2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the prestigious Art & Olfaction Awards which are designed to shine a light on independent perfumers, artisan perfumers, and experimental practitioners with scent. The awards, known as the Golden Pears, recognize excellence in this growing segment of the fragrance universe. Submissions open on December 1, and will run through December 31, 2023. This year’s awards are open to perfumers and projects that came to market (or are coming to market) between January 1 and December 31, 2023. Here you will find all the details.

SUBMISSIONS (thegoldenpears.com)

Opinions vary and in this article renown perfumer Maurice Roucel speaks about the characteristics that he feels constitute a beautiful perfume From balance and harmony to character and soul, he provides an in depth answer along with several recommendations.

Looking to capitalize on the sector’s continued growth, more brands than ever before are trying to break into fragrances. What does this mean for niche brands? More competition for retailer shelf space and a share of the consumer’s wallet.

Too often the first budget to be cut, training is the key to building a strong rapport between brands and consumers. Is your staff asking the right questions when interacting with customers? With 50% of luxury brands destined to fail, here is a quick summation of strategies to thrive.

Opportunities abound for Beauty in India which is now recognized as the most populous country in the world. With a consumer base that has disposable income and an eye on global trends through social media, this is a market to watch.

What are the mechanics of measuring smell? AI startup Osmo is undertaking a massive project to understand the biological workings of smell. Will olfactory technology be able to map odors to eventually digitlze scent the way images have been digitized?

Chief Brand Officer Thomas James talks about being real and sincere when it comes to fragrance marketing. He talks about recent collections before proudly discussing the opening of the first South East Asian-based boutique which brings a new merchandising concept to Singapore.

Can the dinosaurs of the plant world be brought back to life to create fragrances for today? Challenger brand Future Society is working with perfumers at Givaudan and Robertet to recreate the odors of extinct flowers which result in scents we’ve never smelled before.