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TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
JULY/AUGUST 2015
NEWS & TRENDS
JULY/AUGUST 2015
Highlights
Smoker Friendly
Festival Program
Announced
The upcoming Smoker Friendly Con-
ference & Tobacco Festival will take
place in Broomfield, Colorado on
August 20-21. This year’s festival will
feature educational panels on the im-
pact of mergers and acquisitions on
the industry and “the advantages and
pitfalls of marketing tobacco both
here in the United States and glob-
ally,” says a spokesperson.
A panel of industry experts will be
moderated by Melissa VonderHaar,
senior editor of CSP Information
Group, and will feature the following
speakers:
Dan Carr
—president of General
Cigar, a manufacturer of premium ci-
gars and the maker of iconic brands
like Macanudo, Cohiba and Partagas.
J. Kelly Michols
—CEO of Scandi-
navian Tobacco Group-Lane USA,
which manufactures and markets
well-known cigars, fine-cut tobacco
and traditional pipe tobacco here in
the U.S. and in over 100 countries
worldwide.
Henry Sicignano III
—CEO and pres-
ident of 22nd Century Group, a man-
ufacturer of cigarettes and filtered
cigars that holds many scientific pat-
ents for a wide variety of items.
To round out this information-
packed general session, Thomas
Briant, executive director of the Na-
tional Association of Tobacco Outlets
(NATO), and Mark Pursell, executive
director of the International Premium
Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association
(IPCPR), will offer a legislative and
FDA update on the tobacco and cigar
industries.
Davidoff Launches
Las Vegas Boutique
The store will be the company’s seventh
licensed boutique in Las Vegas.
Expanding its Las Vegas footprint, Davidoff plans to open a 1,500-square-foot
“Davidoff of Geneva—since 1911” Licensed Boutique and Cigar Bar in the city’s
Fashion Show Mall. Las Vegas is already home to multiple Davidoff of Geneva
boutiques, but the new location will stand out as a destination for cigar aficio-
nados, says the company. It will feature a unique indoor/outdoor environment
comprised of a walk-in humidor filled with premium cigars, and a unique full-
service premium bar. The bar area will open up with breakaway doors to a 50-
seat outdoor patio with unparalleled views of the Las Vegas Strip.
Situated in Fashion Show Mall, the new location is surrounded by the Wynn,
Encore, Venetian, Palazzo and Treasure Island properties. This will be the com-
pany’s seventh licensed boutique store in Las Vegas, opened in partnership with
the Arcella family, who successfully own locations in The Grand Canal Shoppes,
Venetian, Palazzo, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino,
and Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. The Arcellas have been in the retail busi-
ness for 16 years, currently employing 100 people for the Davidoff of Geneva
and Swarovski boutiques.
“We are particularly excited to do this in partnership with Matt and Frank Ar-
cella, who have been outstanding Davidoff partners for many years,” says Jim
Young, president of Davidoff of Geneva USA. “They have a proven track record
in providing consumers with a premium retail experience in the casino and hotel
environment, and this will be a natural extension of that experience through the
inclusion of a premium bar within the premises in a terrific location on the Las
Vegas Strip.”
“The ‘Davidoff of Geneva–since 1911’ Cigar Bar will carry a full line of pre-
mium cigars for the traveling connoisseur and specialize in limited-edition cigars
to pair with the unique liquor selection,” says Matt Arcella, managing partner
of Calabrini. “The ambiance and setting will be sophisticated, yet unpreten-
tious. In addition to bringing the pleasure of Davidoff to the dedicated cigar
aficionado, we will also introduce Davidoff to a wider audience. Las Vegas is
attracting a growing number of young and affluent consumers who come here
for the phenomenal clubs, restaurants and shopping, not just to gamble. With
our state-of-the-art ventilation, lighting and music, we anticipate catering to this
large demographic.”