PCA Connect Mexico 2026, taking place across four destinations from August 23 to 30, is a traveling experience designed to advance education, networking, and growth throughout Mexico’s premium cigar industry, bringing together the expertise of established organizations including the Premium Cigar Association (PCA), The Cigar Academy, and Cigar Roller MX.
Ricardo Carioni, the PCA’s Director of International Affairs and Education, explained that the concept was to create, among the association’s various content programs, an initiative combining education, business development, and meaningful connections among brands, importers, retailers, and other members of the ecosystem within a specific region, while also providing them with exposure to consumers. The ultimate objective is to support and create greater value for our members while helping to strengthen and protect Mexico’s premium cigar culture and industry.
Although it is a traveling, focused extension of the association’s broader activities, PCA Connect Mexico has a strong educational foundation built on The Cigar Academy curriculum. Its training sessions are designed to further elevate the professionalism and hospitality standards of staff working in cigar shops and lounges throughout the industry.
Carioni noted that studies of markets such as the United Kingdom have shown that when a hospitality business adds premium cigars to its service offering, sales increase by 35 to 40 percent.
“One of the event’s principal objectives is to serve as a platform that facilitates interaction across the value chain, helping to improve not only the quality of customer service, but also business opportunities more broadly.”
The educational mission of initiatives such as this also extends to enthusiasts, based on the premise that a better-informed consumer more fully understands the history, processes, and value behind the products the industry offers—and therefore enjoys cigars with greater knowledge and appreciation.
The initiative is not focused solely on economic benefit. Its educational plans also aim to reach individuals who can contribute to the defense of premium tobacco within the local legislative arena.
“PCA Connect Mexico may attract influential figures, including policymakers, and the more people understand what a premium cigar truly is, the stronger and clearer the arguments for its defense will become.”
Luis Fernando Matta represents the initiative’s strategic local partner, Cigar Roller MX, a brand founded 12 years ago to share the tobacco experience through the hands of the artisans who create cigars for others to enjoy.
He recalls that after inviting two cigar rollers to his wedding to share his passion with guests, family, and friends, the seed took root and the art of cigar rolling began to capture the interest of many people.
“I realized that people smoked cigars because of personal connections and memories, but there was little knowledge surrounding the experience,” Luis recalls. To date, he has participated in more than 1,000 weddings and served 20,000 people, helping them deepen their understanding of subjects such as tobacco varieties, cigar cutting, and lighting.
“We want people to understand the ritual of enjoying a cigar, the culture surrounding it, and what tobacco truly represents. It is not simply smoking for the sake of smoking.”
Luis and Ricardo first crossed paths in the Dominican Republic, where their shared commitment to education converged and sparked a need that came to life through their partnership to bring PCA Connect to Mexico.
The event will travel from cosmopolitan Mexico City to the vineyards of Queretaro, Guadalajara’s celebrated tequila culture, and the Caribbean setting of the Riviera Maya, offering strategic encounters, brand experiences, and specialized content through The Cigar Academy educational program.
The destinations were selected strategically to represent Mexico’s premium-industry ecosystem and to reach markets with a strong concentration of importers, who form an essential part of the global cigar value chain.
What to Expect
PCA Connect Mexico is carefully segmented, with a specialized focus on industry professionals seeking to deepen their knowledge, as well as those looking to begin a career in the industry.
In both cases, participants will find sessions organized around The Cigar Academy curriculum, with the goal of certifying as many people as possible.
“It may not receive enough attention, but developing talent at the final stage of the tobacco supply chain is fundamental to the industry. There are highly trained professionals in agriculture and cigar manufacturing, but we need more people dedicated to marketing and commercialization before the product reaches the final consumer,” explained Ricardo Carioni.
The event also includes a dedicated track for enthusiasts, who will discover both new and familiar venues in which to pursue their passion and expand their knowledge, while helping grow Mexico’s cigar community in each host city.
The broader vision is to extend well beyond a few dates on the calendar by planting the seed for a lasting training program serving interested participants in Mexico and, eventually, the other countries reached by PCA Connect.
“The event is both an opportunity and a starting point to bring together the right people within the premium tobacco industry and build something lasting through several stages beginning with this first edition,” said Luis Fernando Matta.
Scheduled for August 23–30, PCA Connect Mexico will be the inaugural event in the initiative, which will then continue to Asia, with Hong Kong scheduled as its second destination in early December.
“Asia was actually the first edition we planned, but launching the initiative in Mexico is a tribute to and recognition of a country where tobacco has held vital importance since pre-Columbian times. It was only fitting to begin here, in Latin America, where tobacco is one of our emblematic products,” Carioni said.
Although not yet officially confirmed, the PCA plans to expand this series of experiences throughout the Americas and globally.
