This year’s Big Smoke Las Vegas weekend, now in its 17th year, is scheduled for November 9 to 11. While tickets have been available since March, the details for our ever-popular seminars are now finalized.

The format for the largest cigar celebration in the world will stay the same as in year’s past—Big Smoke evenings scheduled for Friday and Saturday as well as cigar and lifestyle educational seminars on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

On Saturday, November 10, attendees will filter into a conference room at The Mirage Resort and Casino (the new venue for the event) at and receive a Humidipak bag containing the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 cigars of 2011.

Throughout the day, each of the cigars will be presented by their representative cigarmaker while attendees get the chance to smoke them. At the first break, Dion Giolito will talk about his Illusione Epernay Le Taureau, the No. 3 cigar of 2011; during the second break Ashton’s Sathya Levin, will present our No. 2 cigar of 2011, the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso; and at the third break, Alan Rubin will smoke and talk about his Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill, our Cigar of the Year.

Gordon Mott and David Savona will take to the stage to present a video looking back at 20 years of Cigar Aficionado magazine, in a segment we call “Cigar Aficionado—A Visit Through the Years.”

At 9:45 The "Veterans" of the Cigar Business seminar will begin. During this seminar, the original movers and shakers of the cigar business will take a moment to reflect on the old days of the industry.

Among the luminaries who will be speaking are Carlos Fuente Sr., of Tabacalera A. Fuente, Robert Levin of Ashton Distributors, Benjamin Menendez of General Cigar Co., Eric Newman of J.C. Newman Cigar Co., Ernesto Perez-Carrillo of EPC Cigar Co., Manuel Quesada of MATASA, and José M. Seijas.

At roughly 11:45 the final formal Saturday seminar, called “Nicaraguan Tobacco,” will begin. Here our panel of experts—Eduardo Fernández, Aganorsa S.A.; Alejandro Martinez-Cuenca, Joya de Nicaragua; Nestor Andres Plasencia, Plasencia Tobacco and John Oliva Jr., Oliva Tobacco Co. — will discuss the past, present and future for tobacco from Nicaragua. Nicaraguan cigars will be distributed to help attendees enjoy the discussion.

The audience, filled with new cigar knowledge, will then get the chance to fill their stomachs as they will be treated to Lunch with Davidoff at 12:30. Members of Davidoff of Geneva distribution, including Jim Young, president; Rich Krutick, head of marketing for Davidoff/Avo/Zino Platinum; Dylan Austin, head of marketing for Camacho/The Grifffin’s/Room 101; JT Guagliardo, head of marketing for Cusano and Matt Booth, CEO/Designer, Room 101 Cigars, will share casual cigar stories and answer audience questions while everyone eats. Cigars will also be provided.

Our traditional Cigar Lovers Breakfast will kick off Sunday morning. This year, Luciano Pellegrini, executive chef and partner of Valentino Las Vegas, will be cooking a menu specifically designed for the cigar enthusiast.

After eating a nice meal, the crowd will make its way to our Roll Your Own seminar, where they will get the chance to create their own La Gloria Cubana cigars with Michael Giannini and Leo Peraza of General Cigar Co. overseeing things.

Around noon, our own Jack Bettridge will lead “Rum-bunctious,” a presentation on pairing rum with cigars.

For ticket ordering information, hotel reservations and more, click here.