Tobacco products, smokers' requisites and everything needed for their production took centre stage in the Messe Dortmund exhibition halls from 14 to 16 September 2023. The highly respected global flagship trade show InterTabac and InterSupply opened their doors once again, attracting top exhibitors as well as an impressive number of international decision-makers and trade visitors to Germany's metropolitan Ruhr conurbation: “The outcome, the superb international credentials and the flood of positive feedback that's been pouring in following the shows are proof positive that InterTabac and InterSupply are still the industry's leading forum for order intake, innovation and dialogue. It also underscores the high economic relevance of the shows and their decisive importance when it comes to sealing business transactions,” concluded a delighted Sabine Loos, Managing Director of Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe which owns and operates the Messe Dortmund venue. 

Dortmund, 20 September 2023 – From across Germany and well beyond, industry representatives, top decision-makers at specialist tobacco retailers, wholesalers, general retailers and service businesses, and chief buyers and central purchasing staff from food retailers convened again at Messe Dortmund between 14 and 16 September 2023 under the banner 'Together for Tomorrow'. InterTabac, the world's largest trade show for tobacco products and smoking accessories, and InterSupply, the international trade show for the manufacturing processes behind tobacco products, e-cigarettes, pipes and hookahs, returned in strength this year, re-gaining their pre-Covid levels. An extensive programme featuring a mix of talks, discussion panels and accompanying events provided an extended overview of the latest topics, challenges, trends and innovations.

Over 680 exhibitors across 10 exhibition halls

This year's twin shows attracted over 680 exhibitors from a total of 60 nations. Halls 4, 5 and 7 concentrated on the latest in the classic segment, including hand-picked cigars from family-run hand-made production facilities as well as limited editions, high-quality designs for pipe lovers, cigarettes, cigarillos, pipe tobacco and fine cut. “Once again, numerous visitors from the traditional retail sector took the opportunity to network with each other and gather new ideas for presenting their ranges,” said Sabine Loos, chief show organiser and Managing Director of Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe.

Bodo Mehrlein, Chief Executive of the German Cigar Industry Association (BdZ), added: “For exhibitors in the cigar industry, InterTabac 2023 was, as in previous years, a good opportunity to present cigars and cigarillos as products designed for enjoyment. The show was also a perfect forum for establishing contact with retailers and interested parties from abroad.” 

Michael von Foerster, Chief Executive of the German Smoking Tobacco Industry Association, was also very happy with the way the three-day event progressed: “InterTabac exceeded all our expectations and showed how important face-to-face encounters with our customers and partners are in order to do great business. For our medium-sized members, InterTabac is the industry's leading trade show. And so, we look forward to seeing everyone again at InterTabac 2024.” 

Point of Sale was the centre of attention in Hall 6. A broad line-up of companies supplying shop fittings, point-of-sale systems, press products, spirits, lighters and more gave specialist tobacco retailers, food retailers, petrol station operators as well as shop, vape and liquid store owners, among others, a comprehensive insight into current developments in optimising the use of shop space. 

Next-generation products (NGPs) were again high-profile in several of the halls. NGPs, which recent industry reports show to be growing steadily in popularity, include heat-not-burn products, everything related to vaping, e-cigarettes and e-liquids as well as potentially risk-reduced products (PRRPs), snus and cannabidiol (CBD). Vaping products were centre-stage in the Westfalenhalle and in Halls 1, 1b and 2, with some other exhibitors in this space also in attendance in Halls 6 and 8. Over 150 exhibitors specialising either entirely or at least partially in this segment presented their new products and offerings to the trade public at the venue. 

Jan Mücke, Chief Executive of the German Association of the Tobacco Industry and Next-Generation Products (BVTE), summed up the three days of the shows, saying: “InterTabac 2023 has been a resounding success for our members. Numerous exhibitors in the new-generation products segment, which are potentially less harmful to health, were able to promote their innovations and encountered high levels of interest. The classic tobacco products manufacturers, who succeeded convincingly in demonstrating their market leadership, are also very happy with the way things went. InterTabac has once again shown that smoking and vaping enjoy great popularity. So the future of the industry is not something that worries me.” 

Everything associated with hookahs, shisha tobacco and accessories such as molasses catchers, adapters and charcoal baskets could be found spread across Hall 8 and part of Hall 6 at Messe Dortmund. Folke Rega, Chief Executive of the German Shisha Tobacco Association, concluded: “The exhibitors in the Shisha topic zone, which included many top sellers, brands available on the German market and international brands, were also very satisfied. It can be assumed that the slightly reduced offering, which has arisen due to the legal regulations in the German market, will be more strongly in evidence again next year.”

In Hall 3, the InterSupply hall, visitors could discover everything related to the production processes behind tobacco products, e-cigarettes, hookahs and their accessories. From raw tobacco, flavours and additives, processing machinery, packaging machinery, paper, plastic film and packaging, all individual processing steps were covered – as usual – at what, this year, was the seventh InterSupply.

InterTabac and InterSupply attracting international visitors

The mix of a broad range of information, networking opportunities and the chance to try out new products at the venue made the twin shows truly unique and drew in a host of visitors from all over the world. Among them were well-known representatives from the retail, wholesale and production sectors as well as leading purchasing managers from across the German food retailing sector as well as official representatives from countries such as Honduras, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia and Cuba whose ambassadors and delegations were visiting the two shows. The Consulate General of Turkey and the Romanian Chamber of Foreign Trade were also present at InterTabac and InterSupply. In this way, the shows confirmed their role as a hub for political exchange and as an important meeting place for the relevant elected representatives. “Nowhere else in the world do businesses and trade visitors have such a comprehensive opportunity to talk to high-ranking representatives of many different nations and to exchange views on current topics and trends as well as the overall political and business frameworks for enabling the production and distribution of tobacco products and smoking accessories,” emphasised Sabine Loos. 

Overall, around 56% of visitors this year came from abroad, many of them from countries such as the US, Canada, Brazil and Colombia, to name but some. Managers of the twin shows also reported high numbers of participants from Asia, especially China, Indonesia, India and the Philippines. Numerous interested visitors also flew in from the United Arab Emirates and from countries such as Australia and Egypt. Once more, InterTabac and InterSupply also recorded a high number of European visitors from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium and Austria. The response from within Germany was also great, accounting for around 44% of visitors availing themselves of the shows' networking and information-gathering opportunities.

Exhibitor and visitor satisfaction up once more

In fact, over 94% of InterTabac exhibitors were already able to say they want to take part in the show again. The amazing figure is yet another improvement on 2019 and 2022. Businesses' satisfaction with their attendance at InterSupply was also up this year, with nearly 92% of exhibitors already making plans to come back next time. Trade visitors to the twin shows also expressed highly favourable opinions, with around 92% – three per cent more than last year – wanting to return next year.

International superstars now also know that Dortmund is a worthwhile destination, for example as US multiple heavyweight world champion boxer Mike Tyson paid another visit to the shows, presenting his own collection at the FUTUROLA stand on the Friday of the show. 

Supporting programme a real winner with top-class content

For the third time, the twin shows were accompanied by a comprehensive supporting programme developed in conjunction with leading experts. A great number of industry experts offered their condensed expertise in keynote talks, discussion panels and master classes addressing current matters of interest. The spectrum ranged from the panel discussion entitled 'The next stage in harm-reducing products' on global THR development (tobacco harm reduction) to presentations on the challenges facing tobacco producers and presentation of the Cannabis Trend Report. 

Offerings in the classic segment included popular events such as the Cigar Pairings and Cigar Blending where people could smoke, try products out and even create their own on all three days of the show. The pairings – which featured a spirits selection provided by premium spirits and Mexican food supplier Sierra Madre – combined international premium rum brands and premium cigars to create stimulating taste sensations. In the NGP space, companies such as KIWI Vapour International, FLONQ, the ALD Group, BECO Vape, AQUIOS Labs and ANDS GLOBE showed the industry's latest innovations at the Speed Fire Presentations. 

In keeping with tradition, trade journal DTZ awarded its InterTabac Stars as InterTabac was drawing to a close. These coveted awards are given to manufacturers of products perceived by show-goers as being especially innovative. In ten categories, the most votes went to Landewyck for the cigarette 'Fargo', to Mac Baren for 'Cheetah' fine cut, to Vauen for the pipe 'Tuerca', to Villiger for the 'Sunny Mini' cigarillo , to BAT for the 'Lumos' shelf system and its tea-based 'Veo' heat sticks, to OCB for its sustainable cigarette leaves 'Bamboo + Tips', to Fire-Flow for its 'Jaysafe' storage containers, to Acmefog for 'Zelex' tobacco sticks and to Intrade Concepts for its reusable 'Elfbar Mate 500'. 

“We're delighted that our programme has again met with great interest among show-goers this year. This shows that the great efforts which the show's partners and everyone involved invested in the run-up to the event in putting together and preparing the various programme items have really paid off in style,” emphasised Sabine Loos. 

New global vape alliance unveiled

On the evening before InterTabac kicked off, there was a major announcement as the new Global Vape Alliance (GVA) was unveiled at Messe Dortmund along with a declared commitment to promote collaboration, support responsible practices and engage in harm reduction in the vaping industry. The alliance is a joint initiative involving the Electronic Cigarette Industry Committee of the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce (ECCC), the Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA), the Vapor Technology Association (VTA) and the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA). 

Twin shows welcome new partners and associations
 

The significance of InterTabac and InterSupply is of course also underscored by the diversity of associations and partners involved, who once again contributed to the success of the this year's shows. The German Shisha Tobacco Association was involved as a partner for the first time, providing expert assistance on the programme in the shisha topic zone. This year, InterSupply succeeded in acquiring the International Tobacco Growers' Association (ITGA) as a new support organisation as well as entering into a new partnership with the Cigar Smoking World Championship (CSWC).

>>> Click here for the full list of partner organisations

The ECCC had a delegation at the venue for the very first time. InterTabac and InterSupply also welcomed the European Cigar Manufacturers' Association (ECMA), the Confédération Européene des Détaillants en Tabac (CEDT), the Cigar Association of America (CAA), the ERPA European Rolling Paper Association (ERPA), the European Smoking Tobacco Association (ESTA) and the German Association of Tobacco Product Wholesalers and Vending Machine Installers (BDTA). “The international participants, the presence of the industry associations and the broad partnership network all show that the Dortmund shows were once again the one-stop shop for the entire tobacco industry in 2023,” concluded Sabine Loos. 

Favourable outlook for 2024 – date already set

Given the high level of satisfaction among exhibitors and visitors, and the interest already expressed at the venue in participating in the shows again, the chief show organiser is looking forward to next year's shows: “Businesses, trade visitors and experts from the tobacco industry and the world of science and academia have convened in Dortmund to engage and interact, and to join forces in shaping the future of the industry. The new slogan 'Together for tomorrow' summed this up perfectly. However, the industry is not standing still, and it continues to face new challenges. InterTabac and InterSupply will continue to build on this in 2024 and will exercise their leading position as a forum for innovation, order placement and dialogue.”

Interested exhibitors and trade visitors can already note the dates of the next InterTabac and InterSupply in their diaries as the upcoming shows have been slated to be held at Messe Dortmund on 19 – 21 September 2024.

What the associations and partners had to say

Thomas Schäfer, Executive Director of the North Rhine Westphalia Retailers' Association
"InterTabac didn't just meet people's high expectations of what is after all the industry's key event of the year – it succeeded in exceeding them by a significant margin. The trade public from across Germany and far beyond was impressed by the large number of superb exhibition stands, the variety of products and propositions, and the highly interesting supporting programme. In addition, the excellent service provided by the helpful team at Messe Dortmund, coupled with the professionalism of the exhibition centre operators, ensured a unique trade show experience once again this year. After InterTabac, all eyes move onto the next one – and we can hardly wait for the next InterTabac!" 

Steffen Kahnt, Executive Director of the German Federal Association of Tobacco Retailers (BTWE)

"InterTabac was once again the focal point of the worldwide industry. Innovations were presented and tried out, contacts cultivated and new ones made. From cigars to hookahs – all indulgence ranges were on show in Dortmund. The retail sector is proud of this industry event in an extremely dynamic market and wishes to place on record its gratitude for the excellent work done by the Messe Dortmund team."

Michael von Foerster, Chief Executive of the German Smoking Tobacco Industry Association (VdR)
“InterTabac exceeded all our expectations and showed how important face-to-face encounters with our customers and partners are in order to do great business. For our medium-sized members, InterTabac is the industry's leading trade show. And so, we look forward to seeing everyone again at InterTabac 2024.” 

Jan Mücke, Chief Executive of the German Association of the Tobacco Industry and Next-Generation Products (BVTE)
InterTabac 2023 has been a resounding success for our members. Numerous exhibitors in the new-generation products segment, which are potentially less harmful to health, were able to promote their innovations and met with high levels of interest. The classic tobacco products manufacturers, who succeeded in demonstrating their market leadership convincingly, are also very happy with the way things went. InterTabac has once again shown that smoking and vaping enjoy great popularity. So the future of the industry is not something that worries me.”

Bodo Mehrlein, Chief Executive of the German Cigar Industry Association (BdZ)
“For exhibitors in the cigar industry, InterTabac 2023 was, as in previous years, a good opportunity to present cigars and cigarillos as indulgence products. The show was also a perfect forum for establishing contact with retailers and interested parties from abroad.”

Dustin Dahlmann, Chairman of the Alliance for Tobacco-Free Enjoyment (BfTG)
"We've just experienced a superb InterTabac 2023. The networking within the industry at our stand and throughout the show was excellent. And the Global Vape Alliance founded in Dortmund with the declaration signed by four major international associations is a historic milestone in international collaboration within the e-cigarette industry. We're already really looking forward to InterTabac 2024!”

Oliver Pohland, Chief Executive of the German E-Cigarette Retailers' Association (VdeH)
“Each year, InterTabac is a significant highlight for the German E-Cigarette Retailers' Association and for the industry as a whole. The large numbers of visitors and the in-depth discussions with association members and visitors alike are something we value very highly. In this context, we've seen huge interest in our newly published fact report containing current market data, scientific facts and information on the current state of lawmaking. We also showed new innovations at our stand, which impressively underlined the immense potential of German SMEs. It's a driving force in the rapidly developing industry which is being held back by partly counterproductive legislation. InterTabac offers us the ideal forum for advancing our interests vis-à-vis regulators and decision-makers. We work every day to put the necessary enablers in place to ensure new innovations are not something that's left to other countries to get on with. Our industry has the potential to deliver excellence, and we are working hard to ensure this continues to be possible in Germany.”

Ciprian Boboi, Board Member of the Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA)
"Our first trade fair appearance at InterTabac with our own stand exceeded our positive expectations. For our IEVA members and new members, we were thus able to create a very good atmosphere for exchange. The biggest highlight was the signing of the Global Vape Alliance Declaration last Wednesday in Dortmund. This will significantly advance the international cooperation of the vaping industry for the benefit of consumers. A historic milestone for the industry.” 

Folke Rega, Chief Executive of the German Shisha Tobacco Association
“ The exhibitors in the Shisha topic zone, which included many top sellers, brands available on the German market and international brands, were also very satisfied. It can be assumed that the slightly reduced offering, which has arisen due to the legal regulations in the German market, will be more strongly in evidence again next year.”

What InterTabac exhibitors had to say 

Mohammad Reza Amiri, Managing Director of E-ZIGARETTEN-HANDEL.DE
“At InterTabac we were able to have good, high-quality discussions with visitors and had the perfect opportunity to present our two new products. For us, InterTabac is the most professional and most important event of the year.”

Mac Bergson, Managing Director – International at DREW ESTATE
“InterTabac was the optimum opportunity for us to present our new product, the 'Liga Privada 10 Selección de Mercado'. Visitors were very interested, and some product lines sold out quickly. This shows that we can meet and engage with our customers very well here. That makes InterTabac the most important event for us.”

Vivian Marie Eiroa from Marketing & International Business Development at JRE TOBACCO
“This is our second year at InterTabac, and once again we're very satisfied. The organisers have done a really great job. As a result, we've been able to have great discussions and make significant contacts at the show. We'll definitely be back next year!” 

Shane Fairbrother, Director of Operations at HARA
“In previous years, we attended InterTabac as visitors. This year, we now had our own stand for the first time and are absolutely thrilled. At other international shows, people engage in sales and marketing only, but you quickly realise that InterTabac is about so much more. For example, we've been able to build relationships with other companies and other players, networking and casually establishing new face-to-face contacts. Next year we definitely want to get more involved and expand our presence significantly.”

Marcello Formica, Managing Director of Gizeh Rauchbedarf GmbH
“Our vital statistics were great – lots of visitors, lots of partners and lots of sales. The organisation of the show was impeccable, and everything went without a hitch.” 

Sebastian Hahndorff, Head of Operations (COO) at Aladin e.K.
“After 15 years, the show and our company go back a long way. We have business associates in over 80 countries around the world and meet most of them every year at InterTabac. That's why we also like to take our new employees here, letting them mix at the venue and get to know the people you don't normally meet in person.” 

Andreas Hard from Sales & Marketing at adalya
“At InterTabac you meet lots of international trade visitors. This networking with our target audience is very important for us, and it's why we come to Dortmund. Here you have the opportunity to make very important contacts.”

Alexander Hübsch from Marketing at Kopp Tobaccos GmbH & Co KG 
“We've been coming to InterTabac for several years now, and despite its size we reckon it still has a family atmosphere. It is the best possible opportunity we have to present our entire product range to our customers all in one place, and to cultivate contacts. Because InterTabac is so international, we have a special opportunity to meet all export customers directly, something we really like. We love coming back here each year.” 

Thomas Klaphake, Managing Director of Sigarenfabriek De Olifant (Oliva Cigar Co.)
“The show's getting better and better. The mood is positive, and everyone's preparing for growth. We've had great conversations and met interesting new people. And for us, that gets to the heart of cigar smoking: meeting like-minded people, talking shop and enjoying things in good company.”

Martina Kleinlagel, Managing Director of Kleinlagel oHG Zigarrenfabrik
“The atmosphere at InterTabac was especially good this year. This was also reflected in the conversations. And visitor numbers are up as well. So we've already got the next InterTabac firmly in our diaries.” 

Beate Kunz from Trade Advertising & PR at PHILIP MORRIS GmbH
“Once again, it's been a major treat to be able to experience the tobacco industry in all its breadth and diversity at the show. The visitors' delight in new, innovative products as well as great traditional brands was downright palpable. From international corporations to regional producers: Dortmund creates the right forum for genuine interest, in-depth dialogue and global networking.” 

Désirée Leers, Product Manager at Villiger Söhne GmbH
“InterTabac is still an important meeting place for the industry, and being here makes a statement. The visitor turnout's been especially high this year.”

Christoph A. Puszkar, Head of Marketing & PR at 5^th Avenue Products Trading GmbH
“InterTabac is a special event for the industry. It's an important meeting place. You encounter people you might otherwise only know from online meetings and can discuss various matters of interest in a relaxed setting. It's also an environment in which great ideas just happen. At the same time, it's also about making a statement and presenting ourselves as a key player in the market.”

Patrick Taylor, President & CMO of VAPE GOLD
“InterTabac is perfect for leading professionals in the market. It's an important event not just for Germany, but for all of Europe and beyond. InterTabac brings people together.”

Daniel Terveen, B2B Manager at British American Tobacco
“We launched our new product, the 'veo', very deliberately to coincide the start of the show and always present our latest innovations and solutions here. For us, InterTabac's real added value can be found in the fact that it's somewhere we don't show our products on paper, but rather visitors can see, feel, touch and get acquainted with them right there at the event. We'll be back next year.”

Rico Winkel, Marketing Manager at Dinner Lady Ltd
“InterTabac is the German event we definitely want to attend. It's always a great platform for networking and launching new products. There is a lot to be gained here, especially in marketing: we made several appointments ahead of time with business associates to meet up in the VIP lounge at our stand, and made brand new contacts as well. We reckon the show is the place to be in Germany!”

What InterSupply exhibitors had to say 

Christine Camilleri, Sales and Marketing Director at KÖRBER
“We liked the shows at lot. The entire tobacco industry market is at InterSupply and InterTabac, with all segments covered. Through the shows, we've been able to meet new customers, which is a very important aspect for us. The twin shows are the perfect place to engage and interact, learn new things and meet new people. They're a big event every year.”

Jones Lee, Director of Corporate Communications at Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Inc.
“We're particularly excited about what a crowd-puller InterSupply is. We've been in constant conversation with visitors and other exhibitors and really loved being able to try out the variety of products at the venue. We've been able to network and get to know our customers face-to-face. Also, the trade show team was helpful and proficient throughout. So we're really happy all round.”

   
EXHIBITION AT A GLANCE 

INTERTABAC - THE WORLD'S LARGEST TRADE FAIR FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND SMOKING ACCESSORIES

InterTabac, the world's largest trade fair for tobacco products and smoking accessories, is where trade visitors meet top decision-makers from the retail, manufacturing and service sectors. The quality and international credentials of visitors is a hallmark of the world's leading event for the tobacco industry – with over 40% of visitors coming from abroad. International market leaders and industry representatives from the fields of cigars, cigarillos, cigarettes, pipes and smokers' requisites, cigarette and pipe tobacco, RYO and MYO, fine cut and leaf, shop fittings, press and IT, point-of-sale systems, vending machines, water pipes and accessories, electronic cigarettes and next generation products will be represented. The subject-matter leadership of InterTabac as a leading global trade fair has been enhanced further with presentations on current issues and challenges facing the industry as part of the newly developed, innovative InterTabac supporting programme.

INTERSUPPLY - THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE SHOW FOCUSSING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS BEHIND TOBACCO PRODUCS, E-CIGARETTES, PIPES AND HOOKAHS

InterSupply is the international trade show where market leaders and industry representatives from all over the world present their innovations in Dortmund each year. InterSupply covers all aspects of the manufacturing processes behind tobacco products, e-cigarettes, pipes and hookahs. The product and range segment offers a complete overview to top decision-makers, trade visitors and everyone involved in the tobacco industry. InterSupply, which is held in parallel with the famous InterTabac show, is thus the ideal place to maintain contacts with regular customers, generate fresh leads and acquire new customers.

DATE:
14 – 16 September 2023
19 – 21 September 2024 

Exhibitors:
Over 680 exhibitors from 60 countries

TRADE VISITORS:
13,500 trade visitors 

EVENT ORGANISER:
Messe Dortmund GmbH

PARTNERS:

• North Rhine Westphalia Retailers' Association,
  State Tobacco Association (conceptual sponsor)
• German Federal Association of Tobacco Retailers (BTWE)
• German Association of the Tobacco Industry and Next-Generation Products (BVTE)
• German Cigar Industry Association (BdZ)
• German Smoking Tobacco Industry Association (VdR)
• German Shisha Tobacco Association
• Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA)
• Alliance for Tobacco-Free Enjoyment (BfTG)
• German E-Cigarette Retailers' Association (VdeH)
• Cigar Association of America (CAA)
• Small & Medium-Sized Tobacco Businesses (MUT)
• ProCigar – Association of Dominican Cigar Manufacturers
• Smokedex
• Cigar Smoking World Championship (CSWC)
• International Tobacco Growers' Association (ITGA)
• European Confederation of Tobacco
• Retailers (CEDT)
• Tobacco Asia

InterTabac Platinum Sponsor
Hara Brands

VISITOR TARGET GROUPS - INTERTABAC:
Top international decision-makers in the sales channel (tobacco retailers, wholesalers and retailers), as well as manufacturing and service sectors. Industry representatives from home and abroad in the fields of cigars, cigarillos, cigarettes, pipes and smokers' requisites, RYO, MYO, fine cut, pipe tobacco, shop fittings, press and IT, point-of-sale systems, vending machines, water pipes and accessories, and electronic cigarettes. InterTabac caters for everyone in the tobacco industry – in Germany and across the world. The show is ideal for networking with regular customers, generating leads and acquiring new customers. Admission only for trade visitors aged 18 and over. 

VISITOR TARGET GROUPS – INTERSUPPLY:
Market leaders, key players, manufacturers and suppliers in the global tobacco industry. Domestic and international managers and specialists in the purchasing, production, product development, research & development, quality and management accounting disciplines.



Key subject areas: Cigars, cigarillos, pipes and smoking accessories, cigarette and pipe tobacco, cigarettes, cigarette papers, next-generation products, hookahs and shisha tobacco