Celebrations, novelties and party time in billowing smoke

When the curtains of the Habano Festival roll up each year, a special spirit of celebration wafts around over a thousand people from some 80 nations who attend this event. They come to pay tribute to Habano, by far Cuba’s most international, recognized and emblematic product, a token of identity and a bearer of a century-plus-old tradition.

Habano lovers, tobacco industry professionals, agriculture experts, businesspeople, artists, researchers, boldface names from culture, haute cuisine, cinema and fashion, as well as people in search of the charms and pleasures surrounding this larger-than-life product, huddle once again for this party, a genuine celebration around the world’s best cigar. This time around, organizers are expecting the attendance of Cuban boldface names, like Omara Portuondo, actor Jorge Perugorria, Pancho Amat, David Blanco, Augusto Enriquez and many other national and international performers to be announced shortly. The Festival –slated from Feb. 21 to 25, 2011– is once again a tribute to Habano, a product hailing exclusively from Cuba as a result of an unmatched combination of the island’s soils and climate, centennial expertise and history. The event is going strong as the perfect setting for the launch of new products, special series and limited editions. The opening night promises to be one for the books with the scheduled concert by the 2010 Latin Grammy Award-winning Cuban composer Leo Brouwer and a list of guests that includes such top performers as lute player Edin Karamazov and Spanish guitarist Jose Manuel Hierro, among others. The maestro’s music will be followed by the unveiling of two new Partagas, the new Series E and the Series D No.5, all of them coming together for this night’s special presentation. In addition to the opening of the Tradeshow, the preliminary round of the Habano Sommelier Contest and the Alliance between Cuban aged and extra-aged rums and Habanos are scheduled for the first sessions of the festival. As a curiosity and surprise for this kind of gathering, the festival has planned the first blind tasting of Habanos which is expected to gather tasters from Cuba’s top cigar factories, as well as sommeliers and well-known Habano aficionados. The International Seminar and the visit to the cigar factories and tobacco plantations will let attendees take a closer look at the centennial tradition of cigar hand-rolling and tobacco planters from Vuelta Abajo, in the Pinar del Rio province, by far the finest lands for this crop. Visitors will once again get updated information on Cuban tobacco from an industrial, agricultural and commercial standpoint. A lecture entitled The Origin and Evolution of Aluminum Tubes for Habanos by British expert Simon Chase is also scheduled. Mr. Chase, a veteran attendee to the Festivals, has conducted the traditional closing-day auctions and has been a keynote speaker on a multitude of interesting topics. As in previous editions, the much-anticipated Master Class on cigar hand-rolling techniques will this time around focus on Belicoso, an emblematic member of Habanos S.A.’s vitola portfolio. The well-known tasting sessions known as Flavors & Aromas, in search of the finest matches between Habanos and such products as coffee, brandy, tequilas and others will be back again. And something that’s building great expectations is the H.Upmann Night, a party for the presentation of the new Half Corona vitola. As far as matches are concerned, this festival edition will try out connecting variations between Cuban cacao and Habanos. And for the gala dinner and auction on the closing night, organizers have planned the world premiere of the Montecristo Gran Reserva, a major event for one of the most successful brands of all time. This saga of this festival is really one of a kind in which new vitolas make the rounds, commercial possibilities are explored, cultural pathways leading to the Cuban tobacco are traveled and the highly awaited Habano Man of the Year Awards in the Production, Communication and Business categories are announced.

Schedule

February 21 - 25, 2011, Havana, Cuba

Sunday 02/20 10:00-16:00 hrs. Registration (Intl. Conference Center).

Monday 02/21 09:00 hrs. Registration (Intl. Conference Center). 09:30 -10:30 hrs. Press Conference. Delivery of the 13th Habano Festival Press Dossier. (hall 3) * 10:00-16:00 hrs. Registration (Intl. Conference Center). 10:30-17:00. hrs. Preliminary round of the Intl. Habanosommelier Contest (hall 5) ** 14:00 hrs. Tradeshow’s grand opening. 14:30 hrs. Preliminary round of the Habanos/Cuban Rums Alliance. (hall 6) ** 19:00 hrs. Welcome Night: Gran Teatro de La Habana. Concert: Leo Brouwer Esencial with music composed and conducted by the celebrated Cuban musician and composer Leo Brouwer, winner of the 2010 Latin Grammy Award. 20:30 hrs. Welcome Cocktail dedicated to the Partagas brand. (Alejo Carpentier hall) For registered press members and exclusive distributors ** Invitation Only

Martes 02/22 07:00 hrs. Visit to the tobacco plantations. 10:00-12:30 hrs. Preliminary round of the Habano Blind Tasting Session featuring cigar factory tasters, sommeliers and aficionados. (hall 6) **

Wednesday 02/23 10:00-10:15 hrs. Opening of the international seminar. (hall 4) 10:15-11:15 hrs. Master lecture on The Origin and Evolution of Aluminum Tubes for Habanos, by Simon Chase. (hall 4). 11:15-11:45 hrs. Coffee break. 11:45-13:15 hrs. Master class on cigar hand-rolling techniques: Making a Belicoso (hall 3) 13:15-14:45 hrs. Lunch. El Bucan Restaurant. 15:00-16:30 hrs. Flavors & Aromas: Matching Habanos with coffee, brandy, tequila and other products. (hall 3,5,6,7) 19:30 hrs H.Upmann night: Salón de Protocolo «El Laguito».

Thursday 02/24 09:00-12:00 hrs. Visit to Habano factories Partagas and H.Upmann. 12.30-14:00 hrs. Lunch. El Bucán Restaurant. 14:00-15:30 hrs. Grand finale of the Habanos Blind Tasting Session. (hall 4) 15:30-17:00 hrs. Grand finale of the Habanos/Cuban Rums Alliance. (hall 3) 20:0 hrs. Dinner by ICT. **

Friday 02/25 9:30-11:00 hrs. Intl. Habanosommelier Contest Finals. (hall 3) 11:00-11:30 hrs. Coffee break. 11:30-12:30 hrs. Cuban cacao, a perfect after-meal combination. Matching Cuban chocolates and Habanos. (hall 4) 12:30-13:00 hrs. Closing of the seminar and tradeshow. (hall 4) Award presentation ceremony: - Best Stand by category. - Winner of the Intl. Habanosommelier Contest 13:00 hrs. Lunch. El Bucán Restaurant 19:00 hrs. Montecristo Gala Night: (pABEXPO, hall C)

Due to the venue’s hall capacities, access to those activities will be limited. Guests should show their corresponding ticket receipts at the doorway.