Press Release: Davidoff Celebrates First European Golden Band Awards

September 23, 2013 (Basel/Dortmund) — As part of Inter-tabac in Dortmund, Davidoff invited 150 guests and the most successful European Davidoff dealership partners to the Golden Band Awards presentation ceremony on September 21, 2013.

“The Davidoff Golden Band Awards epitomise the success of the brand which has been based on decades of close partnerships with trusted retailers. Davidoff has a long history of cooperation with its dealerships. They contribute substantially to taking the Davidoff brand on to further growth”, said Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, CEO of the Oettinger Davidoff Group.

Five dealers from all over Europe were nominated in each of the categories “Best Davidoff Performance,” “Best Davidoff Merchandising,” “Davidoff Newcomer” and “Dealer of the Year.” The highpoint of the event on the racecourse was the bestowal of the “Zino Davidoff Legacy Award”. Its distinguished winner had worked passionately for many years to promote the significance of premium cigars and the tobacco trade in general.

The winners of the First European Golden Band Awards, announced at a ceremony inspired by the Oscars, were obviously moved as they stepped on to the platform:

• Best Davidoff Performance Award: Edward und Eddie Sahakian, Davidoff of London, Great Britain
• Best Davidoff Merchandising Award: Mirko Pettene, Max Zechbauer Tabakwaren, Munich, Germany
• Davidoff Newcomers Award: Bogdan Ciocarlan, Davidoff of Geneva Banesa Shopping City, Bucharest, Romania
• Davidoff Depositaire Of The Year: Aram Manukyan, Davidoff Moscow, Russia
• Zino Davidoff Legacy Award: Urs Portmann, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland

2013 Davidoff European Golden Band Award Winners (l-r): Edward Sahakian, Aram-Manukyan, Irina Manukyan, Bogdan Ciorcarlan, Mirko Pettene, Oettinger Davidoff Group CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, Urs Portmann, Eddie Sahakian and Oettinger Davidoff Group Senior Vice President Europe Albert Manzone.

Photo courtesy of Oettinger Davidoff Group.

“These awards give us a good opportunity to honour our dealers for their fervent commitment to Davidoff,” emphasised Albert Manzone, Senior Vice President Europe of the Oettinger Davidoff Group.

The Davidoff horse race specially organised for the gala, giving each cigar lover a chance to bet on the horse and jockey of their choice, was a source of pure adrenalin. Paul Dingjan, Export Manager, Heupink & Bloemen Tabak BV, Jerôme Aubert, General Manager, Davidoff of Geneva, France S.A.R.L and Thomas Mathys, Store Manager, Davidoff of Geneva, Geneva however derived their good fortune not from the hooves of a horse that evening, but from a Davidoff Prize at the racecourse presentation ceremony.

Chef de Cuisine Stefan Manier (of Gasthof Stromberg) and his team provided a culinary accompaniment to the Oettinger Davidoff Group soirée with a four-course menu. The 150 invited guests who rounded off the evening after the awards with choice Davidoff cigars confirmed that this globally active cigar manufacturer from Switzerland could fill time not with success alone but also with enjoyment.

The Oettinger Davidoff Group’s First European Golden Band Awards in Dortmund on 21 September 2013 can also be followed up online at: www.GoldenBandAwards.com/Europe

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.