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52 SMOKESHOP February 2016 N ATO was created 15 years ago to fight for and protect the right to sell and use legal tobacco prod- ucts. During the past fifteen years, NATO has pursued this mission of protecting the retail tobacco industry by channeling all of its resources into opposing local, state, and federal legislation and responding to FDA tobacco regulations. Another very important aspect of NA- TO's mission is the annual NATO Show, the premier tobacco trade show with first- class educational seminars for every kind of association member and hundreds of exhibit booths where the latest in tobacco products can be seen and purchased. What is unique about the NATO Show is that 100 percent of the net revenue from the trade show is used by NATO to fund the association's grassroots legislative efforts. NATO has established an excellent working relationship with the FDA, and that is reflected in the FDA's director of the Center for Tobacco Products, Mitch Zeller, returning to the 2016 NATO Show with a presentation on the latest in FDA tobacco regulations. Zeller will be one of the key speakers that every retailer should hear because future federal tobac- co regulations will impact all segments of the industry. This is especially true for tobacconists and tobacco stores because the deeming regulations may require cigar and pipe manufacturers to compile and submit pre-market tobacco applications in or- der to continue to market their products. Given the cost of compiling a pre-market tobacco application, some companies may not have the financial resources to cover the cost of such applications, which would effectively result in products being removed from the marketplace. Other critically important education sessions at the NATO Show include the "State of Tobacco" by Bonnie Herzog of Wells Fargo Securities, a seminar on "Marketplace Trends and Insights" by Don Burke of Management Science As- sociates, a session titled "A Study in Do- mestic Cigars" presented by Joe Teller of Swedish Match, a "Study in Premium Cigars" with Michael Herklots of Nat Sherman Company, an in-depth look at "Maximizing E-Vapor Sales and Profits" with Keith Canning of Pine State Trading, and my annual review of FDA regula- tions plus local, state and federal tobacco legislation. A new feature at the 2016 NATO Show is a Premium Cigar Pavilion that will be separated from other exhibitors and have booths exclusively reserved for premium cigar manufacturers and cigar accessory companies. With Spring being the best time to order cigars for the up- coming summer season, the Premium Ci- gar Pavilion will offer tobacconist retail- ers a special opportunity to buy premium cigars right before demand picks up in the warm summer months. PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATO SHOW If you regularly attend the NATO Show or if you have not been to the NATO Show in the past, plan to attend the 2016 NATO Show being held at the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on April 19-21, 2016. To register to attend, visit www. NATOShow.com and click on the "At- tendee" tab and then click "Get A Badge" to register on-line. A special Paris Hotel room rate of $138 per night plus taxes is available for all NATO Show attendees. To make ho- tel reservations at this special rate, visit www.NATOShow.com and click on the "Hotel and Travel" tab. All NATO Show attendees can get a discount on their flights using Delta Meet- ing Network to make their flight reser- vations. Visit www.delta.com/meeting, select "Book Your Flight," and enter the meeting code NMMHZ in the box pro- vided. Reservations may also be made by calling Delta Meeting Reservations at (800) 328-1111, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing you at the NATO Show in April! Thomas Briant is executive director of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO), Toll-free: (866) 869-8888, Web: www.natocentral.org. NATO at 15 The National Association of Tobacco Outlets marks its 15th anniversary with a special trade show featuring critical legislative presentations, valuable seminars, and a new premium cigar pavilion. >BY THOMAS BRIANT NATO NEWS > > What is unique about the NATO Show is that 100 percent of the net revenue from the trade show is used by NATO to fund the association's grassroots legislative efforts.