November 7, 2013 — From Monday, February 24th to Friday, February 28th, 2014, Cuba will again be the venue of the largest international meeting for the enthusiasts of the best cigar in the world: the Habano. On this occasion the event will be paying tribute to four of the most prestigious Habanos brands: Hoyo de Monterrey, Partagás, Trinidad y H.Upmann.

The last edition of the Habanos Festival was attended by more than 1,200 delegates from almost 80 countries.

The Commercial Fair will again be celebrated during the week of the Festival. In 2013, the Fair was attended by 72 exhibitors from 8 countries – Germany, Canada, China, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Panama and Cuba – and received over 2,000 visitors from the world of cigar, luxury products and business.

This year a total of 273 journalists and cameramen from 142 press bodies from more than 30 countries sent live transmissions covering the event , which continues to have an ever growing echo in the five continents.

During this 16th Edition of the Habanos Festival, the attendants – which always include first rank international personalities – will have the pleasure of tasting in exclusive the new vitolas that will be launched to the market in 2014 by Habanos s.a., and will have the possibility to discover the roots and the secrets of a century-old tradition of cigar culture in Cuba. Habanos, s.a. invites you to enjoy a delightful week among friends that have one thing in common: the passion for Habanos.

The program of the Habanos Festival maintains its traditional activities during this unforgettable week:
Visits to the best tobacco plantations in Vuelta Abajo, Pinar del Río
Visits to emblematic Factories of Hand-Made Cigars
Commercial fair
Seminar Tastings and Marriages with the best gastronomy and drinks
Habanosommelier International Contest
Master class on the Cigar Hand Rolling Technique
First contest to obtain the longest ash

The opening of the event will take place on Monday, February 24th, 2014 with the inauguration of the Commercial Fair at the International Convention Center Palacio de Convenciones. The Fair will continue to be the ideal moment for technical and commercial exchanges among businessmen, producers and suppliers of the cigar world.

The day will end with the Welcome Evening at Club Habana, which includes an exclusive concert of the best Cuban artists. The Nominations to the Habanos Award of the Year will also be announced, and finally there will be a Welcome Cocktail dedicated to the Partagás and Hoyo de Monterrey brands.

This year the Habanos Alliance will take place with the exclusive international beer brands Duvel, Leffe, Chimay, Malheur and Bucanero, under the direction of Dutch specialist Ben Vinken.

It will be a year of interesting conferences on the most diverse themes, among them: “Habanos in the cinema”, “The Germans in the Habano. Origin of the H. Upmann brand”, and a conference on the Habanos Vintage with tasting of an aged Habano. Finally, there will be a conference on “Elements that have an Influence in the Combustion of Habanos”, to be followed by the first contest to see which smoker obtains the longest ash.

On Wednesday, February 26, there will be a special and emotive Dinner in tribute to the Trinidad brand, with participation of the prestigious chef Ron Blaauw from The Netherlands, awarded with two Michelin stars, and of sommelier Cuno Van’t Hoff in the selection of the menu and marriages.

The closing of the Festival will take place on the evening of Friday, February 28, with a Gala Dinner in tribute to H.Upmann and the Traditional Humidor Auction for the benefit of the Cuban Public Health System.

Habanos s.a. and the TABACUBA Entrepreneurial Group will be honored with your attendance.

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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.