Saturday, November 15

Saturday morning, program is from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., followed by a buffet lunch lasting until 3 p.m. Gordon Mott, executive editor, Cigar Aficionado, and David Savona, senior editor, Cigar Aficionado, are the co-moderators for the weekend program.

9:00-9:15 a.m. Wrappers Around the World Tasting. An exploration of cigar wrappers from four areas of the world famous for growing wrapper leaf. This is the first theme of the day. Throughout the morning you will be given cigars to smoke while the grower talks about the specific wrapper leaf. The first cigar of the day has a Connecticut-shade wrapper. The speaker will be announced shortly.

9:15-9:25 a.m. Sharing Cigar History. The second theme of the program is to present four speakers who each have a long history as a cigar producer. Each person will share some personal experiences, a vignette to shed light on the way things were. The first speaker is Benjamin Menendez, Altadis U.S.A.

9:25-9:45 a.m. The Cuba Report. James Suckling, European editor, Cigar Aficionado, gives an in-depth account of what's happening in Cuban cigars today-the problems, the successes, the changes.

9:45-9:55 a.m. Wrappers Around the World. The second cigar has a Cameroon wrapper and is presented by Jose Seijas, VP, GM Tabacalera de Garcia-Altadis U.S.A.

9:55-10:05 a.m. Sharing Cigar History. The second speaker is Carlos Toraño, Toraño Cigars.

10:05-10:55 a.m. Nicaragua-The Fastest Growing Export. A panel of Nicaraguan producers will explore the Nicaraguan cigar from seed to export and describe the reasons for this growth pattern. On the panel are Jorge Padrón, Padrón Cigars; Nick Perdomo, Perdomo Cigars; Tim Ozgener, C.A.O. International and Alejandro Martinez-Cuenca, Joya de Nicaragua.

10:55-11:05 a.m. Wrappers around the World. The third cigar has a Honduran wrapper and is presented by Christian Eiroa, Tobacos Rancho Jamastran (Camacho Cigars).

11:05-11:15 a.m. Sharing Cigar History. The third speaker is Manuel Quesada, Manufactura de Tabacos (Fonseca Cigars).

11:15-11:40 a.m. Cigar Wrapper Question and Answer. This is your opportunity to ask the questions you've been saving all morning. The four cigar wrapper speakers will be on stage to answer your questions.

11:40-11:50 a.m. Wrappers around the World. The fourth cigar has a Dominican Republic wrapper and is presented by Carlos Fuente Jr., president, Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia.

11:50 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Sharing Cigar History. The fourth speaker is Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, El Credito Cigars (La Gloria Cubana).

12:00-12:30 p.m. Ask the Experts. Cigar Aficionado's own panel of experts-Gordon Mott, James Suckling and David Savona will be on stage to answer your questions about cigars-production, cutting, lighting, storage, tasting panels etc.

12:30-3:00 p.m. Buffet Lunch and your time to continue to "Ask the Experts," now on a more personal level. At lunch, an executive from each cigar manufacturer exhibiting at our "Big Smoke," will host a table. Lunch becomes a face-to-face meeting where you can ask questions, comment and share viewpoints on cigars. Each table "host" will bring cigars for you to enjoy.

Sunday, November 16

Sunday's program from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. consists of seminars on subjects that are part of the lifestyle of Cigar Aficionado magazine readers and are taught by an expert in each field.

9:30-10:30 a.m. A "Real Man's" Breakfast with Charlie Palmer. Start the day with a Cigar Aficionado's breakfast of steak and eggs. Charlie Palmer, owner of Aureole, Las Vegas, Charlie Palmer Steak and many other fine restaurants in New York and California, will prepare this "manly" breakfast combination especially for this cigar-loving crowd. Of course, we will find the perfect cigar to go along with this breakfast.

10:45-11:45 a.m. Roll Your Own, The Post-Graduate Seminar. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, President, El Credito, brings everything you need to create your own cigar including real tobacco filler and wrapper as used in a premium cigar factory. Whether you've done this before or you are a new roller, everyone enjoys the opportunity to roll and create his own cigar and perhaps win a prize. The grand prizewinner will automatically be entered in the La Gloria Cubana Super Roll

12:00-1:00 p.m. The Ultimate Blended Scotch Whisky Tasting. Explore what happens when you "marry" fine individual Scotch whiskys resulting in ultimate aged blended Scotches. Cigar Aficionado's senior features editor and spirits writer, Jack Bettridge, leads this tasting. Naturally we'll enjoy them with a smoke.

For questions email events@mshanken.com.