Davidoff has announced the nominees for its 2019 Golden Band Awards. The awards will officially be given out in Las Vegas during the time the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show is taking place.

For 2019, Davidoff will hold a celebration on June 30th for the winners at a venue to be announced. The celebration will be for select guests in a more intimate setting at a venue to be announced. The night prior to it, a cocktail reception for Davidoff Appointed Merchants and all nominees will be held at the Davidoff of Geneva Cigar Bar in Las Vegas.

“This year, Davidoff Cigars will celebrate the American Golden Band Award Winners with a unique event like no other. This extraordinary occasion provides us the opportunity to recognize the top Appointed Merchants who have taken their business with Davidoff to the next level through their dedication to Davidoff products, implementation of our programs and excitement for our brands. We are looking forward to celebrating their success and our longstanding partnership at this exclusive event dedicated to our winners” said Dylan Austin, President of Davidoff Americas in a press release.

Corona Cigar Company, Shore Thing Cigars, Matador Cigars,  and Maxamar’s Ultimate Cigars led all retailers with three nominations. Ambassador Fine Cigars, Club Humidor and Cigar Warehouse each had two nominations.

2019 Davidoff Golden Band Award Nominees

The following are the 2019 Davidoff Golden Band Award Nominees:

Best Merchandising

This honors the Appointed Merchant who best meets the Davidoff Brand merchandising expectations. Club Humidor and The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood are former winners with Club Humidor taking the 2018 honors.

Ambassador Fine Cigars (Phoenix, AZ)
Cutters Cigar Emporium (Alpharetta, GA)
Shore Thing Cigars (Watersound, FL)
The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood (Ridgewood, NJ)
Club Humidor (San Antonio, TX)

Best Performance (Single Location)

This is awarded to the Appointed Merchant with a single location that has the highest level of Davidoff brand purchases. Maximar Ultimate Cigars has won this award the past three years. The Tobacconist of Greenwich won the award from 2012 to 2014.

Cigar Warehouse (Sherman Oaks, CA)
Maxamar Ultimate Cigars (Orange, CA)
Shore Thing Cigars, (Watersound, FL)
Tinder Box (Charlotte, NC)
Tobacconist of Greenwich (Greenwich, CT)

Best Performance (Multiple Location)

This is awarded to the Appointed Merchant with two or more locations that has the highest level of Davidoff brand purchases. Ambassador Fine Cigars, Corona Cigar Company, and Humidor of Westmont are former winners in this category.

Ambassador Fine Cigars (Phoenix, AZ)
Churchill’s Cigar Shop (Birmingham, MI)
Corona Cigar Company (Orlando, FL)
Humidor of Westmont (Westmont, IL)
Matador Cigars (Roslyn Heights, NY)

Davidoff Growth (Single Location)

This is awarded to the Appointed Merchant with a single location that has the largest percentage and dollar increase of Davidoff brand sales. Hemingway Cigars won this award in 2016.

Cigar Warehouse (Sherman Oaks, CA)
Fair Oaks Cigars (Newport Beach, CA)
Hemingway Cigars (Palo Alto, CA)
Maxamar Ultimate Cigars (Orange, CA)
Shore Thing Cigars (Watersound, FL)

Davidoff Growth (Multiple Locations)

This is awarded to the Appointed Merchant with two or more locations that has the largest percentage and dollar increase of Davidoff brand sales. Corona Cigar Company and Humidor of Westmont are former winners of this award.

Ambassador Fine Cigars (Phoenix, AZ)
Corona Cigar Company (Orlando, FL)
Churchill’s Cigar Shop (Birmingham, MI)
Humidor of Westmont (Westmont, IL)
Matador Cigars (Roslyn Heights, NY)

Davidoff Appointed Merchant of the Year

This is awarded to the Appointed Merchant with the largest percentage and dollar increase of the complete Davidoff of Geneva Distribution portfolio. Corona Cigar Company won the award in 2018. Maximar Ultimate Cigars won the award in 2013.

Cigar Warehouse (Sherman Oaks, CA)
Corona Cigar Company (Orlando, FL)
Matador Cigars (Roslyn Heights, NY)
Maxamar Ultimate Cigars (Orange, CA)
Shore Thing Cigars (Watersound, FL)

Past Winners

For reference, here were the previous winners.

Best Merchandising

2012 Island Smoke Shop (Key Largo, FL)
2013 Prime Cigar & Wine Bar (Boca Raton, FL)
2014 Cup O’ Joes (Queensbury, NY)
2015 Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood (Ridgewood, NJ)
2016 Franklin Cigar (Franklin, Tennessee)
2017 The Cigar Shop of Biloxi (Biloxi, MS)
2018 Club Humidor (San Antonio, TX)

Best Davidoff Performance (Single Location)

2012 The Tobacconist of Greenwich (Greenwich, CT)
2013 The Tobacconist of Greenwich (Greenwich, CT)
2014 The Tobacconist of Greenwich (Greenwich, CT)
2015 Blend Bar Cigar (Indianapolis, Indiana)
2016 Maxamar Ultimate Cigars (Orange, CA)
2017 Maxamar Ultimate Cigars (Orange, CA)
2018 Maxamar Ultimate Cigars (Orange, CA)

Best Davidoff Performance (Multiple Locations)

2012 Humidor Of Westmont  (Westmont, IL)
2013 Ambassador Fine Cigars (Scottsdale, AZ)
2014 Corona Cigar Company (Orlando, FL)
2015 Corona Cigar Company (Orlando, FL)
2016 Ambassador Fine Cigars (Scottsdale, AZ)
2017 Corona Cigar Company (Orlando, FL)
2018 Blend Bar (Indianapolis, IN)

Davidoff Growth Award (Single Location)

2012 Ambassador Fine Cigars (Scottsdale, AZ)
2013 Angry Moon Cigars (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
2014 Cigarz on the Avenue (Winter Park, FL)
2015 Cigarz on the Avenue (Winter Park, FL)
2016 Hemingway’s (Palo Alto CA)
2017 Cigars by Chivas (Pasadena, CA)
2018 Tobacco Grove (Maple Grove, MN)

Davidoff Growth Award (Multiple Locations)

2012 Cigars by Chivas (Pasadena, CA)
2013 Corona Cigar Company (Orlando, FL)
2014 Humidor of Westmont (Westmont, IL)
2015 Casa de Montecristo (Chicago, IL)
2016 Tinder Box Cigars (Charlotte, North Carolina)
2017 Davidus Cigars (Frederick, Maryland)
2018 Anthony’s Cigar Emporium (Tuscon, AZ)

Appointed Merchant of the Year

2012 Tinder Box Waldorf (Waldorf, MD)
2013 Maxamar Cigar (Orange, CA)
2014 Tinder Box of Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)
2015 Tobacconist of Greenwich (Greenwich, CT)
2016 Blend Bar Cigar (Indianapolis, IN)
2017 Ambassador Fine Cigars (Scottsdale, AZ)
2018 Corona Cigar Company (Orlando, FL)

Other Category Winners

Canadian Depositaire of the Year

2016 Zigareen – A Simple Pleasure (Calgary, AB)
2017 Burlington on Whyte (Edmonton, Alberta)

Industry Service Award

2012:
John Andersson, W. Curtis Draper (Washington, DC)
Craig Cass, Tinder Box of Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)
Jeff Borysiewicz, Corona Cigar (Orlando, FL)
Christian Hutson, Just for Him Cigars (Springfield, MO)

2013:
Finnie Helmuth, The Humidour Cigar Shoppe (Cockeysville, MD)
Curt Diebel, Diebel’s Sportsmens Gallery  (Kansas City, MO)
Gary Pech, Old Virginia Tobacco (Woodbridge, VA)

2014:
David Garafolo, Two Guys Smoke Shop (New Hampshire)
Gary Kolesaire, Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood (Ridgewood, NJ)

2015:
Jim Clark, Strauss Tobacconist (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Harris Saunders, Cigars and More (Birmingham, Alabama)

2016:

Ron Michelson, Briar Patch (Sacramento, California)
Terry Gallagher, Smoker Friendly (Boulder, Colorado)
Mike Copperman, Cigar Rights of America

2017:

No Award

Zino Davidoff Legacy Award

2012 Diana Silvius, UpDown Cigars (Chicago, IL)
2013 David Berkebile, Georgetown Tobacco
2014 Curt Diebel, Diebel’s Sportsmens Gallery (Kansas City, MO)
2015 Keith Rumbo, Club Humidor (San Antonio, TX)
2016 Gary Kolesaire, Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood (Ridgewood, NJ)
2017 No Award

Best New Appointed Merchant

2015 Havana Phil’s Cigar Company (Greensboro, NC)
2016 Fogue & Bates (Tulsa, OK)
2017 No Award