“What happens in Vegas….” Let me complete that sentence for you: “What happens in Vegas sucks the life out of you.”

Let me preface this installment by saying that yours truly does not gamble and that I gave up ‘serious’ (i.e., spirits) drinking over 2 1/2 years ago. I know, I know…not what you’d expect from someone who’s in the premium cigar business. But hey, as our Crowned Heads credo states, “..when the rules don’t make sense–we carve our own path.” So–take this with a grain of salt–the ‘allure’ of Vegas don’t make a whole lotta sense to this writer.

We returned last week from the 81st Annual IPCPR Convention & International Trade Show, where we displayed the fruits of our labor to the best retail tobacconists in the world, and debuted our third brand, “J.D. Howard Reserve.” What follows is my personal IPCPR post-mortem.

First off, I have to say that I am so very proud of our team. Our crew is a small but determined and driven one; it amazes me what is possible when you have a team that is on the same page. Most people have no concept of what is involved with not only displaying your product/company at the trade show, but what is also involved in bringing an actual cigar brand from a concept to a blend to a product to the retail shelves. If you’ve experienced that journey, then you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, let’s just say there’s a whole lot more to it than you could possibly imagine.

A lot of you reading this have been with Crowned Heads since day one, when we began shipping cigars to 66 doors across the country some 18 months ago. As I compose this blog, today Crowned Heads cigars are found in over 400 stores across the country, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands, with potential distribution in the works for New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Indeed, things they are a changin.’

Let me say that none of this could ever have been possible without the support of our Crowned Heads loyalists, and the hard working people at Tabacalera La Alianza, S.A., in the Dominican Republic, under the supervision of our ‘Godfather’ (aka ‘El Padrino’), one Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. It was truly a special and gratifying evening on Sunday, July 14, when our team broke bread with the EPC Cigar Co. family in Las Vegas. It was a night of superb food, excellent vino, and great company. Truly, it was an honor to be at that table.

My days were spent in a whirlwind of retail partners old and new, a few interviews, some photo ops (don’t like those all too much), and catching up with friends and colleagues in the business that I don’t see often enough. Fortunately, my nights were spent with my beautiful bride (to whom I owe a special ‘thank you‘ to for coming out to support and bringing ‘home‘ to a city that’s 3,000 miles away). Aside from that, here is my ‘Reader’s Digest Condensed Version‘ of Las Vegas/IPCPR:

There’s no better group of people than those that share the ‘brotherhood of the leaf.’

Food in Las Vegas is ridiculously over-priced.

I’m continually amazed by the creativity of my colleagues in this industry.

Pretty much every chef you’ve ever seen on The Food Network has a Vegas restaurant.

‘Boutique’ (or, ‘Salon,’ as per Matt Booth) brands have changed the face of the cigar business. For the better.

If you want to witness a ‘freak show,‘ visit the Walgreen’s at The Venetian at midnight.

Wes Thornton needs to add some green leafy vegetables to his diet so he won’t be holed-up in his hotel room, sick as a dog next year.

There’s no such thing as “dry heat”–heat is heat and 104 degrees is 104 degrees.

Jonathan Drew is a true champion–and champions play hurt (get better soon, bro).

Vegas is like dog years: each single day takes 7 off of your life span.

I’m amazed at what Pete Johnson and his group have achieved in 10 years. Congrats and Happy 10th Anniversary.

Flat bill baseball caps, jerseys, and shorts have extinguished the ‘glamor’ of the Rat Pack era of Las Vegas.

Mike Conder takes a long time to ‘grab a bite.’ That said, I could never ask for a better business partner. Congrats, MC.

Adam Shepard is the glue that holds Crowned Heads together–so fortunate to have him back ‘in the fold.’

Ernesto Perez-Carrillo makes some of the best cigars in the world–but he’s scared of mechanical bulls.

That’s it for my post-IPCPR recap. We’ve already begun working on the remainder of 2013 (hint: CH LE 2013), and the ideas are already in the works for 2014. So stay with us on this journey; we’ve only just begun.

Jon Huber
Crowned Heads