To meet the demands, challenges, and opportunities for both federal and state advocacy, the PCA is making several strategic shifts to bolster overall government affairs effectiveness. These changes have gradually begun early this year through new program development and budget reprioritization. As we approach 2021, PCA is also making some personnel changes and additions to align with the restructuring.
The PCA Board has decided to bring Executive Director Scott Pearce and Head of Government Affairs Joshua Habursky back off furlough to manage and oversee the work in the specific priority areas. All federal and state advocacy questions should be directed to Joshua Habursky and all other inquiries should go to Scott Pearce.
The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) and Cigar Rights of America (CRA) are pleased that a unanimous panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found flaws in the FDA’s Deeming Rule regulating cigars and held that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) did not do necessary work to show an effect of large cigar warning labels on reducing smoking rates.
The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) announced today that there will be some temporary changes to its staffing and programs as a result of the enduring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic hardships. As of July 15, the PCA staff will be furloughed, with benefits, as the board and executive committee work through the financial challenges the association is currently facing.
PCA calls upon Congress and the Administration to take action to create conditions where our members can not only rebuild and recover, but eventually grow their businesses. We hope that Congress and the Administration will consider four key areas that are critical to recovery for our industry include: FDA Regulatory Relief, Small Business Program (PPP) Reform, Liability Protection, and Tax Policy.
PCA announced today it will cancel the PCA Convention and Trade Show that was scheduled to take place July 10-14, 2020 at the Sands/Venetian Convention Center and Hotel due to public health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
As a way for us to promote our members who are offering new ways to service customers at this time, we have created a webpage that lists out all stores in a given state, location, and what they are currently offering (curbside, to-go, limited customers in store, delivery, etc.). This is constantly being updated as we get information in from our retail members.
In the table, you can see brand by brand what their current status is for attendance based on what we know now. This is a list that we'll keep updated as information becomes available.
The PCA 2020 show will be full, with the family-owned manufacturers who support the brick and mortar retailers and whose products fill our humidors. It is more important than ever that family-owned businesses that built this industry come together.
Today, leading premium cigar manufacturers Altadis USA, Davidoff of Geneva USA, Drew Estate, and General Cigar / STG, are announcing that they will not attend the 2020 PCA trade show.
