Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

http://www.seattlecigarexpo.com/

I know it seems a bit pricey, but I'll probably go anyway. I've never been to this kind of event, so curious enough to go check it out.

Just wondering if anybody else from CA has signed up.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

I have thought about it, but the expense is kind of killing it for me. I have been to events like this for other industries, and I suspect it is basically an advertising event for the cigar makers. If that is the case, entry fees should be lower so that they can hand out more sticks to more people and get their product out there. I don't really want to subsidize their ad event.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

I'm going. Know the folks putting it together. Should be a killer event!!

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

I am trying to convince the wife that it is important

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Not I, but it sounds like fun!

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

IMHO that's outrageous for what will amount to an advertising blitz and a CRA membership. You can buy quite a few decent smokes and a bottle of great liquor for that kind of money. Pass.

Which, by the way, where the heck was CRA when the WA state law to outlaw cigar smoking in public places was on the ballot and eventually passed..?? Crickets, from where I sit......

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Looks like a ticket also includes quite a few decent smokes, wine, liquor and food. I guess I'll find out. My oldest son is even flying out to go with me. Should be a good time, even if it's not a great budget value :tu

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

<--- This guy is jealous. I looked at flights this morning Ken... $319 RT out of Atlanta. Probably not a good idea with the newborn. :sl

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

How much is admission? I read the site a bit but couldn't find a number.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

:sl
http://www.seattlecigarexpo.com/tickets/

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

I hope you and your son have a great time, Ken. My oldest, my Marine will be in town about the same time. I think we'll stick to pillaging my Staebell cabinet and liquor supply.....:tu

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Sorry if we were vague about this event ladies & gentlemen. This event is to benefit Cigar Rights of America and Cigar Association of Washington. This is what you get for the purchase of the ticket.

VIP ticket will get you pre-party, the event and post party.
Pre-party at Brouwer's Cafe from 6 to closing on the 19th. It will be hosted by Tatuaje, La Palina and Xikar. The gift back for the VIPs will include cigars from Tatuaje, La Palina, lighter from Xikar and a full bottle of high end wine from Goose Ridge. At the party one will get full dinner from Brouwer's and open bar from 6-9 PM! You will party with about 20 manufacturers, like Rocky Patel from Rocky Patel, Bill Paley from La Palina, Dion Giolito from Illusione...etc.

At the event it self, the VIP will enter one hour before general admission and will receive 15 plus cigars, spirit sampling tickets (we have like 10 different spirit makers), wine sampling tickets (Goose Ridge Estate) and three food sampling coins. The Restaurants will include people like Crush, El Gaucho's, Via tribunali, Waterfront Grill....etc. The who's who of top Restaurants.

At the event, we will have lot of raffle prizes and also premier cigar retailers from our region, such as Rain City Cigars, Tobacco Patch, Tinder Box, Smokey Joe's......etc. There will be bands, burlesque shows and LUXURY Lifestyle retailers.

There will be smoking at the Seattle Center and we will have classy smoking Lounges set up with nice comfortable leather chairs. It is going to be a blast!!!

For General Admission: It is same as the above mentioned event part, but it will be from 1 pm-8 pm. One hour later than the VIP admission. Everyone will have chance to hang out with manufacturers, smoke, drink and sample fine cuisines.

Speaking of Post Party for the VIPs, it will be held at the Vertigo Club. Hosted by Illusione Cigars, Preimer Mundo Cigars and Crush. You will party with roughly about 20 Manufacturers and eat foods provided by Jason Wilson at Crush. Smoke Dion's and Sean's cigars with them.

I know this is lot of information, I hope it clarifies everyone's concerns. By the way, VIP tickets are almost sold out, just for your information.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Appreciate the additional information. Jon and I have our VIP tickets confirmed :tu You only live once :D

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Hal, you fly out, and I'll pick up the VIP admission! :tu

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

:=: Just do it Hal :D

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

The WA state smoking ban was enacted in 2005. Cigar Rights of America wasn't even founded until 2008... ;)

Hi Mychal! It's actually not an adertisement for manufacturers at all. It was designed as a grand event for Seattle cigar smokers to congregate on one day and support the grassroots CRA organization. They need support from manufacturers, cigar smokers, retailers, etc. If none of the manufacturers could be bothered to support the cause and/or attend, how many of us - the general cigar smoking public - would bother coming? :tu

It's obviously a great cause - certainly to get an event like this in Seattle city limits proper, and right underneath the Space Needle to boot. You can't imagine the hurdles that the organizers of this event have had to jump through. I mean, it's not only WA state; it's Seattle/King County. I digress.

I'm obviously a little biased here since I'll be there but this is already looking better than a Big Smoke. General Admission tickets for the Big Smoke in Vegas (no weekend seminars, just the rushed, cram packed, 3-hour cattle line) runs $250. You get a bunch of cigars, maybe something to nosh on, hopefully a tilt or 2 of some bourbon or scotch, and then you're whisked out the door.

And actually for me to compare the 2 isn't fair because it's apples and oranges. The Seattle expo provides a 6 hour time frame, comfortable leather seating areas, a chance to mingle, enjoy yourself, catch some entertainment, take part in supporting a worthwhile cause while we still can before we all end up circling the legislative drain as cigar smokers, the ability to sample some of the finest food from the top restaurants in Seattle, an assortment of stellar cigars, a whole bunch of great wines and liquors to try, seminars and speakers, an opportunity to talk with manufacturers, etc. But the magic that those outside of WA state likely aren't able to fully appreciate is - it's happening in downtown Seattle :banger

I don't mean to come off like I'm trying to sell tickets or anything. Just wanted to help clarify a couple points. Hope to see some of you there! :D

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Is that pesos? How much is that in American money?

Pass !!!

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

After re-reading the site -- I am now thinking about going... Have to see what the hotel and everything will cost.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Hello, Bill great to see you back on here! After your and J&J's post this is sounding more like a great event, and less like the ad expo I was expecting. You have answered many of my questions, thank you very much for the reply. I need to work the time out with my wife but I am thinking a VIP ticket may be in my future. Thanks again for all the great information.

How much of the proceeds are projected to go to the CRA?

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

OH REALLY....!!!!!!!! With the baby being so young I will have to wait until a few weeks out before I will know for sure. (It's looking good though!)

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Well the wife knows I could use a little get away, today she said I could go if I really want to. If I can get a friend to go for a trip this might be happening. I need to see Seattle anyway.

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Im in! Looking forward to seeing you Kenny! :noon

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

High quality herfing, like the good ol' days!

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

My brother and I got VIP. Figured since we don't have many cigar events here in WA, might as well go all out.

Can't wait, should be a fun time.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Sounds like a great time to me. Just need to put the engine back in my 71 911E and i can arrive in style.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

I have been off the board for so long, I am just hearing about this!

I will be busy that weekend........... dang...!!!!

Im only in SO. Oregon, So worth the drive to get there.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

I am so excited about this event. I'll be bringing Bill Paley from La Palina who will be hosting the VIP event Friday night at Brouwers. I'll also be bringing Sean Williams from El Primer Mundo who will be hosting the VIP after party at the Vertigo Club. Saturday I'll be at the Berger & Argenti booth most of the day. Matt Booth from Room 101 will be there. Erik Espinosa from 601. So many more. This event is going to make history as one of the best cigar events in the country. I've seen the layout and the guest list. You do not want to miss this!

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

I met Erik at J&J for a 601 event couple months ago. That guy is funny as all hell. He was really friendly and so laid back.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Anybody know if there is a dress code for the evening events on Friday and Saturday?

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

I doubt it, don't see why you'd dress like a slob in the first place. And I don't see a reason why to dress to impress either.

I know a few of the older gents will be wearing suits, but that's just their lifestyle.

Could always email info@seattlecigarexpo.com and ask and report back to us. :tu

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Well, I wasn't planning to dress like a slob, nor dress to impress. I guess I was more curious about the specific venues for the VIP events, neither of which I've ever been to.

I though somebody on this thread who's been there might know, but yours is sound advice; I'll do that :tu

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

John from J&J posted...he'd probably just tell ya to come however. No need to get all fancy.

Bill from Vertigo posted, he's the owner of Vertigo where the after party is. He's always in a suit, but that's only because he owns and is always at his place, The Vertigo Club. Which is a private luxury club, so it there would be a reason to look a little nicer. I think there are some dress codes there if you were a member(no ragged jeans, no shorts, simple things like that), but it would make sense since it is a luxury club. I don't think those rules will apply the night of the party because I'm assuming most of the VIP people going probably aren't members of the club, so they might not know about it. And again, I don't really see anyone looking like a slob anyways.

Brouwers is a bar in Freemont, it's just a casual place. Since it's a closed door event, it's still the same place as if it was open to public. Really laid back place, so you would be fine wearing whatever. I guess it comes down to looking good for others if that actually matters.

we sound like a bunch of girls talking about what to wear. hahaha. Just don't wear the same shirt as me. I don't want us to look like twins. :r

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Thanks for the insight on the venues.

Are you buying new shoes? :D :D

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

hahaha

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Wow, I never heard guys talk like girls....LOL! No seriously, there is no dress codes at all the venues. I'm sure you gentlemen will not be dress like a slobs anyway.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Got my VIP pass yesterday via Fedex :tu. Looks like it'll be a great event!

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

I just bought my VIP ticket... It should be fun.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

My ticket will be at the door at Brouwers.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Im looking for a hotel near the venue that my wife will also enjoy. It doesn't need to be next to it but dt. I have stayed at the Hyat and the Executive. Both great hotels. Any info is appreciated.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

And the countdown begins. :banger

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Event finished up tonight at the Vertigo Club in the Sodo district of Seattle. Had one hell of a good time today as well as the evening before. Event ran as smooth as silk both the pre-party Friday night at Brouwers Cafe in the Fremont district of Seattle and todays Seattle Cigar Expo held on the grounds of the Seattle Center....it was a hoot. Great cigars, great food & drink and fellow BOTL to share it all with. Toss in fantastic weather as well as the entertainment.....in a nutshell I'm going again next year!! :noon

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

It was awesome. I had VIP too. Food was awesome at the pre-party.

The expo itself was set up even bigger than I was expecting. Can't wait for next year.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Wild Boar on friday night...that was some good eating!!

Wait until next years event. This is going to grow

And the frosting on the cake is this all took place in Seattle, the PC capital of America.

I know the people that put this together, great folks who busted their asses to pull this off. Kudo's and many thanks!! :tu

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Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

:tpd:

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Interesting to hear the "it was awesome!" feedback on the event. I also went, though not on a VIP ticket. At $150 + fees, I was going to pass. However I found the online discount codes for $50 off admission Friday afternoon and decided to bite @ $100.

I felt it was a solid first effort for an event, given the restrictions that exist. I did my opinion on it on the cigar family board, I'll copy/paste here for my thoughts. And sorry, as although I took a camera, I took no pics :(

Here's my recap / opinion of the event;

I think it was a solid freshman effort. Hopefully the organizers will get some good feedback (there should be plenty) and take that to the planning meetings for next years event. Here are my pluses:

+ Great selection of wine and spirit samplings!
+ The overall ambiance was great
+ Excellent food vendors: El Gaucho steak slider, the pulled pork sandwich from Crush, and the bacon mac & cheese. Mmmm....
+ For the average smoker, the included sticks weren't bad. I'm pretty picky, but will definitely try half of the 15 sticks.
+ THE WOMEN "AMBASSADORS". WOW. THAT WAS AN UNEXPECTED AND PLEASANT SURPRISE.
+ The venue I think worked great. Weather played a big part in this working out well.
+ The music was EXCELLENT! I think it would've been better had the Latin band played a longer set.

And the things I think could be improved:

- MORE OUTDOOR SEATING. Doesn't need to be all leather couches and lounge chairs. Just some folding chairs and tables would've been nice.
- The manufacturer booths were pitiful. Only 1 or 2 actually had sticks on display. Shoot, the La Gloria Cubana had a sign.....and nothing else. What was the point? The Vertigo Lounge booth had a stack of flyers.....and noone there.
- Some of the manufacturers that were listed as sponsors had ZERO visible representation. No booth, no sticks in my goody bag, what gives? Tatuaje? Padron? 601?
- Pete Johnson & Rocky Patel bailing on the event and not showing up. Was nice to see Dion from Illusione and Matt (Room 101) representing.
- Ticket price was steep. At $150, I'd have been dissapointed. With the $50 coupon code, I can work out $100 worth of value from what I got, and I think it's "fair".
- I got 2 dessert tokens, and there was 1 dessert booth. I guess it's good they had several choices?

Some thought's / suggestions:

Rather than do a goody bag with sticks, why not have a punch card where you can get them from the manufacturer's booth? This way the brands could actually have goods at their booth and it would give attendees a chance to interact with them and find out what the stick they're getting is all about. If I get some stick I've never even heard of in a ziplock bag, there is a small chance I'm ever going to smoke it. However if I'm talking to a rep as it's given to me, and I hear about what the brand is about, it sparks actual interest in that brand (assuming I like what I hear) and I'm more likely to remember them the next time I'm in the shop looking for something to smoke.

I think $100 bucks is the "sweet spot" for a general admission ticket. This isn't Vegas / The Big Smoke. No seminars or talks about where the industry / individual manufacturers are headed. No "big" names attending. No sticks that I couldn't see in a $30 Cigars International sampler. The way I broke it down was $35 for the CRA membership, easily $50 in food and wine/booze tastings, and then some $ value to the sticks. At a c-note, I'd be in no questions asked, as would probably a half dozen or so of folks I know that I talked about it with.

Seemed to me that every attendee should've gotten a raffle ticket. The 1 ticket per stick purchased was silly given that if you bought a box you'd get 20+ tickets. I don't know how the raffle turned out, but I would think everyone should get a small shot. I certainly wasn't going to go buy something that I wouldn't normally simply to get a single raffle ticket. And none of the 3 vendors selling sticks seemed to have anything in box quantities, or any special "deal" for the event. The local I try to get my sticks from runs special pricing any time you buy a full box, and their event deals are amazing. And they sure don't get the amount of attendees the expo got.

Do a better job of nailing down what attendees are getting for their ticket. I heard "15+" sticks, saw a bigger list of manufacturers on the website, and then got exactly 15 sticks in my bag. While I don't feel like I didn't get any value, there were a couple sticks I thought I was going to get but didn't see (601 Maduro, Padron).

In general, it just needs more stuff. The even ran from 1pm-8pm (or started at noon for "VIP's"). I got there at one, and had seen everything there was to see well before 2pm.

Overall, like I said it was a solid showing for a first time event. I think it showed that there is definitely enough audience for this, and there is excellent potential for this to be a GREAT event. Hopefully brands of cigars and accessories take note and will have a stronger showing next year, as I really think they were the weak spot in this. Of note, the Xikar rep was doing the best he could given all he had were a couple catalogs out to look through. Very friendly, made it a point to shake my hand and talk about what they had going on. But I did find it pretty sad that representation by the cigar brands was lacking the most at a cigar expo.

I look forward to seeing what they come up with next year. I think they've got a real opportunity here to start something great and hope that they capitalize. Additionally, the legislation coming up at the start of the year to amend the smoking ban has the potential to further broaden the audience, and really push this event over the edge.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

Thanks for that review. Glad I saved my money now. No sticks at booths for sale? WTFKOSIT?

Sounds to me that the event down on the waterfront might have been more entertaining.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

I agree with a lot of the stuff you said, but I still had a great time. It was the first one, so obviously it'll only get better for the future.

I blame the manufactures themselves for having such poor displays, that was pretty weak on their part. I can't blame the expo organizers for that one.

The thing I do like about having the sticks already in the bag is not having to wait in line to get a cigar. Smoke Easy did that and it was kind of a cluster.

I also wish they had more stuff to raffle off, boxes of cigars, humidors, shirts, etc. And I agree with the a ticket already included in your gift bag. But still, a good idea for a ticket a stick just cuz it'd be nice to win something for buying a cigar or two.

Re: Anybody attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?
 

I think you summarized it very well. I did the VIP ticket, and really had a great time. The before event was excellent at Brouwer's - great food, great drinks, great place. The after event at Vertigo Club was disappointing; the buildup and website for that "exclusive" venue was a little oversold. A single room with limited seating, and it took quite a while to get food and drink set up.

Saturday, for the main event, Fischer Plaza was a GREAT venue for a 7 hour herf, with great music and food.

I agree that the biggest gap was the manufacturers, with almost zero presence at any of the events. The saturday event was supposed to be "sponsored" by Tatuaje, and their special SOHO cigar was supposedly available. Nothing. Nada. Very disappointing.

Again, overall it was a great experience, but some things to improve on for next year to make it even better.