Photography by CSP Staff

LAS VEGAS — With nicotine pouches becoming promising new products, convenience-store retailers will help attendees at the Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) 2020 examine the items' potential, plus how best to manage the products and the overall tobacco category.

The annual conference and trade show will be held Jan. 29-31, 2020, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Organized jointly by TPE and CSP, the convenience-retail panel will include Peter Frattarola, senior category manager for The Wills Group and Dash In stores, La Plata, Md.; Ray Johnson, operations manager for Speedee Mart Inc., Las Vegas; Jason Carignan, president of Dryft Sciences LLC, Moorpark, Calif.; and Thomas Ericsson, a scientist in the nicotine-pouches segment who helped develop several white pouch products globally. This session is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Jan. 29.

Also part of the educational lineup are officials with tobacco retailing association NATO, Lakeville, Minn., who will address legislative and category trends. NATO’s two sessions are scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 30.

TPE’s keynote speaker will be Karl Malone, twice named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. He has a history with the tobacco industry, having developed a premium cigar in collaboration with Guillermo Leon Herbert, the owner of La Aurora, based in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic; and assisted his daughter, Kadee Malone, who owns Legends Cigar & Vape, Ruston, La.

“Educational sessions will be … informative, engaging and feature a diverse lineup of speakers and experts that will leave attendees feeling inspired, invigorated and ready to take on the rest of 2020 with excitement and the knowledge needed to be successful in business,” said Antoine Reid, senior editor and digital content director for Tobacco Media Group, in affiliation with Kretek.

To register for TPE 2020, click here.