World Perfumery Congress 2014: Fragrance industry makes predictions for the future

The future of the fragrance industry was put into focus at the biannual World Perfumery Congress, which returned to the ancestral home of modern perfumery – France – on 10-12 June, in Deauville. More than 1,100 leaders and 80-plus exhibitors from across the value chain gathered at the event as they uncovered the latest formulation and ingredient launches, networked with each other to spark new business opportunities, and mapped out the outlook for the global fragrance industry.

Commenting on the success of this year’s event, Jeb Gleason-Allured, program director, said:

“The 2014 World Perfumery Congress was driven by passionate industry experts who are shaping the future of this creative and technical industry. It hosted a historic meeting among global perfumer societies—including American, French, British and German groups—ensuring the conference was a global event focused on the enhancement of the recognition of perfumery.”

The event’s organisers have also announced that the next World Perfumery Congress will take place on 13 – 15 June, 2016, at the Fontainebleau Resort, Miami Beach, Florida.

The event opened with an insightful panel discussion on the growth and innovation opportunities available in the fragrance industry. Emmanuelle Moeglin from Mintel identified that cross-category inspiration will be a key driver in generating and satisfying consumer demand. Her research shows that 60 per cent of women would be interested in hair care that included fragrance, 29 per cent in clothes, and that one of the biggest concerns for US women is that their fragrance lasts longer on skin – leaving the industry with plenty to think about.

Ruth Sutcliffe, senior marketing director and fragrance designer at Coty, agreed that the industry could do more to offer consumers with a wider choice of products that include fragrance, but also made predictions that there will be a shift away from ‘mastige’ products, with brands offering low-cost options, as well as prestige products to segment the customer base further. Technical advancements were also up for debate as Anne-Sophie, R&D head of development at Clarins and Tanja Deurloo, Independent Scent Expert and Founder, Annindriya pointed out. They highlighted the need to develop technologies that allowed for innovative applications and fragrance longevity on skin to appeal to millenials who are turning their back on traditional fragrance offerings.

Growth opportunities, particularly in emerging markets, were also top of the agenda in other sessions. Asia’s flourishing market, which accounts for 24% of the global fragrance market, was explored by panellists Kenji Maruyama from Takasago, Shigeru Sawamura from Kao Corporation and Kedar Vaze at Kelkar Group in a well-attended session. While on day two, Irina Barbalova and Izaskun Bengoechea of Euromonitor presented on market potential in Africa and the Middle East, with panel members Jayram Joshi of Eurofragance and Kate Williams at SevenScent also offering their insights. Another session also delved into the lucrative Latin American Market with speakers including Danielle Bibas from Avon Cosméticos and Fanny Moreau at Mon Absolu.

Allergens remain a talking point for the industry as new regulation comes in. In an engaging session on the morning of day two hosted by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), panellists debated the need to build consumer confidence through effective risk management. Julie Girling, MEP, argued that the industry needs to be more honest about allergens in fragrance products so that consumers better understand that any product carries a risk but that the risk is comparatively small.

In addition, the event hosted a technology discussion featuring Miguel Alemañy of Procter & Gamble, Thierry Audibert of Givaudan and Mike Popplewell of International Flavors & Fragrances/LMR, a pair of sustainability discussions including Boet Brinkgreve of Firmenich, Jason Kelly of Ginkgo Bioworks, Torsten Kulke of Symrise, Bernard Toulemonde of IFF-LMR Naturals, Mickael Blais of Givaudan, Saori Dubourg of BASF, and Jonathan Warr of Takasago International, as well as a roundtable of leading perfumers comprising Jordi Castells of Robertet, Emilie Coppermann of Symrise, Anne Flipo of International Flavors & Fragrances/LMR, and Rafael Trujillo of Procter & Gamble.

Fragrance innovation in the spotlight

In the exhibition hall, visitors were able to network with 80-plus fragrance, ingredient and service suppliers and discover the latest launches, technologies and research that will put their products ahead of the game.