Smoker Friendly Holds Well-Attended Outdoor Conference

BOULDER, Colo. -- More than 400 attendees strolled the outdoor "show floor" of the 2010 Smoker Friendly International (SFI) Tobacco Festival and Conference held last month at the Millennium Harvest House here. Show-goers included Smoker Friendly Authorized Dealers, tobacco manufacturers, tobacco accessory manufacturers, and potential Smoker Friendly retailers.

The conference was kicked off by the First Annual Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival -- a consumer-based tasting event of fine cigars, local food favorites, and beer and wine from local distilleries. More than 1200 people attended the Sunday event.

Industry and legislative panels during the show featured speakers from Commonwealth, Republic Tobacco, Altria, Nat Sherman, Drew Estate, R.J. Reynolds, NATO, IPCPR and SMNA.

Smoker Friendly intended to give "tobacco retailers and manufacturers plenty to think about after they go back to their day-to-day businesses," according to Mary Szarmach, vice president. "2010 has been an exciting yet tumultuous year for the tobacco industry, but a gathering such as this is a great reminder that the future for these commodities is bright, and we are here to provide tobacco pleasure for our adult consumers."