender reveal party, bud. Yes. Home Depot credit card. Yes.

I do like how quick that cigar went down and went bye-bye. Somebody apparently wants to purchase it. Do they really? Yeah, Greg told me that, so I got to bring it back.

Oh. As a, you and Brittany should sign it, and date it. As a gender... It's a girl.

Mike and Brittany, step on camera. Sit in my backyard. For it rains on it. Yeah.

Or the sprinklers, run. Should probably do that today. Yeah, 'cause you have so much time. Yeah, no kidding.

Alright, well, we can wrap it up, you've got a lot to do. You're a busy man. So, I guess you can give them both the shirts. Alright, so you both will win a shirt.

Congratulations. Congratulations to Aaron Ellerman. These fuckers don't want to watch us on YouTube yet. Don't worry, we're going to make you.

We're up to 60 subscribers. Well, that's great. And we are getting roughly 60 views, so everybody's at least watching. Well, fucking A.

But I'm afraid, because I check in on what it is. You know, you have to click on it to get the accurate amounts. So I'm saying I'm bad. Hey, you know what?

Fluff those numbers a little bit, buddy. Do what you got to do. That's right. It's perfectly fine.

All right. Okay, so that's it. So, hey, you're going to get this while we're still kind of at IPCPR? You'll be there.

I'm coming home on the red-eye Sunday night. And then we'll have a lot to discuss when we return. Oh, that's the post-IPCPR show. Yeah, and then, you know, hopefully we're going to bring the producer out there and we'll get some good video.

We're going to, yeah, take the camera and the microphone with the... So you can catch me in action of me not selling cigars to people. Here's the price sheet. " I don't think that that happens.

My voice will be gone after day one. You know what you should have done? You should have got somebody in a bear suit. It's not too late.

Oh, I figured it would be me, that's why I almost hit the bell. Uh, what's Koi doing? Koi can be the bear. Uh, pfff, who knows what Koi's doing.

Or Sean, Sean can be the bear, he's a big guy. Sean from Fable? No, Sean from-- Sean Coleman. Sean from Roma Crafts.

My dude, I wouldn't fucking subject him to that, come on, I wouldn't subject you to that either. Oh, well then, Little Sean from Fable. That would be perfect. That would be fun.

He would literally just sit there and do nothing the entire time. He'd have to cut a little hole so he could smoke his Fable cigars. That's it. That would be funny.

I'm looking forward to seeing him, I haven't seen him in a while. Yeah. Well, since he was here last, before his cruise. Yeah.

It's always fun. Always fun seeing everybody. IPCPR is always fun. All right, everybody, thanks for listening.

Hope you enjoyed the last five minutes of sound. Yeah, we tweaked it for you. Tweaked it for you during the break. All right, that's it.

We're back. Bye. Hello, this is a prepaid collect call from the Correctional Institution. This call is subject to recording and monitoring.

To accept charges, press one. To refuse charges, thank you for using T-NetX. This has been a Cigar Hustlers Podcast, a Mike and Mike Production. m.

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Show Notes

This is our before the show discussion of IPCR 2019...PCA, Show update, Industry News and the dreaded Consumer day!

As always we welcome your show ideas on our FB page, "A Cigar Hustlers Podcast".  You can follow the show on IG @acigarhustlerspodcast, Mikey @cigarhustler and Mike Too @fcc_mike.

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