E C O N O M Y

Havana. March, 2 2004

Havanas contribute more than $4 million to the Cuban public health system

BY JOAQUIN ORAMAS

WITH the raising of more than $450,000 in the traditional humidor auction at the 6th International Havana Festival’s closing dinner gala, Habanos S.A. has contributed a total of $4,321,201 to the Cuban public health system through fundraising at similar events since 1994.

Five lots of exclusive humidors (special cigar containers) bearing the signature of President Fidel Castro were auctioned off at an event that brought together more than 500 cigar aficionados. Carlos Lage, vice president of the Council of State, attended the closing, during which the “Havana Man of 2004” prizes were announced in the production, detail, communication and business categories.

In his closing speech, Oscar Basulto Torres, co-president of the Habanos S.A. corporation, affirmed that Cuban cigars are steadily consolidating their reputation as the finest on the international market. He emphasized the humanitarian nature of the non-profit auction held every year, and noted the growing participation of businesses and individuals at these gatherings, as well as a growing interest in marketing Cuban cigars.

This joint Cuban-Spanish enterprise, organizer of the now-traditional event, exports cigars to more than 120 countries, especially Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Germany, all of whom were represented by substantial delegations at the Havana Festival. Basulto also convened the 7th edition of the international festival, to be celebrated in February 2005.

The banquet took place in the gardens of the protocol room at El Laguito in Havana. At the end of the dinner, the five lots were auctioned off, and Muhannad Jabi of Dubai acquired the first lot for $26,000. It included 150 cigars with the San Cristóbal de La Habana label, which has just turned five years old.

He was followed by Rumanian Wael El Ghadban, who acquired the lot containing the Hoyo de Monterrey humidor plus 100 of that label’s cigars for $54,000.

Lot three, composed of a painting by Barcelona artist Vives Fierro and a Partagás humidor with 125 cigars, went to José Cairo, of Andorra, Spain for $70,000.

Mohamed Zeidán of Lebanon took home lot four – a Montecristo humidor with 100 Havanas for $50,000. Finally, Frenchman Francois Dutreli, of the ALTADIS Company, successfully bid for a Cohiba sculpture and humidor at $250,000.

During the evening, the Havana Man of the Year awards were dispensed. In the production category, the winner was Cuban Hilda Baró, woman director of the Partagás factory. The detail to sales winner was Spaniard Jesús Llano, the communications prize went to Cuban Orlando Quiroga and the business category winner was Lebanese Mohamed Zeidán.

The show featured episodes from movies with stars like Robert de Niro, Michael Douglas and Charlie Chaplin – all of them smoking cigars – as well as aquatic ballet, modern ballet and jazz. The dinner menu included Cuban fruit, lobster and wine.

Habanos S.A. co-president Basulto offered the dinner’s inaugural toast, noting that 868 people from 56 countries attended this year’s festival, and 179 exhibitors with 38 stands participated in the Trade Fair.

The event was a good opportunity for analyzing marketing policies and other issues during the scientific and international seminars, with master classes and tasting sessions.

The second Whiskey and Cigar Challenge was held, as well as the third Habanosommelier contest, which permits a better understanding of the relationship between cigars, food and beverages, based on the correct selection, cut and lighting of the cigars.

Guests toured plantations and factories, ever more connected to the 500-year-old culture that forms part of the Cuban people’s roots.

PROFESSIONALISM AND QUALITY AWARDED

Professionalism in the presentation of Havanas won Ivo Dvorak from the Czech Republic first prize in the Habanosommelier contest. He beat Cuban Leonel Marcelo and German Matthias Martens, who took second and third place, respectively. The competition first judges theoretical knowledge, and then the selection, cut and presentation of cigars to potential guests.

The sommeliers, wine stewards in luxury restaurants, submitted themselves to a rigorous test by a jury presided over by British Simon Chase, of the cigar marketing company Hunter and Frankau and Austrian Helmut Romé, director and owner of the European Cigar Cult Journal.

The other judges included Russian journalist Natalia Risova of the Habano magazine in Russia; French communicator Ives Becaubre; Spanish editor José Ilario of the magazine Epicur, and Cuban Sommelier Club representative Edris Naranjo.

In the category of Best Free Stand Design, the winner was the Brascuba cigarette company and the Most Popular Stand was Comercial Cubacafé. Mentions for Free Stand Design were awarded to Arca Humidif and Internacional Cubana del Tabaco (ICT).

For the first time, the Rodrigo de Xeres Poetry Prize was awarded to the Cuban tobacco grower and decima poet Víctor Miguel Ramos. Zoe Nocedo, director of the Old Havana Cigar Museum, explained that this prize recalls one of Christopher Columbus’ sailors. Along with Luis de Torres, Xeres discovered the indigenous Cuban people’s custom of smoking tobacco leaves, and took it back to his captain.

Nocedo explained that during July 21-24 of next year, her museum will hold the 2005 Havana Cigar Symposium, focused on tobacco, nature, culture and identity.