The World Tobacco Asia – 2009, exhibition and congress was held again in Bali Indonesia at the Westin Nusa Dua – April 22 – 24 2009.
The resort is gorgeous and a great location for the exhibition as the center is within the resort complex. It was well organized and exhibitor participation reasonable – although many said it was small. Another plus is Indonesia’s relaxed smoking policy and regulations: There aren’t any!
Visitor traffic was the usual mixture of suppliers and vendors. Missing were lots of new local faces and contacts as well as any significant showing from the multi-nationals (PMI, JTI and BAT.)
The WT staff did a great job with organization and were rewarded on their UK return with the news the magazine was closing to concentrate on Events only which will be promoted by TJI.
Victim of a declining tobacco market or contracting print media market – or both?
We wish those let go from WT all the best and thank them for their good work and dedication to the Industry.
I highly recommend this conference. Last year it was one of the most informative and interesting conferences that I attended.
Kingsmill Resort & Spa
Williamsburg, Virginia
May 17 – 19, 2009
Preliminary Agenda
CONFERENCE GOAL
With the likely advent of FDA/FCTC tobacco legislation and continually increasing economic and social pressure on the industry and its customers, not the least of which is the recent SCHIP tax increases in the US market, it is more important than ever to discuss issues impacting the state of the industry and what options the industry has to ensure compliance at least cost. Given this situation, the conference will provide attendees with a global overview of the current state of the industry, with an added focus on the US market, what the likely future has to bring and how alternative actionable methods may be used by companies to address these challenges.
The 2009 conference program agenda was designed based on survey responses from past attendees and focuses on issues identified as most important by this group. As such, the program primarily concentrates on providing a marketplace overview with additional emphasis on the pending FDA legislation and likely ratification by the US of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and its implementing legislation.
SUNDAY, MAY 17th
Golf Outing: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
TMA Board Meeting: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Welcome Reception: 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
MONDAY, MAY 18th
What Is
8:00 AM Continental Breakfast
8:30 AM – 9:20 AM
1. Welcome – Farrell Delman, TMA President
2. Global Tobacco Leaf Trends – James H. Starkey, TMA Chairman
3. Product/Market/Regulatory Trends and likely SCHIP Impacts – Farrell Delman
9:20 AM – 10:40 AM
4. Security Analyst Panel - Nik Modi (UBS), Adam Spielman (Citigroup), Erik Bloomquist (JP Morgan) and possibly David Hayes (Nomura), Anne Gurkin (Davenport) and Judy Hong (Goldman Sachs) – Moderator: Darryl Jayson, TMA Vice President
Review the historical, current and future projections for tobacco Industry manufacturers, wholesalers, retailer and suppliers. How will the financial community incorporate the short and longer term implications of the US tax increases, the FDA legislation, the FCTC and the overall worsening global economy, in their forecasting and reporting for the US and other markets?
10:40 AM – 11:00 AM Coffee Break
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Introduction of Nick Simeonidis, Patton Boggs – Moderator for Remaining Program
5. US/World Regulatory Overview: FCTC- FDA
Moderator: Adrian Payne, President Tobacco Horizons Inc.
o A broad comparison of the FCTC with the proposed FDA legislation
o Key issues (concerns) present in the FDA legislation
o Global implications of US FDA legislation in terms of FCTC working groups & protocols
o Additional concerns posed by the FCTC
o What’s on the horizon?
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
6. Nicotine & Non-Nicotine Alternatives: What’s Hot, What’s Not?
Moderator: Pharma Representative and David O’Reilly, BAT, invited
o Overview of this category of products
o Legislation in progress related to these products
o Evolution of this product category
o Current Global Status of THR
o New knowledge on the scientific front
o Advances/declines from last year
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM LUNCH
Keynote: “Tobacco Harm Reduction – Congressman Buyer vs. Congressman Waxman” Speaker: Congressman Stephen Buyer, invited
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
7. The Devil’s in the FDA Regulations – Nick Simeonidis, Moderator
o Overview – Legal – John Manthei, Latham & Watkins
o Dealing with FDA: the Pharma Experience – Uwe Trinks, Foresight Group
o Impact on Manufacturing Practices – John Lauterbach, Lauterbach & Associates
o Impact on Suppliers – Roger Penn, Mane France
o Impact on Product Testing: The Canadian Experience – Bill Rickert, Labstat, invited
o Impact on Product Development & Reporting – Jim Swauger – RAI, invited
o Impact on Marketing and Sales – Bhavani Parameswar, President, KingMaker
o Impact on Retail & Distribution – Terry Gallagher, CEO, Smoker Friendly, invited
4:00 PM – 6:30 PM Free time
6:30 PM – 10:00 PM TMA Annual Meeting and Dinner
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM Cocktail Party
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Dinner
8:30 PM – 9:00 PM Annual Meeting (dessert)
9:00 PM – 9:40 PM Keynote Address:
Kurush Grant, ITC Limited, Chief Executive Tobacco Division
“India’s Experience Under the FCTC and an active Health Minister “
TUESDAY, MAY 19th
What Will and Could Be
8:00 AM Continental Breakfast
8:30 AM – 8:50 AM
8. TMA’s Tobacco Product Compliance Center (TPCC): Update
Darryl Jayson, TMA Vice President
8:50 AM – 9:10 AM
9. What FDA/SCHIP Means for Adult Consumers
Adult tobacco product consumers are exposed to increasing prices, social pressures and the communication of tobacco related information by health care personnel and federal health agencies. What can consumers expect in the future and what steps will the tobacco industry take to communicate with, and meet the wants of their consumers in a way that reasonable elements in tobacco control and the regulatory authorities condone.
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
10. What FDA/SCHIP Means for Youth Smoking
Eliminating youth tobacco consumption in any form is a benchmark for the success of regulation. FDA and SCHIP are both designed in part to discourage, even prevent, the initiation of youth tobacco use. How is youth involvement with tobacco currently being measured? What do we know about how youth smoking has evolved over the past few decades? How will FDA regulation and higher prices due to SCHIP along with escalating State excise taxation further impact initiation? What is the likelihood that youth will migrate to alternative forms of tobacco? In the best of all possible worlds, what sorts of messaging would government encourage to reduce health risks associated with youth tobacco consumption. Lyle Smith, DLC Services, Inc., formerly RJRT
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
- Towards An FDA Industry Advisory Group – Moderator: John Lauterbach
Faced with the operational (manufacturing, marketing and reporting) restrictions, product limitations and reporting requirements resulting from FDA legislation, what should companies be doing now to prepare their organizations and their consumers to meet these hurdles?
11:00 AM
Q & A with Various Conference Speakers: Uwe Trinks (Foresight Group), Roger Penn (Mane France), Nick Simeonidis (Patton Boggs) John Manthei (Latham Watkins), Lyle Smith (DLC Services) and additional panelists including Bryan Haynes (Troutman Sanders) and Bill Greiwe (Cheyenne Tobacco).
General concensus is the show was well organized and the venue good (at the Venetian) – albeit small for Asia and not well attended by the Chinese.
This aside, there were a good number of visitors from most Asian countries and the level and quantity of inquiries should translate into future business. Most of this took place during the first two days – the third was dead and many stands wrapped-up early.
The show may have been better attended (by the Chinese) if it had been held in a major China location like Shanghai or Beijing – or even Hong Kong. Still, this may not have been pragmatic as the Chinese authorities have been difficult with visas since well before the Olympics.
The Venetian resort was stunning; even surreal, it didn’t feel like China and for those who stepped outside it was equally surreal. The Venetian is located on Macau’s Cotai Strip; well away from the Ferry / older city area. The new strip is surrounded by half-built mega-casinos going up all around and when it’s finished it will look like a not-too-mini Las Vegas.
As a foot-note to the global meltdown, most construction work halted, with the lay-off of 7,000 construction workers, a few days after the show ended.
Another show is provisionally scheduled for 2010.
The Forum held in Rio de Janeiro October 15-17 was a big success and TR should be commended for holding it.
The Forum Topics were interesting, relevent and educational.
It was particularly bold of TR to hold this Industry Forum in Brazil - in the heart of Latin America’s tobacco market. The region has been substantially under-represented previoulsly - even neglected.
Delegates from around the world got to taste the exotic flavor of Brazil, the warmth of the people and gain an appreciation for this important Tobacco market. The farm tour held just prior to the main event set the scene.
Next time let’s encourage more industry participation – so everyone gets a greater benefit and capitalizes on this opportunity.
Tobacco Today won the BMJ Golden Leaf Award for the “Most Exciting Newcomer to the Industry” beating German Tobacco Group and Davidoff in this category. The award was presented to Chris Crawley – on behalf of the partners - at the BMJ dinner held during the Tobacco Reporter – Global Tobacco Networking Forum in Rio de Janeiro – October 16!
Chris, in accepting the award, said it was a good reason for attending industry shows. It was only a year ago at last year’s TSRC in Charlotte NC that the idea was proposed – and five weeks later www.tobaccotoday.info was up and running.
Congratulations to the partners; all partipants and visitors for making www.tobaccotoday.info a site that has caught the industry’s attention in a big way. Visitor traffic has increased every month in the short time the site has been running.
Conceived as a tobacco friendly forum to read news, voice views and express opinions which are not frequently in the mainstream press, the site has evolved to include public health advocates too. As long as you are respectful of others you can say what’s on your mind.
Particular thanks should go to Dr. Adrian Payne – from Tobacco Horizons (see www.tobaccohorizons.com) for his first rate contributions in promoting an intelligent diagolgue in the area of public health and harm reduction.
