“We are planning novel ways to surprise fans, to introduce new products, to live unique and exclusive experiences for all of us who share the same passion,” Leopoldo Cintra, sales vice president of the famous company, said.
“We were working until the last moment to be able to carry out the Habano Festival. Unfortunately, due to the current pandemic context, we were forced to cancel the long-awaited celebration,” he stressed. The executive said that, in a world scenario with so much uncertainty, the capacity of adaptation and proactivity of many sectors has been put to the test.
“Faced with the challenge that this has posed for the company, we can say that we were able to react in time, adapting to the current circumstances. Together with our exclusive distributors, we have activated the necessary mechanisms to ensure that the planned objectives were not overlooked,“ said Cintra.
The commercial and marketing initiatives with the distributors, who in turn have carried out totally innovative proposals through online channels, both for sales and product presentation, are noteworthy.
“Thanks to this involvement, our aficionados continue to enjoy the Habano universe,“ he added. The sales vice president said that every year the Festival is the right occasion to officially announce the planned launches; however, they will look for the right way and moment to unveil the new products for 2022. “We don’t want to give away the surprises we’re working on, we just want to tell our aficionados and Habano lovers to keep their passion on because we’ll be surprising them soon,” he augured.
A HALLMARK OF CUBA
There are four factors that make Cuban tobacco unique in the world: the soil, the climate, the variety and the knowledge of tobacco growers (vegueros) and cigar rollers (torcedores) passed down for generations.
To reach the delightful stage of enjoying a cigar, one must travel a long road that contains more than 500 manual processes. From the cultivation of the leaf — which takes months and even years before it can be used to make the cigar— to the quality control and packaging in boxes with all the seals of guarantee.
It is only recognized as a Habano when it meets the requirements established and verified by the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).
In addition, all of them are protected against counterfeiting and fraud. There are currently 27 brands marketed by the Habanos, S.A. corporation: Cohíba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagás, Hoyo de Monterrey, H. Upmann, Trinidad, Cuaba, San Cristóbal de La Habana, Bolívar and Vegueros, among others.
Every year in February, the Habano Festival gathers in Cuba’s capital of Havana, lovers of the world’s best tobacco. This famous festival —whose 2022 edition was canceled due to the adverse world epidemiological situation imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic— includes tours of plantations and factories, seminars, the international Habanos sommelier contest, a gala dinner, humidor auctions and many other attractions.
(Taken from Prisma Magazine)
mh/gf/mb
