Puro Sabor, the annual festival put on by the Nicaraguan Chamber of Tobacco (CNT) didn’t happen in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is happening in a virtual format. The organization has announced that it will launch a series of virtual events on March 15 that will offer free sessions with experts and Nicaraguan cigar manufacturers.

“The Nicaraguan cigar industry is once again opening the doors of its factories, but this time in an innovative digital format,” said Claudio Sgroi, president of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Tobacco. “Visitors will be able to virtually join Nicaragua’s most important tobacco producers and cigar manufacturers.”

The event is being presented by Light ’em Up World, a European-based digital platform focused on cigars that Sgroi called “an ideal partner to launch and host the Virtual Nicaraguan Cigar Festival.”

A series of master classes, panel discussions and round tables will begin on March 15, and will cover 11 topics, ranging from growing tobacco to blending, production and marketing, as well as sessions that focus on technology and innovation in the cigar industry as well as corporate social responsibility.

All sessions will be moderated and hosted by Reinhard Pohorec of Light ’em Up World and Ra’ed Saqfelhait of The Leaf Master Dubai.

Registration for the event is required and is available on Light ’em Up World’s website.

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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 MLB.com, 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.