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| Steve: CigarFest '07 Roundup |
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For 2,000 cigar fanatics, CigarFest '07 began on Thursday, May 3rd; whether it was traveling cross-country, meeting up with old friends prior to the main event, or attending the generous handful of 'extra-curricular activities' we lined up surrounding CigarFest itself. For Team CI, CigarFest '07 began roughly a week after CigarFest '06 – yes, way back in May of 2006 – launching us into a year-long process of blowing your minds with another amazing cigar-filled frenzy. 
The main focus at Cigars International is giving the cigar enthusiast the total cigar experience, and making it the best
damn experience possible. Whether it's printing an enjoyable catalog, taking an order over the phone, releasing a weekly
special, meeting customers at the retail store, or simply bumping into a fellow cigar nut out on the street, we make
every attempt to ensure a satisfying and memorable experience, from one cigar lover to another.
We are not party planners, and never intended to be. Maybe 20 years from now we'll branch out into Herf Coordination but, for now, we're happy offering the best premium cigars and services at the lowest prices possible. However, we do take pride in CigarFest, an event that has quickly grown into one of the most anticipated cigar events of the year for the true cigar enthusiast. An event that others have tried to emulate, only to fall short. An event that continues to push the envelope, causing us to 'out-do' ourselves annually, in order to increase your satisfaction, as well as ours. This is a lot of pressure and requires a ton of time and effort, mind you, but seeing thousands of smiling, happy-go-lucky enthusiasts have the time of their lives reminds us of why we love doing what we do so much. 2007 marked the biggest CigarFest yet. 2,000 of the nation's finest cigar enthusiasts gathered in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania to share their passion for one of life's simplest pleasures: a hand-rolled cigar. A pleasure that we've seen taken from us in every corner of the country over the past few years. Blasphemy. Indeed, we are in the minority when it comes to "political correctness," and fall victim to an unconstitutional attack on other tobacco products, products that could never conjure up a crowd of such fine brothers and sisters in a small, mountainous, Pennsylvania town. That's the beauty behind CigarFest. It brings together a uniquely diverse crowd that spans the entire demographic spectrum: police officers, soldiers, school teachers, CEOs, lawyers, truck drivers, legislators, veterans, plumbers, entrepreneurs, car salesmen...the list could go on forever. But the bond is a shared love of cigars and that is what brings this group together...to celebrate a day – or in this case, three days – of fun and camaraderie. 
To cater to this well-versed group, we decided to host a wide range of events. Wine tasting with Graycliff, golf with Camacho,
Texas Hold'em with Punch, a Perdomo event at our Super-Store, a Cusano event at our Downtown Store, a pre-fest brunch, an
opening party with Rocky Patel, and a final farewell party with CAO. Based on the reaction we received during these events,
each was a success.
Like previous years, cigar enthusiasts went home with both arms full of goodies, including 50 premium cigars, a 20-capacity humidor, a 2-finger ashtray, a gym bag, an event poster, and several other freebies that I can't quite remember. Others won some amazing prizes...a brand new Jeep, thousands of dollars in cash, cabinet humidors, trips to Central America, and countless signed or limited edition boxes of cigars, to name a few. All attendees had the chance to meet and shake the hands of the world's biggest and best-known cigar makers. But even more importantly, attendees went home knowing what the true advantage behind the art of cigars is all about: friendship. Speaking for the entire team of Cigars International, the magic behind what a fine cigar can do for a fellow cigar nut never ceases to amaze us. We had an absolute blast this year, and hope you did, too. Considering the emails that continue to find their way to my inbox, it seems as though this is the case. It is an honor to host an annual event for our customers. With your help, a simple cigar continues to grow much larger than just rolled up leaves of tobacco. We thank you for making CigarFest a reality and giving us a chance to provide you with the best cigar experience possible day in and day out. - Steve |
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