Two days in Washington, D.C. Finance, taxation, regulatory risk, market data, and a political briefing on the 2026 midterms.

The Cigar Association of America’s Legislative and Policy Conference convenes May 19–20 in Washington, D.C., bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and subject-matter experts for two days of focused discussion on the consequential issues facing the cigar industry.

The conference addresses the real pressures on the business right now: finance and payment challenges, state tax trends, emerging regulatory threats, market performance, and the political environment heading into the 2026 midterms.

Tuesday, May 19: Board Meeting and Welcome Reception

The conference opens with the CAA’s Second Quarter Board Meeting. That evening, a welcome reception with cigars gives attendees the opportunity to connect before the full day of programming on Wednesday.

Wednesday, May 20: Finance, Taxes, Regulation, and Market Outlook

The main conference day opens with Mitch Langer of Nuvo Company addressing the finance and payment challenges currently impacting the industry. Langer’s session brings practical perspective to a problem with direct operational implications for businesses across the supply chain.

Adam Hoffer of the Tax Foundation follows with a look at state tax trends, revenue shortfalls, and warning signs that businesses should be tracking. With tobacco excise proposals continuing to surface in state legislatures, Hoffer’s analysis carries direct relevance for anyone managing operations across multiple markets.

Drawing on lessons from alcohol regulation, Matt Dogali of Matt Dogali Consulting brings a timely perspective to one of the industry’s less-discussed vulnerabilities. Regardless of the reason, the cigar business faces threats from the very business partners that support our industry. Some of those threats are well-known and may be morphing. Other threats are emerging, so the cigar business needs to create strategies to avoid the potential negative effects of such threats. Matt Dogali will outline both the current and potential threats and identify options to protect the business of cigars.

CAA’s VP of Finance and Operations, Dan Cotter, rounds out the morning sessions with a market outlook presentation grounded in CAA’s proprietary industry data. As the recognized authority on cigar import volumes, sales trends, and market performance, CAA delivers the numbers the industry relies on. Cotter’s presentation will put the latest data in context, examining recent performance trends and shifts in consumer behavior as the industry looks ahead to the second half of the year.

Lunch Program: The 2026 Midterms and What They Mean for the Industry

Political analyst Charlie Cook will deliver the lunch keynote. A widely followed voice in Washington, D.C. on electoral politics, Cook will offer a forward-looking perspective on the 2026 midterm landscape and its potential implications for the industry’s legislative priorities. For an industry that operates at the intersection of federal and state policy, knowing where the political environment is heading is not optional.

Capitol Hill Visit

The conference concludes with a trip to Capitol Hill. Engagement with lawmakers is a cornerstone of effective advocacy, and the Hill visit puts that principle into practice. It also reinforces a simple truth: the industry’s presence in Washington, D.C. does not begin and end at conference tables.

CAA is excited about facilitating this valuable platform for education, collaboration, and strategic alignment as the cigar community operates and advances in a demanding policy environment.