Entrepreneurial network with cigars | Caminovation Club

Business relationships rarely begin with a pitch. And even less often with the exchange of as many business cards as possible.

They begin with attentiveness. With a clever question, an open conversation, and the impression that the other person sees not just a business opportunity, but the person behind it.

This type of networking has become rare, especially for entrepreneurs, executives, and board members. Their schedules are packed, their decisions complex, and their free time limited. Those with families and personal commitments also don't want to spend every evening at yet another networking event.

Entrepreneurial network with cigars | Caminovation Club

A good business network therefore doesn't just have to be exclusive. It must be relevant, personal, and compatible with the actual lives of its members.

The Caminovation Club combines this entrepreneurial reality with a shared passion: the culture of the premium cigar. Not as a status symbol and not as a pretext for superficial networking, but as a conscious ritual that allows for time, attention, and personal conversations.

There's plenty of networking – but not enough trust.

It has never been easier to build business contacts. Digital platforms, conferences, associations, business clubs and events create new connections every day.

But contact is not a relationship.

A name in your smartphone or a connection on LinkedIn says little about whether someone acts reliably, handles information confidentially, or is willing to establish a valuable connection even without immediate personal benefit.

However, these very qualities are crucial if an initial conversation is to eventually lead to a collaboration, a board mandate, an investment, a personal recommendation, or even a friendship.

A high-quality business network therefore does not primarily measure its value by the number of its members. What is crucial is the quality of the relationships within the network.

Trust cannot be rushed. It develops through repeated encounters, kept promises, and experiencing how a person thinks and acts when there is no immediate business transaction to close.

What the cigar changes in the network

A hand-rolled premium cigar has a special characteristic: it cannot be sensibly squeezed in between two appointments.

It requires time.

The cutting, the careful lighting, and the slow development of its aromas create a natural sense of time. While smoking a cigar, a sense of calm settles in. Pauses in conversation don't need to be filled immediately. Thoughts are allowed to develop. Topics can be explored in greater depth without the next item on the agenda following just a few minutes later.

A cigar does not automatically create trust. Trust remains the result of integrity, reliability, and personal experience.

However, it can create a space in which these qualities become visible.

Sharing a cigar creates a different kind of interaction than in a boardroom. Titles and positions fade into the background for a moment. Conversations continue about companies, markets, and projects – but also about experiences, convictions, challenges, and sometimes even mistakes.

As the flavor profile of a premium cigar develops, the conversation often gains depth as well.

Why a business network doesn't have to start in the evening

The classic idea of networking is often associated with a long evening event: reception, aperitif, presentation, dinner and subsequent exchange until late into the night.

However, for many active entrepreneurs, this does not reflect their reality.

After an intense workday, evenings are often dedicated to family, personal obligations, or simply necessary rest. Those who travel regularly for business don't want to fill their remaining private time with interchangeable networking events.

A network that takes its members seriously takes this reality into account.

Therefore, a pleasant lunch & smoke, a meeting in the late afternoon, a compact event on the weekend or a meeting within the framework of an existing event can be just as valuable as a classic evening.

The time of day does not determine the quality of the exchange. What matters are the people, the chosen setting, and the attention they give each other.

A well-curated lunch can provide two or three hours of focused work without taking up an entire evening. It can be integrated into a business workday while still allowing ample time for a shared meal, a suitable cigar, and personal conversations.

It is precisely this combination of quality and everyday usability that makes a network sustainable in the long term.

The Caminovation Club as a curated leaders network

The Caminovation Club does not see itself as an ordinary cigar club, nor as an open business platform.

It is a Swiss Cigar Club and Leaders Network: a personally grown community of entrepreneurs, leaders, board members and aficionados who, in addition to their passion for cigars, share a commitment to quality, integrity, entrepreneurial thinking and respectful interaction with one another.

The focus is not on reach or mass, but on personal encounters and long-term relationships.

Because increasing size doesn't automatically lead to higher quality. Often the opposite happens: personal commitment decreases, conversations become more superficial, and a community transforms into an anonymous contact platform.

The Caminovation Club therefore focuses on a select group and regular meetings in different formats.

The goal is not to bring together people with similar backgrounds. A good network thrives on diverse perspectives: from entrepreneurs of different generations and industries, from individuals with operational responsibility, as well as from investors, consultants, board members, and experienced executives.

The commonality does not lie in uniformity.

It lies in the attitude.

What an encounter at the Caminovation Club can look like

A club meeting doesn't need a grand stage or an overly elaborate dramaturgy.

Members come together for events such as a lunch and smoke, a select partner event, a tasting, or a get-together at a special location. They greet familiar faces, meet new people, and sit down together without a predetermined sales agenda.

A carefully selected cigar can be presented. Perhaps it will be explained where its tobaccos come from, why they were aged for a long time, or how the blend is composed.

Those who want to delve deeper into the topic can learn more about what matters in a cigar blend .

After that, the occasion is open for discussion.

One entrepreneur might report on an international expansion. Another member is facing a succession plan. Someone brings experience from a board of directors, while yet another guest offers an unexpected perspective from a completely different industry.

Not every conversation leads to a deal. That is not its immediate purpose.

Perhaps initially only a new perspective emerges. Later, a personal introduction follows. Weeks or months later, this develops into a joint project, a mandate, or a long-term collaboration.

This is how resilient networks work: not as a sales machine, but as a trustworthy space for reflection.

What distinguishes a high-quality business network

A network doesn't gain importance solely through famous names. What matters is what its members contribute to each other and to the community.

Personal selection

Not every professionally successful person automatically fits into every circle.

Besides experience and a proven track record, integrity, openness, reliability, and a willingness to contribute personally are crucial. A good network thrives on people who not only take but also share their knowledge, experience, and connections.

confidentiality

Entrepreneurs and leaders need spaces where they can talk about unfinished ideas, sensitive challenges, and personal experiences.

Not every topic belongs on a stage. Not every discussion is suitable for social media. And not every connection needs to be immediately public.

What is discussed in a confidential circle must not be used for self-promotion outside the network.

Different perspectives

A valuable circle is not just made up of people who affirm each other.

Industry diversity, different generations, international experience, and various professional backgrounds create new perspectives. In particular, exchanging ideas with people outside one's own industry can help to recognize ingrained thought patterns.

reciprocity

A network loses credibility when individual members are solely seeking contracts, capital, or personal gain.

Sustainable relationships arise where people are willing to help others progress – through a recommendation, an experience, an honest assessment, or the right personal introduction.

Not every act of support needs to be reciprocated immediately. It is precisely this generosity that strengthens the quality of a community.

continuity

Trust is not built on a single occasion.

It grows through repeated encounters. Only over time does it become clear who listens attentively, keeps their promises, and remains present even when no immediate benefit is apparent.

A single contact can be interesting. A repeatedly confirmed relationship becomes valuable.

The cigar is about connection – not staging.

Premium cigars are sometimes portrayed as a symbol of power, luxury, or status. Such a portrayal does not do justice to the true nature of cigar culture.

At the Caminovation Club, the cigar does not represent ostentatious exclusivity. It represents craftsmanship, origin, patience, and conscious enjoyment.

A good cigar doesn't need to impress anyone. It convinces through the quality of its tobaccos, the precision of its construction, and the way it develops over time.

The same applies to a good business relationship.

Discernment is also needed when choosing a cigar for a club event. A very powerful and long vitola might be just right for a small group of experienced aficionados. For a luncheon or a more diverse group, a more accessible format that remains present without dominating the conversation might be more suitable.

The maturation of high-quality premium tobaccos , the balance of the blend, and the expected duration of enjoyment are therefore part of the careful preparation for an occasion.

Good hospitality is shown precisely in such details.

Hospitality without business pressure

A successful networking event does not require as many program items as possible.

Good hospitality is demonstrated through precision: a suitable location, a personal greeting, comfortable seating, appropriate food and drinks, a carefully selected cigar, and sufficient time.

A brief presentation can enrich the exchange. Topics such as business succession, international expansion, digitalization, brand management, social developments, or responsible corporate governance offer plenty of material for discussion.

After that, the occasion should belong to the guests again.

The most valuable conversations often don't happen during a presentation, but between the official program items. They begin spontaneously, develop across the table, and are sometimes continued later in a smaller group.

The crucial point is that no immediate business pressure arises.

Those who only bring guests together to sell them something as quickly as possible destroy precisely the openness that characterizes a high-quality network.

The best conversations can end without a conclusion.

Not everyone has to smoke a cigar.

A sovereign network respects individual preferences.

Not every guest has to smoke cigars. Cigars are offered as an option for adult connoisseurs, not a requirement for entry or any obligation. What matters is a shared attitude towards encounters and respectful exchange.

Even a non-smoker can be part of a valuable conversation. A good host ensures that the atmosphere remains pleasant for everyone present.

Style is not about enforcing a ritual.

Style is shown in welcoming people without giving up one's own identity.

A network gave rise to a unique cigar brand.

The close connection between networking and cigar culture led to an exceptional result at the Caminovation Club.

The idea to develop their own premium cigar originated within the club. What was initially intended for members and a shared experience later evolved into the Swiss-Dominican boutique brand Caminovación.

Blends were tasted, discussed, and further developed. The experiences and feedback of aficionados were directly incorporated into the creation of the cigars.

Thus, Caminovación was not retrospectively given a network history.

The brand originated from a real community and a cigar culture that has been lived for years.

This heritage shapes their identity to this day: Swiss quality standards, Dominican craftsmanship, and cigars for those moments when time and conversation unfold their true value.

You can learn more about this connection on the page about the Caminovation Club and the origin of Caminovación .

What the Caminovation Club does not want to be

The Caminovation Club is not a dating platform where leads are distributed as quickly as possible.

It is not a mass network whose success is measured solely by the number of participants, reach, or the number of business cards exchanged.

And it is not a place where the cigar is merely used as a decorative luxury accessory.

The value of the club lies in its personal culture: in carefully selected members, recurring encounters, mutual trust and the shared enjoyment of exceptional cigars.

Business opportunities may arise from this. However, they are not a prerequisite for a valuable encounter.

This freedom from the immediate pressure to close a deal is what makes honest conversations possible in the first place.

Where the limits of such a network lie

A shared ritual does not replace professional expertise or a professional examination.

Anyone considering a collaboration, investment, or mandate must continue to carefully examine responsibilities, figures, reputation, conflicts of interest, and economic substance.

A pleasant conversation can create rapport. However, it should never replace a well-founded assessment.

A cigar isn't suitable for every person or situation. Some conversation partners prefer breakfast, a walk, a coffee, or a private dinner.

International guests also bring different cultural expectations and legal frameworks.

A good network recognizes these differences. It doesn't rigidly adhere to a single format, but creates suitable formats for the people who come together.

The cigar is a defining element of the Caminovation Club. However, the true foundation remains respect, trust, and personal quality.

Relationships need reunion

A single lunch can open a door. A long-term relationship only develops through further encounters.

Over time, you learn more than just what someone else does for a living. You learn how they think, what values shape their decisions, and how they interact with people.

You see whether words translate into actions. Whether promises are kept. Whether recommendations are made responsibly. And whether someone shows interest even when no immediate business deal is in sight.

This is precisely where a robust network differs from a loose collection of business contacts.

Acquaintance develops into trust. Trust can lead to cooperation. And cooperation sometimes blossoms into friendship.

Not every one of these relationships has to be economically viable.

That is precisely where their quality lies.

The art of the moment

The scarcest resource of successful people is often not capital, but undivided attention.

A good business network therefore does not create an additional obligation, but rather a valuable space: for encounters, new perspectives and conversations that would hardly be possible in the normal business rhythm.

The cigar gives this room a rhythm.

She encourages us not to jump straight to the result. She reminds us that some thoughts need time to mature and that trust is not built through speed.

The Caminovation Club combines entrepreneurship, friendship, and refined enjoyment in precisely this sense.

Not every occasion has to take place in the evening. Not every conversation has to lead to a business deal. And not every valuable connection can be expressed as a metric.

Sometimes it begins with a lunch, a carefully selected cigar, and a question that shows someone is really listening.

The cigar connects. The individual decides.