La Palina and Room101 to Host Virtual Cigar Event
Everything seems to be at a standstill: restaurants, gyms, bars and even cigar shops are limiting their business or shutting down completely. Many cigar shops have had to shut down during this pandemic due to state and local government mandates, while the ones that remain open are trying to keep business going through curbside pickup sales. While necessary, the social distancing certainly is hard on everyone, including cigar smokers.
In response, cigarmakers La Palina and Room101 have announced that they are launching a retailer care package program effective immediately and are also hosting a live virtual cigar event on April 22 called “Lock Down.”
The Lock Down program was created to provide support to cigar shops that are physically closed or partially impacted by the Coronavirus outbreak while ensuring the health and well-being of shop employees by creating a no-contact delivery program.
Here’s how it works: Cigar retailers contact their existing customer base by phone, email or even social media about the program, which offers a care package valued at $129.00, but is priced at $69.99. The retailers will process the sale and La Palina and Room101 will carry out shipping the care packages to customers on the retailer’s behalf. In addition to limiting the need for physical interactions, the program is designed to ensure that retailers receive the bulk of the revenue.
“We want to come from a position of empathy and gratitude. The world is hurting right now and this is a way for us to unite all cigar smokers that can’t visit their own brick and mortar. This is a new way to bring people together,” co-president of La Palina Sam Phillips told Cigar Aficionado.
The care package will consist of the following items:
- Three La Palina Classic Robustos (Connecticut, Rosado and Maduro versions)
- One La Palina Illumination Belicoso
- One LP1 Petit Corona
- Five Room101 “Fu Pack” (event-exclusive cigars)
- One La Palina wine key
- 10 raffle tickets
The live Lock Down broadcast will take place on April 22 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time on www.cigarlockdown.com. There cigar smokers will be able to come together without putting one another at risk for an evening of conversation, smoking and raffles.
The virtual event will be hosted by Bill Paley, Sam Phillips and Clay Roberts from La Palina and Matt Booth from Room101, along with special guests (to be announced on the Lock Down website). The raffles include over $2,500 worth of gifts, including a custom rosewood desktop humidor and a 65-inch television.
Those who wish to purchase a Lock Down care package and participate in the raffle but are unfamiliar with any participating retailers in their area can email smoke@lapalinacigars.com. All orders must be received by April 15.
