Cigar Spectacular

Day one

The festival opened on a Monday with a press event that updated the nearly 200 journalists from 35 countries on the previous year’s sales of Habanos S.A., the entity responsible for marketing Cuban cigars worldwide. In 2019, Habanos earned more than $531 million, a 2 percent increase over 2018, according to Cintra Gonzalez.

Habanos currently ships about 145 million sticks worldwide every year. Europe accounts for 53 percent of sales while Asia had a decrease of 3 percent to 4 percent (China has grown by 10 percent for both 2017 and 2018). Spain grew by 4 percent as did the Africa market. Sales in Canada and South America grew by 5 percent in 2019 while the Caribbean grew by 9 percent. The biggest customers of Habanos are Spain, China, France, Germany and Cuba. “We are very careful about performing research, and we offer many products that are showing to be dynamic performers in the market,” said Cintra Gonzalez. “We have been increasing both production and sales in our 40 markets [in which] we distribute.”

The Habanos Festival is traditionally accompanied by a trade fair. This year, there were 239 exhibitors from different regions, including Italy, Germany, Spain, Panama, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Cuba. Cuba’s representation at the trade show grew by 5 percent over last year, according to Cintra Gonzalez.

The Monday evening event was hosted by Club Habana on the western side of Havana. Opened in 1928, the location is quite captivating with its massive front yard and an even larger area behind the historic main building that seemingly flows right into the ocean. The evening’s circus-like theme was unique and imaginative.

Following a welcome by the co-presidents of Habanos, Inocente Nunez and Luis Sanchez-Harguindey, Cintras Gonzalez told attendees that the inaugural evening would be dedicated to the Bolivar brand that “due to its strength and personality is no doubt the favorite of the most demanding Habanos smokers.”

After the speech, a presentation was shown on a giant, round, balloon-shaped screen. Suddenly, the balloon began glowing as it rose like a moon. Attached to the balloon was an acrobat lifting and spinning to the delight of the crowd. At every turn, there were magicians and jugglers and large musical acts. The main event was held oceanside. Massive in scope, the entire courtyard was filled with approximately 30 food stations and bars serving cuisines and beverages from around the world.

Day two

On Tuesday, festivalgoers would typically visit farms. This year, guests toured plantations in the tobacco zone of Partido in San Antonio de los Banos and Alquizar. Attendees visited a small portion of the 95 hectares dedicated to shade-grown tobacco.

“This area, which is served by a staff of 337 workers, produces 70 percent of the entire export wrapper leaves harvested in the country, and we generate 1.7 tons of tobacco per hectare, of which about half of it is for export,” said Armando Trujillo Gonzalez, president of the agricultural cooperative that runs the farms in the area and a 2011 Habanos Man of the Year.

Even though the harvest concluded on Jan. 15, several hectares of cheesecloth-covered tobacco plants were on display. The curing barns were still full of harvested tobacco, which takes about 90 days to cure.

On Tuesday evening, Tobacco Reporter took a side trip to a box factory now owned and operated by Ariel Gonzalez, a custom humidor maker and artist. In less than a decade, Gonzalez has grown his business from eight employees to more than 30.

Gonzalez’s business is preparing to expand again. “We have received new orders from Habanos that will boost our production, so we will need more space,” said Gonzalez. The company is moving many of its ancillary needs, such as box production, away from China and back to Cuban soil. “It is good for the people of Cuba, and we are thankful for having the opportunity from Habanos.”