The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, led on March 3 the closing Gala Night of the 23rd Habano Festival, at the Pabexpo fairgrounds in the capital, where a record 11,220,000 euros were raised from the auction of six emblematic humidors, funds that will be entirely allocated to the Cuban National Public Health System.
Also in attendance was Manuel Marrero Cruz, member of the Party's Political Bureau and Cuban Prime Minister, and the artistic-cultural evening put the finishing touch to a week that allowed more than 2,000 participants from 110 countries to deepen their knowledge and enjoyment of the best tobacco in the world.
This special night was dedicated to the most premium brand in Habanos S.A.'s portfolio, the new Partagás Maestra Line in its three vitolas Origen, Rito and Maestro, made with tobacco leaves from the San Luis municipality in the Vuela Abajo tobacco massif in Pinar del Rio, which gives these cigars a special aromatic complexity without losing the unique character of that filigree.
The humidor auction was the most awaited moment by those present, in which the Cohiba humidor (lot six), the most prestigious brand of the island's famous cigars and signed by Díaz-Canel, a tradition established at the beginning of these festivals by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, was auctioned for 4,200,000 euros.
Beyond their painstaking and dedicated craftsmanship, these boxes are unique pieces that hold inside an incalculable treasure: a careful selection of famous vitolas from each of the most renowned Habanos brands, entirely handmade, with long filler, by the best cigar rollers from the main tobacco factories in the Greater Antilles.
AUCTIONED LOTS:
-Lot # 1: H. Upmann (1,800. 000 euros).
-Lot # 2: Hoyo de Monterrey (980,000 euros).
-Lot # 3: Romeo and Juliet (1,200. 000 euros)
-Lot # 4: Partagás (2, 600. 000 euros)
-Lot # 5: Montecristo ( 440,000 euros)
-Lot # 6: Cohiba (4,200. 000 euros)
HABANO 2022 AWARDS
The occasion was also an opportunity to present the Habanos Awards, the most important award given every year in the world of tobacco, which recognizes the work carried out by different personalities in favor of the production, distribution, quality and dissemination of Habanos cigars; the winners were:
-Yoandri Rodriguez Porra, Cuba (Production).
-Blanca Alsogaray, Argentina (Business)
-Jasim Ahmed, United Arab Emirates (Communication).
Likewise, in the fourth edition of the Habanos World Days International Contest, the award went to the team made up by Antonis Pasparakis and Efthimios Karanchiristianidis, from Greece, a contest that qualifies as a worldwide competition for Habanos aficionados.
CUBAN CULTURE SHONE AT THE GALA EVENING
At Pabexpo's Hall C, culture hit its highest notes thanks to the music of the Big Band, Manolito Simonet, the Iván Valiente Camerata and Ensemble Solistas de la Habana, Vocal Leo, Bárbara Yanes, Leo Vera, Zamir Violin, Max, Nahomi Stephany Guerra, Christian Alejandro, Migdalia Hechevarría, among other artists.
Also outstanding was the talent of the dance companies Lizt Alfonso, Fumezku, Habana Compás Dance and Los Guaracheros de Regla, who closed the evening with a Cuban conga.
OTHER AWARDS AT THE 23rd HABANO FESTIVAL
Previously, the International Seminar and the Commercial Fair (260 exhibitors from 10 countries participated) of the 23rd Habano Festival were closed at the Convention Palace in Havana. The awards for the best stands were given to La Estancia S.A. (modular design) and Empresa Comercial Iberoamericana S.A. (free design, most visited stand and integral communication).
Guayabera Cohiba Atmosphere and Brascuba Cigarrillos S.A. received recognitions in free design.
In addition, the Havana Club International S.A. stand won a distinction in integral communication, while Legendario Reserva Especial rum received recognition for product novelty.
Translated by ESTI
