The month of June this year must have been the most fragrant of my life.

I had barely unpacked my bags after attending Esxence in Milan, then off I went to Northern California for two fragrance events: World Perfumery Congress in Monterey and ScentFestSF. Once again I was moderating a panel discussion, this time with 4 perfumers at WPC, before ending the month as a panelist back in San Francisco, my former town.

Oh, the sweet smell of home! The bay, the fog (yes it has a smell, and yes, San Francisco is foggy in summer), the eucalyptus trees. But I digress…

World Perfumery Congress (WPC), the Biennial of Fragrance

The 2026 World Perfumery Congress (WPC), held June 23–25 in Monterey, California, brought together fragrance professionals from around the world to discuss the future of perfumery. Key themes included fragrance innovation, sustainability, technology, and consumer engagement. Throughout the conference, attendees examined how the industry is evolving while reaffirming that creativity, collaboration, and human artistry remain at its core.

The major fragrance houses like Givaudan, MANE, and dsm-Firmenich and others were present along with many I was unfamiliar with such as Wictive Essence from China. At the dsm-Firmenich booth, I asked perfumer Erwan Raguenes what excited him the most about WPC. “One of the highlights for me was seeing how ingredients innovation continues to unlock new creative possibilities. A great example is our Strawberry SFE, which captures this gourmand, red-fruity note reminiscent of natural strawberry, with a jam-like and appetizing facet. It reminds us that innovation isn’t just about new technologies, but also about giving perfumers more expressive and emotional tools to tell a story.”

Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the event's dominant themes. Speakers and exhibitors showcased AI-powered platforms capable of supporting fragrance development, ingredient discovery, formulation, and regulatory compliance. Some see AI as a valuable tool that can streamline research and routine tasks while others affirm that the creative process will remain rooted in human emotion, memory and personal experience.

To better understand how AI is used with ingredients, I went to the Osmo booth where master perfumer Christophe Laudamiel invited me to smell for myself. He had me sniff several captives including Glossine, which was bright, floral, and jasmine-like while Melonpop brought to mind a ripe cantaloupe melon. Fueled by AI, Osmo has the ability to discover new molecules about 10 times faster than through the traditional lab process. Consequently, Osmo has the ability to accelerate innovation in fragrance. This company doesn’t stop there: in a total break from the norm, during WPC, they auctioned ten of their captives for perpetual licenses to the industry.

Aside from ingredients, a major draw at the show was the incredible installation of 40 fragrance factices exhibited by Facticerie in collaboration with the Lebermuth Company. Museum founder Sudhir Gupta personally drove across the country with a selection of pieces from his priceless collection. The exhibit was not only a reminder of days gone by when the giant bottles were displayed in perfumeries, but it visually reinforced the link between ingredients and finished products.

WPC had a full program of lectures, interviews and panel discussions, which was why I was there: to moderate a panel with four perfumers. My panelists included Terry Carter, Chief Perfumer and Founder of Travertine Spa Atelier, Dana el-Masri, Perfumer, Interdisciplinary Artist, Lecturer, Writer, and founder of Jazmin Sarai, Bryn Thomas, Junior Technical Perfumer at Mane US, and Lorenzo Lou, Founder and Chief Perfumer at L’Atelier Möbius Fragrances.

Rather than talk about the day to day, we dove into tough topics beginning with how the accelerated launch pace has affected them. No one was in favor of churning out scents: they all favored a measured and methodical approach to creation, insisting that the process cannot be rushed. Next the group was asked, what makes your job more difficult? Aside from palette restrictions and crop failures which hinder the availability of raw materials, this group cited the need to coach their clients, to help them set realistic expectations and to debunk false information that circulates on the internet. A final discussion point centered on ethics in perfumery. The perfumers unanimously agreed that they are all upset if they are asked to copy someone’s work or if they find that their work has been copied. At the end of a lively discussion each perfumer shared one of their creations with the audience.

Monterey may not have been the most obvious choice for a trade show, but it offered a number of advantages. The venue was centrally located and conveniently adjacent to three hotels, with all-day parking nearby available for just $8. The city's slower pace created an atmosphere conducive to meaningful conversations and productive business discussions. When attendees needed a break, numerous cafés and restaurants were just steps away, while the historic Fisherman's Wharf was only an eight-minute walk from the venue. Monterey also has a climate conducive to working: it boasted a high of 15*c at a time when Europe was sweltering under 40*c+ temperatures.

A special note of recognition goes out to Jenna Troyli, Paige Crist and Ruth Riggie of Noted LLC who executed a stellar event.

ScentFestSF

WPC had barely ended when I found myself in San Francisco for the inaugural event of ScentFestSF. Founded by YouTube personality and fragrance reviewer Sebastian Jara (also known as the Perfume Guy), the event brought together an international group of brands, perfume lovers and content creators from around the world.

This event represents a sea change in how the Bay Area feels about fragrance. When I left San Francisco in 2008, I had been the Fragrance Buyer at Sephora. It was an era when it was fashionable to be sensitive to smells and to be allergic to everything. Rather than moderate usage, city buildings sported signs reading “Refrain from wearing fragrance”. It was practically banned in my gym and I was told to remove my fragrance when I was a patient in a hospital! So much for understanding our need for scent to elevate our sense of well-being.

I can safely say this mindset appears to be dead and buried. On the first day of the three-day event, a long line snaked around the building. Apparently tickets were sold out every day bringing the overall attendance to just over 4,000 fragrance enthusiasts. A one day pass cost $49 and the three day pass was $139. (VIP passes were $99 and $249, respectively).

Access to the show was somewhat staggered: for the industry, press, media and VIP pass holders, the doors were exclusively open daily from 10:00 to noon. General admission ran from noon – 6:00 on Friday and Saturday, closing an hour earlier on Sunday, the final day. The early access for the trade is a trend we’ve seen before (notably at Paris Perfume Week), and it’s very much appreciated by the professionals.

I have to admit I was a little surprised by the first stand I saw: actually a huge room for Kayali, the fragrance brand fronted by Mona Kattan. In its defense, the brand has built a bridge between Middle Eastern perfumery and Western fragrance, with an assortment that leans heavily on gourmand scents. Out of curiosity, I smelled almost a dozen of the scents. Though not for me, I will give the representative credit: she was well-versed, friendly and enthusiastic.

As I walked around I saw many friends and familiar brands including Jovoy, Sarah Baker, Maison Duquesne, Sora Dora, Free Yourself, Pesade, Chris Collins and Thomas de Monaco. Parfums Dusita chose this event to exclusively preview their latest release, Mocha Absolu.

Several brands had major installations: Xerjoff, Granado and Nishane who were launching Thorns Become Roses with both Alexandre Helwani and Julien Rasquinet present. A Discovery Zone was set up in a separate room, conducive to exploring the offer from smaller houses.

In addition to brands there was a mix of retailers present with their own stands and an exclusive assortment of brands. The Fragrance Vault from Lake Tahoe, California brought Grossmith, Menditerosa, Frassai, San Francisco based ZGO Perfumery had ten brands including Organ Tale and Pernoire, online powerhouse Lucky Scent presented Giardini di Toscana, Tauer, Ormonde Jayne and more while niche fragrance retailer Scent Split brought a selection including L’Entropiste and Sasva.

All told, there were about 100 brands. Some I had never seen before, such as Velvétail, a Thai brand of 8 fragrances, each capturing the emotional bond between human and animal companion.

On the education front, the Osmothèque was present with a large retrospective installation featuring memorable moments in over a century of fragrance history.

Amouage was the presenting partner of the workshop program entitled Scent Sessions. I was invited to be a panelist on a discussion called The Phenomenon of microperfumeries, premium niche and masstige, moderated by Yosh Han. We talked about the evolution of fragrance usage, from signature scent to fragrance wardrobe, from mainstream brands to the proliferation of niche brands, all while not losing sight of the joy of finding the unknown gems.

Honestly, the event skewed more B2C than B2B, and it was a great moment for brands to recruit customers and make some sales. Several exhibitors I spoke to were impressed by the people attending the event. They were curious, they were informed, they were engaged. They were looking for real connections both with brand founders and with fragrance.

The 2027 dates haven’t been announced yet, but watch this space for updates.

I flew back to Paris reflecting on the days spent in California. Both fragrance events were smaller and slower paced than Paris Perfume Week, Esxence or Beautyworld. Consequently, people had the time to connect, to exchange, to discuss, to give time to fragrance. As the event calendars become more crowded, brands will assess the strengths and weaknesses of each show, the costs involved, and the return on investment before committing their participation in the year ahead.

Breaking news! Asia Perfume Awards

Essencional has just learned that the Asia Perfume Foundation’s Asia Perfume Awards 2026 Ceremony will take place in November 2026 at Cosmoprof Asia, Hong Kong. The Asia Perfume Foundation, established in 2015, founded the Asia Perfume Awards which brought together perfumer brands, collectors, artisans and perfumers from around Asia to celebrate the excellence of Asia’s perfumes in the quietly booming fragrance epicenter of Asia.

The Asian perfume market, in terms of consumption, has been on the industry radar for several years, and we have been witnessing a rise in Asian brands – many of which have been covered in articles on Essencional.com.

The Asia Perfume Foundation has created the Asia Perfume Awards to recognize and honor the talent emerging in the region. Last year marked the inaugural occasion. There are four categories : the Emerging Perfumer and the Emerging Perfume Brand awards are open to those with 5 years or less of professional experience, Niche Perfumer, and Niche Perfume Brand, with no restrictions on years of experience or founding year.

In both categories, perfumers have to be born or raised in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, or are currently living in APAC, or are from a non APAC background but creating a fragrance inspired by APAC ingredients, heritage, or culture.

For brands to be eligible they must be founded in any Asia-Pacific (APAC) country, or be working with independent APAC perfumers, composition houses, or concepts inspired by APAC ingredients, heritage, or culture.

See the website for more information including deadlines.

Asia Perfume Foundation | Home

Thanks to WPC for an assortment of photos.