Fragrance connoisseurs can choose to attend ScentXplore, the world’s first HYBRID International Niche Fragrance Convention, in person in the heart of New York City or virtually from the comfort of their homes anywhere in the world.
ScentXplore made its online and in-person debut on December 2 and 3, 2022, drawing in excess of 3500 visitors. This was the event’s fourth edition.
The goal of the event is to give fragrance enthusiasts a fun, educational, and inspiring platform to interact with brands, industry professionals, and other fragrance enthusiasts while sharing and discovering top-leading, innovative, exclusive, creative, and high-quality-driven niche fragrances.
What has ScentXplor 2023 offered?
This past weekend, the Chelsea industrial district (Hudson Yards) in New York City hosted the fifth edition of ScentXplore. John Biebel, Patric Rhys, and myself were present as ThePerfumeMag reporters. Together, we had meetings with over 70 brands to learn about their upcoming and new products for the upcoming year. We will soon be posting reviews of our favorite finds! ScentXplore is a unique NICHE PERFUMERY event that brings together content creators, creative directors, perfumers, industry insiders, and fragrance enthusiasts. It is the first of its kind in the Americas. A NICHE FRAGRANCE EXPERIENCE that connects consumers with the world’s most renowned, cutting-edge, exclusive, imaginative, and premium-driven niche fragrance brands. The four main objectives of ScentXplore are EXPLORE, DISCOVER, SHARE, and CONNECT. This great fragrance exhibition has tried to introduce the most successful perfume houses, Niche perfumes, and perfumers to the whole world, which, in the following ThePerfumeMag describes some:
Amouage Perfume House
Amouage had a sizable exhibit at the exposition, as well as a lounge furnished with exquisite, wavy white sofas. Additionally, they ran a café here that sold specialty coffee. Visitors could request to have rosewater or frankincense “spiked” into their coffee water. I had to try both because I’m a “coffee snob,” and although I felt really stylish, I honestly couldn’t tell the difference! In-depth information regarding the Master Class sessions held at the Amouage Cafe will be provided by Patric and John shortly.
This was Amouage’s last masterclass. The speaker took some time to discuss their two most recent releases, Dia 40 and Jubilation 40. The ScentXplore box contained samples of both of these perfumes. With the samples I had received in my box, I was only able to follow this presentation. They also discussed the creation of Gold Man and Cristal. A man and a woman named Cristal and Gold. Bottles of Cristal and Gold Woman. Sharing their love and the underlying philosophy of Amouage occupied the remainder of the presentation.
The Sospiro masterclass
It was obvious that virtual attendees were not welcome at the Sospiro masterclass. They walked around the room for about thirty minutes, making people smell raw ingredients out of a bottle, all while staying on the same slide. The general public was also asked to guess the identity of the raw ingredients. For those who were participating virtually, it was a dull moment. They finally talked about their three brand-new fragrances—Dolce Sonata, Traviata, and Maraschino—after about thirty agonizing minutes of this. The presentation was significantly slowed down when they circled the room once more and forced people to smell the perfumes. It was an ill-prepared masterclass in which I gained no new knowledge.
The lack of engagement and interactive elements made the virtual participants feel disconnected from the experience. Additionally, the excessive focus on smelling the perfumes detracted from the educational aspect of the masterclass, leaving attendees feeling unfulfilled and disappointed.
Fragrance du Bois Masterclass
Fortunately, there was a pleasant shift in tone and tempo during Fragrance du Bois’s subsequent masterclass. Even though the presentation went by quickly—it lasted for twenty-five minutes—it was polished and well-rehearsed. The guests were given a bag beforehand so they could sample the brand’s scents right away (looking at you, Sospiro). The representative spoke clearly, was charming, and exuded enthusiasm. He discussed the inspiration behind Fragrance du Bois’s newest summer fragrance, LoversLovers. In order to keep the public interested, they also went through a few of their perfumes. Though I did appreciate learning about the various scents, overall, this did feel like a brand representative trying to sell their products. I’ve been curious about this brand since.
Givaudan X Arquiste
Fortunately, it was a pleasure to attend the Givaudan X Arquiste Masterclass. As Carlos Huber and Rodrigo Flores-Roux discussed the development of their brand and the ideas behind the creation of their perfumes, I could feel their excitement. I must admit that I liked learning about the few anecdotes and explanations that went into the creation of their scents. They excited me about their most recent release, L’Or de Louis, of which I have a sample because of Etiket, but they also made me want to check out Indigo Smoke. I have noticed some Indigo Smoke, but I haven’t jumped ship just yet to get a sampler.
During the Givaudan X Arquiste Masterclass, Carlos Huber and Rodrigo Flores-Roux’s passion for their brands and perfumes was palpable. Their anecdotes and explanations behind the creation of their scents added an extra layer of intrigue. While I haven’t taken the plunge to try Indigo Smoke just yet, their enthusiasm has definitely piqued my curiosity.
Conclusion
Reading through the technical support chatroom and Zoom webinar chat on the virtual platform made it very evident that the majority of users were dissatisfied with their virtual experience. For a presentation from 2023, the audio and visual quality were pretty poor. It would have been wiser to consider the experience of the virtual attendees. In addition, the organization was deficient. It was rare for brand representatives to be present at their virtual booth. Talking to someone about the perfumes from the brand was nearly impossible. A great number of messages in the booth chatrooms went unanswered.
The masterclasses by Arquiste and Amouage ought to serve as a model for next year’s presentation. Those two brands had practiced their presentations. The speakers at the masterclasses were knowledgeable, charismatic, and professionally presented. The presentations were perfectly timed, with a significant amount devoted to the creation of the brand’s other products as well as its most recent releases. There was a time set aside for questions, and they also shared fascinating industry anecdotes. I also thought Michael Edwards’ presentation on WikiParfum was excellent. It made it possible for me to find new books and databases to feed my addiction to fragrances. His presentation captivated me with his composed, polished manner. I sensed the years of experience he possessed.
I’ve read a lot of stories regarding ScentXplore box disappointments. Both novices and die-hard fans had much higher expectations. Being new to the niche market, I can’t really comment, but in my opinion, the box was worth the price when compared to the quantity and quality. I have a ton of new niche fragrances to test out, from hard-to-find or possibly non-shippable brands in Canada. While I acknowledge that there could have been more releases in 2023 (they did miss out on this opportunity), I was more than made up for by the variety of brands and scent types available.
I’m happy with the box I got overall, but I wasn’t thrilled with the virtual experience. Although I acknowledge that this year’s experience may discourage most people from being interested in attending the event in the future, whether it be in person or virtually, I haven’t completely given up on ScentXplore because I’m still interested in going in person. ScentXplore needs to appoint individuals with prior experience planning large-scale events, as well as presenters with charisma and distinct voices. They must consider who their target market is: influencers, those in the perfume business, or the broader public. They must consider the virtual experience as well. Improved audio and video quality is required. I’m still baffled by how and why the quality was this bad in 2023.