After 10 years as publisher of TOB, Paul Walsh has moved on to handle other activities within our company. I have been with TOB since the beginning, but behind-the-scenes on production and editorial. I look forward to working with you, our readers, to bring more information, insight, and support to assist you, as well as working with advertisers to deliver more integrated communications programs.
Our company was the first to publish a business-to-business magazine for the outlet market. We did that in 1997. Our mission was to be the most comprehensive and compelling communications resource to the growing tobacco outlet retail market and to other retailers of tobacco products and the wholesalers that serve this market. That is still our mission, but of necessity our mission has expanded.
The business is tougher and more political. Tobacco is a product targeted by a dedicated and obsessed group of opponents and politicians. Tobacco is irresponsibly and arbitrarily taxed at the state and federal level, and because of this we have now expanded our mission to include advocacy. We will fight these taxes on retailers and on the millions of Americans who chose to use tobacco products. I include myself among those users of tobacco products who have been impacted by this activity.
Tobacco Outlet Business is one resource to educate, inform, and urge action. Our web site www.tob-online.com is another way you can find headlines, information, and associations like NATO and Tobacco.org, as well as templates of letters that you can send to your local and federal politicians. The TOB web site also offers an archive of past issues and published information. It features a comprehensive list of products that have been in the magazine, plus a contact directory for most of the suppliers in this market, all accessible 24/7.
Our company also produces the Tobacco Plus Expo, the single most important annual show for this market. It is held annually in Las Vegas (April 24–25) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. TPE includes seminars, parties, and supplier exhibits, plus the opportunity to meet, network, and learn from peers and friends throughout the industry. This is a must-attend event for anyone in the industry, and I hope to see many of you there.
Finally, we are founding members of NATO, and continue to provide support for the association. We work closely with the association to expand its reach, and to deliver its message to the market. We are committed to the goals of educating local and federal legislators on the business impact on retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. We are also committed to supporting the rights of consumers to freely engage in the use of tobacco products.
We thank all of our friends, partners, and associates for working with us, and look forward to continuing this effort. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at Tobacco Plus Expo in April. •