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NATONEWS NATO Show: A Genuine Success A review of the very first NATO Show E NTHUSIASTIC ATTENDEES OF THE INAUGURAL NATO Show held at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas from April 12-14 used words such as “amazing,” “fantastic,” “first class,” “tremendous,” “over the top,” “incredible,” and “fabulous” to describe the new all tobacco trade show. The entire trade show floor was sold out and Thomas Briant is execu- tive director of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets. NATO’s toll-free number is (866) 869-8888 and the association’s Web site address is www.natocentral.org. there was even a waiting list of potential exhibitors who wanted to be a part of this very first NATO Show. Exhibitors from all segments of the tobacco industry filled the show floor including every major tobacco manufacturer in the country. The numer- ous show specials and wide range of tobacco prod- ucts, accessories and related services being offered by exhibitors made the trade show floor an excellent buying opportunity. The breadth of the NATO Show was illustrated by the fact that those retailers and wholesalers in attendance oper- ate or service more than 100,000 retail locations throughout the United States. Moreover, there was a diverse group of retailers attending the show includ- ing tobacco stores, convenience stores, service stations and even liquor stores. In fact, manufacturers exhibiting at the show commented positively not only on the number of retailers, but the quality of the retail buyers who walked the show floor aisles and placed orders. FDA’S DR. DEYTON Besides a show floor filled with exhibits, the keynote speaker was Dr. Lawrence Deyton, the Director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. Dr. Deyton spoke to an overflow crowd of an estimated 500 retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers. In his presentation, Dr. Deyton outlined the overall health focus of the new federal tobacco regula- tions, but also emphasized the importance of the FDA establishing a partnership with the indus- try through regular communication on tobacco regulations. While he indicated that the FDA and the tobacco industry may not always agree on regulations, Dr. Deyton emphasized that on-going communication is the key to a workable regulatory format and was pleased that NATO had established a dialogue with the FDA staff. The various means of communication between the industry and the FDA that Dr. Deyton outlined included submitting comments on proposed regu- lations, e-mailing questions or concerns directly to the Center for Tobacco Products office, attending via the Internet upcoming informational retail compliance webinars, and being a part of a FDA Stakeholder Discussion meeting for retailers and distributors to be held on August 11, 2011. BEST IN CLASS SEMINARS One of the primary elements of any outstanding trade show is a variety of top notch educational seminars. Besides Dr. Deyton’s keynote presentation, one of the informative sessions included a detailed review of the first annual NATO-CSP Tobacco Insider Report that explored the results of an industry-wide survey of retailer practices, prod- uct opportunities and marketing challenges. In addition, industry experts conducted seminars on FDA tobacco regulation from an industry point of view, provided a tobacco legislative update, detailed tobacco product and consump- tion trends, and explored the shift in the tobacco marketplace to include an expansion of new OTP product offerings. 2012 NATO SHOW Judging by the genuine success of the very first NATO Show, the 2012 NATO Show is already being planned and will be held on April 24-26, 2012 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. With NATO’s dedication to the tobacco industry and focus on tobacco-related legislative matters, the 2012 NATO Show promises to be the one all tobacco trade show that every retailer, wholesaler and manufacturer should plan on attending next year. 12 MAY/JUNE 2011 NPN Magazine n www.npnweb.com