ProCigar, a trade show held in Santiago de los Caballeros every February for Dominican producers of fine hand-rolled cigars, attracts fans worldwide.

It’s no coincidence that ProCigar comes only a week before its Cuban competitor, Habanos Festival — given that are least some international cigar marketers are expected to attend both of them.

The difference with the Habanos event is its glitziness. ProCigar is geared more toward Dominican cigar industry insiders, with attendees focusing on the smokes themselves. The Habanos Festival, though, tries to attract celebrities and deep-pocketed cigar aficionados worldwide, using the allure of Havana itself as a selling point.

This explains the presence of Hollywood actor Jim Belushi and Phil Manzanera, member of the British pop group Roxy Music.

The two were among those at dinner at Havana’s Museo de Bellas Artes to commemorate the 520th anniversary of the discovery of tobacco in Cuba by the Europeans. The occasion also marked the launching of Cuba’s Montecristo 520 EL limited-edition cigar. 

Other big shots have attended the Habanos event before, ranging from director Steven Spielberg to actors Jack Nicholson, Jeremy Irons, Matt Dillon, Gerard Depardieu and Peter Coyote.

Unlike those A-list celebs, Belushi did far more than show up and puff on a few Cohibas. In a nod to his brother John’s starring role in the 1980 film “Blues Brothers,” Belushi performed a rendition of a Buddy Guy song, and played harmonica to the Little Walter blues song “You’re So Fine.” Manzanera performed back-up on his guitar, to an audience of Casa del Habano cigar shopowners and VIP cigar lovers from Western Europe, Canada, Russia and elsewhere.

Gordon Mott, executive editor of the New York-based magazine Cigar Aficionado, said Belushi’s appearance there was no accident. 

“We had talked several times over the years about arranging a trip for him on his own, but he jumped at the idea and immediately blocked out the dates on his calendar, even before an official invitation was issued,” he said. “In short order, Habanos executives said they, too, were interested in having Jim attend the festival.”

Frankly, it’s surprising that Mott didn’t talk another celebrity into attending instead of Belushi: Hollywood icon and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who in 1996 and again in 2003 appeared on the cover of Cigar Aficionado.

Meanwhile, some wonder if the U.S. government will ever let travel agencies sell Cuba cultural packages involving the island’s cigar sector and possibly the Habanos Fastival itself. Assuming that happens, U.S. reservations for such trips would fill up quickly.

“Hell yes!” says Giovanni Baquerizo of cigar company Humo de Diablo LLC. “For business reasons alone, I would love to attend.”

Details: Daymi Difurniao Rodríguez, Habanos SA, Ave. 3ra #2006, e/20 y 22, Miramar, Ciudad de La Habana. Tel: +53 7 204-0513/14, ex 565. Email: ddifurniao@habanos.cu. URL: www.habanos.com.