Category: Events

  • Habano Festival Concludes With Gala

    Habano Festival Concludes With Gala

    Photo: Timothy Donahue

    The 23rd Habano Festival culminated March 3 with the gala dinner held at the Pabexpo Fairgrounds in Havana. Around 1,200 attendees enjoyed the night complemented by national and international music, dance and indoor fireworks. The gala was also honored by the presence of Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel, who attended the event along with other government authorities.

    The evening paid tribute to the Partagas brand with the launch of the Linea Maestra, the brand’s most premium line, made up of three new vitolas: Origen (46 ring gauge x 154 mm length), Rito (52 ring gauge x 168 mm length) and Maestro (56 ring gauge x 132 mm length). Each of these vitolas will reach the market in a special case containing 20 units.

    For the first time in the history of the brand and the Habanos portfolio, the vitolas of this new Partagas line will be made with 100 percent tobacco grown in San Luis, in the Vuelta Abajo plantations located in the Pinar del Rio region.

    The gala night also featured a Hall of Fame that illustrated the great work of the people who have made the Habano what it is today.

    One of the highlights of the evening was the auction of the exclusive humidors dedicated to the six global Habanos brands: Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterrey and H. Upmann. The proceeds reached a total of €11,220,000 ($11,965,309) and will be donated to the Cuban public healthcare system.

  • Registration Open for Menthol Ban Seminar

    Registration Open for Menthol Ban Seminar

    Interested parties can now register for the Jan. 12 U.S. Food and Drug Administration seminar covering the ban of menthol flavors in tobacco products. “The Scientific Basis of Proposed Tobacco Product Standards to Prohibit Menthol as a Characterizing Flavor in Cigarettes and Flavors in Cigars” is the first FDA tobacco-related seminar of the year.

    The presentation will provide an overview of the scientific evidence that informed the development of these proposed rules, with an explanation of the external peer review process the FDA utilized for review of the highly influential scientific assessments for these proposed rules.

    Bridget Ambrose, director of the Division of Population Health Science in the Office of Science at the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, will be the speaker. Ambrose has over 20 years of experience in tobacco control and regulatory science, with specialized experience in longitudinal analyses of tobacco use.

  • ITGA Convenes in Portugal

    ITGA Convenes in Portugal

    Photo: Atlântico

    The International Tobacco Growers Association will host its 2022 annual general meeting Oct. 26–29 in Castelo Branco, Portugal.

    The event will bring together member associations and partners from around the world.

    Among other topics, participants will discuss the latest developments for the sector and industry. Representatives from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe will present their sustainability visions, which will be complemented by the visions of leading companies.

    For more information, visit https://www.itgaevents.com/events/agm-2022.

  • Asia Harm Reduction Forum Set for Oct. 28

    Asia Harm Reduction Forum Set for Oct. 28

    The Fifth Asia Harm Reduction Forum (AHRF 2022) will take place Oct. 28 at the Manila Hotel in the Philippines.

    Under the title “Integrating Harm Reduction in Asian Policies: A Major Win for Public Health,” the forum will cover the merits of harm reduction as the most effective tool to address the smoking epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region.

    Ron Sison

    “This key event comes at a critical turning point, as tobacco harm reduction (THR) takes root in several Asian countries,” says AHRF 2022 Lead Convenor Ron Sison, who is also president of the Harm Reduction Alliance of the Philippines.

    A hybrid event, AHRF 2022 will engage scientists, consumers, legislators and policymakers. The sessions will be streamed live on the AHRF YouTube channel and Facebook page.

    “Asia is actively tackling the steps toward securing a smoke-free future,” says Peter Dator, president of Vapers PH, a consumer group. “The Philippines recently lifted its vaping ban, regulating the importation, manufacture, sale and marketing of vaping products. Malaysia and Thailand are also set to regulate, thanks to the sheer weight of scientific evidence and the hard work of THR advocates.”

    “Despite more countries supporting vaping, we must remain vigilant and active in our THR discussions and advocacy,” says Asa Saligupta, director of ENDS Cigarette Smoke Thailand. “Let’s not forget the most convincing smoking cessation devices remain illegal in many parts of Asia-Pacific. We’ve got plenty of work to do, with AHRF 2022 key to this region’s future success.”

  • K&H Announces E-Vapor Symposium

    K&H Announces E-Vapor Symposium

    The law firm Keller and Heckman will holds its Annual E-Vapor and Tobacco Law Symposium Feb. 15–16, 2023, at the Courtyard Irvine Spectrum in Irvine, California, USA.

    This year’s program will feature topics designed to help vapor and deemed tobacco product manufacturers stay in compliance with rapidly evolving laws and policies.

    The conference will cover marketing denial orders, FDA proposed rulemakings and youth access prevention plans, among other topics.

    For more information, please visit the symposium information webpage.

  • New Date for UKVIA Forum and Dinner

    New Date for UKVIA Forum and Dinner

    The UKVIA Vaping Industry Forum and Celebration Dinner will now take place on Friday, Nov. 18 at the QEII Centre in Westminster, London. The event had been canceled on Sept. 9, the day after the queen’s passing.

    The agenda remains the same, and the UKVIA expects some additional speakers to be part of the lineup.

    “We have had a fantastic response since the event was canceled, and we are looking to accommodate some additional speakers in our program,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement. “We would like to thank delegates, sponsors, exhibitors and dinner guests for their patience, and we look forward to seeing everyone in November at what will be the biggest B2B event in the U.K. vaping calendar.

    “The occasion will be particularly poignant as the original planned forum and dinner came the day after the announcement of the queen’s death. The event will allow us to pay tribute to Britain’s longest reigning monarch.”

    While the original event had been at near full capacity, more tickets for the conference and dinner have now been released.

  • Dortmund Speakers Call for ‘Nuanced’ Regulation

    Dortmund Speakers Call for ‘Nuanced’ Regulation

    Photo: Timothy Donahue

    Speaking during the opening day of the InterTabac trade exhibition in Dortmund, Germany, tobacco industry representatives called for a nuanced regulatory framework in a global economy strained by Covid, supply chain interruptions, inflation and the energy crisis.

    Anticipating adjustments to the EU Tobacco Tax and EU Tobacco Products directives, speakers noted that not all tobacco products are created equally. For example, fine-cut tobacco has a different fiscal resilience than cigarettes, protection of minors is not an issue with classic pipe tobacco, and the market for conventional snuff is ever shrinking.

    “Especially in the current ongoing crisis management situation, it is of utmost importance not to take a broad-brush approach to regulation,” said Michael von Foerster, CEO of the German Smoking Tobacco Industry Association.

    “What we need is not new bans but active promotion of potentially less harmful innovative products, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco,” said Jan Muecke, CEO of the German Association of the Tobacco Industry and New Products (BVTE), who also urged Germany to regulate nicotine pouches like e-cigarettes, according to a BVTE press release.

    The call for product-appropriate regulation was echoed by the German Cigar Industry Association, whose products are consumed strictly for pleasure, purely occasionally and mainly by older men—which means there are no issues related to the protection of minors, according to the group.

    The German Federal Association of Tobacco Retailers drew attention to the uncertainty facing its members due to soaring costs of labor, energy and other expenses.

    The InterTabac trade fair takes place Sept. 15–17.

  • Cuba Marks Cohiba Anniversary

    Cuba Marks Cohiba Anniversary

    Leopoldo Cintra Gonzalez (Right) -Photo: Timothy Donahue

    Although a year late, Habanos is celebrating its most iconic brand’s 55th birthday.

    By Timothy S. Donahue

    Cuba is trying to get back to a sense of normalcy. Covid served a crushing blow to the reclusive island’s tourism industry. It also caused chaos in its cigar production chain from the farms to the factory floor. However, after a year’s delay, Habanos, the government-owned distributor of Cuban cigars, is welcoming cigar connoisseurs to celebrate the 55th anniversary of its most iconic brand, Cohiba.

    While officially the event began on Wednesday with a cocktail reception at the El Laguito event center nearby where Cohibas are produced, media were given an opportunity Tuesday to mingle with representatives of Habanos. During the media event, Leopoldo Cintra Gonzalez, commercial vice president for Habanos, told Tobacco Reporter that the Cohiba brand has shown strength throughout its history and remains one of the most exclusive cigars on the global market.

    He mentioned Cuba’s “always present” former leader Fidel Castro who first launched the Cohiba brand in 1966 and passed away in 2016. “It has not been an easy 55 years. We have had to be very innovative, which is normal for Habanos,” Cintra Gonzalez said through a translator. “But for this [exquisite] brand, because of the love everyone puts into the brand … especially the hands of the torcedors in El Laguito who put in so much effort … remains a favorite of consumers around the world.”

    Typically, brand anniversaries for Habanos happen during the company’s annual cigar festival held in February. However, that event has been cancelled the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Next year, the festival will return, and the 2023 Festival del Habano XXIII will take place from Feb. 27 to March 3.

    Thursday, attendees will attend a tour of the El Laguito factory during operating hours and have an opportunity to see how the Cohiba cigars are produced followed by a gala dinner Friday evening that will include an auction of two exclusive humidors, the proceeds from which will help support the Cuban healthcare system.

    The Cohiba 55 Aniversario, which measures 5 9/10 inches (150 mm) long with a 57 ring gauge, is a new vitola called Victoria. The cigar also wears a foot band, the first time an Edicion Limitada release from Habanos has done so. All of the tobacco blend comes from the Pinar del Rio province of Cuba and includes seco and ligero filler leaves, undergoing an additional fermentation in barrels to give the brand a distinctive aroma and flavor.

    According to media reports, Phoenicia Trading Co. stated in May that the retail price of the Cohiba 55 Aniversario at its duty-free location in the Beirut airport would be $300 per cigar.

    Timothy Donahue is the assistant editor of Tobacco Reporter. Since joining our team in January 2013, he has become not only an expert on the traditional tobacco business but also a well-respected voice in the rapidly developing vapor industry. Tim spends much of his time on the road, attending conferences and interviewing industry representatives. His networking skills, work ethic and quick mind are valuable assets to our diverse audience.
  • World Tobacco Asia: The Countdown is on!

    World Tobacco Asia: The Countdown is on!

    Photo courtesy of Quartz Business Media

    World Tobacco Asia is returning Sept. 7-8, 2022, to Surabaya, Indonesia, co-located with the award-winning World Vape Show. The first major tobacco event to take place in the region for over three years, WT Asia is a unique opportunity for professionals to see the next generation of innovative products, ingredients, materials and insight for the tobacco industry all in one place.

    Registration for the event is free for all industry-related personnel and includes the following:

    • Exclusive show-only offers and deals from 60+ leading suppliers, including Evergrowing, Mcairlaids, Prestige Leaf, Indesso, Aiger, Truewell Filter, Focke & Co, Voedsel, BMJ, Miquel Y Costas and Aroma King.
    • Access to a large and growing market at one of the most prestigious events for the industry
    • The chance to improve and gain new industry insights by getting hands on with machinery and equipment that is designed for the next generation of smokers
    • Face-to-face networking with influential business leaders and senior decision makers within the tobacco industry, as well as friends – old and new
    • Better your understanding of available alternative tobacco and nicotine products. As this sector of the industry continues to grow, learn what sourcing and procurement options are available to help you create and build your own range of products
    • Insight into what the future holds for leaf tobacco-associated businesses: machinery, services, communities, and more
    • Access to the co-located World Vape Show, which provides free insight to exhibitors and the vaping industry

    Trusted by the industry’s biggest brands and manufacturers, Quartz Business Media now delivers the world’s largest network of smoking-related B2B events in the world. In the last 12 months alone, World Tobacco, World Vape Show and World Shisha events have gathered more than 17,000 professionals in Dubai, London, Sofia and now Surabaya.

    WT Asia will take place on the Ground Floor of the Grand City Convex Convention Hall in Surabaya. For more information and free registration, visit http://www.wtprocessandmachinery.com/asia.

  • Registration Open for Coresta Congress

    Registration Open for Coresta Congress

    Registration has opened for the 2022 Coresta Congress Online.

    Scheduled for Oct. 10–28, the Coresta Congress Online will comprise 26 sessions and more than 140 presentations.

    The daily sessions will focus on a specific topic area, and each prerecorded presentation will be followed by a live Q&A session with the presenters.

    Videos will be available for replay after the event, and the presentations will be published on the Coresta website.

    The registration deadline is Sept. 25, 2022.