Probably one of my favorite things to come out of the IPCPR tradeshow has to do with social media. Welcome, cigar lovers to: the Twitter Brothers of the Leaf Cocktail Hour. Set up to be a press event, TBOLTCH gave everyone who didn’t get press passes to the tradeshow a place to acquire new product samples and review stellar stogies.

Image Courtesy of StogieReview.com

Just how does Twitter get involved? Well, at the cocktail hour, accompanies live music and a choice of social lubricants, attendees begin sampling the items in their press kits and then engaging each other, and the social community at large, with reviews. On Twitter, you can use the # symbol, called a “hashtag” in Twitter speak, in front of a group of words or an acronym to thread together like-minded conversations. Imagine the possibilities this year as you’re watching your favorite football game, following a news trend, or learning about the latest cigar launched by your favorite brand.

Think it’s a fad. Consider this: all of the  TBOTLCH press kits sold out within 24 hours. The brands monitored the #TBOTLCH, reviewers volleyed back and forth over the complexities of a particular stogie, and aficionados everywhere, like this blogger, watched the live action unfold as if we were there. Bonus: you can know which products launched are must-have’s, which ones paid too much attention to packaging and marketing over flavor, and which ones can wait for improvements before they are enjoyed. #Awesome.

We’re on Twitter, too, if you want to follow us: @cigarlibre is our handle and we’ll be glad to tweet you about your favorite smoke, recommend a particular product to you, or send you some #FollowFriday love.