Esxence - The Art Perfumery Event, the world's leading artistic perfumery event, opened its fourteenth edition on the 6th for four days in Milan. The event features a selection of 360 brands from 30 different countries, including newcomers such as Australia, Korea, the Netherlands and Estonia, as well as brands from Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Austria, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, to name but a few.
The success of Esxence confirms the timeless interest in the beauty sector, which finds in Milan an important benchmark exhibition capable of attracting national and international operators, as well as thousands of visitors (a total of 10,000 at the last edition)," says Barbara Mazzali, Councillor for Tourism, Fashion and Territorial Marketing for the Lombardy Region. Artistic perfumery is part of the fashion and luxury sector, which is the pride of our region and, thanks to Esxence, a source of inspiration for many industry professionals. Fragrances bearing the signatures of numerous Made in Italy designers or expressing the essence of a place are frequently featured in the famous shopping streets. Our art cities and lakes are often represented by perfumes that inspire dreams and make a valuable contribution to our tourist image. Generally speaking, Lombardy is a very important production site for cosmetics. In fact, more than half of all Italian cosmetics companies are headquartered in our region, between Milan, Bergamo, Crema and Monza Brianza. These regions account for 2 % of the world's cosmetics production.
"Esxence represents and enhances a sector of excellence and an important Made in Italy supply chain, which generates employment, promotes innovation and enjoys a solid international reputation.says Alessia Cappello, Councillor for Labor and Economic Development for the Municipality of Milan. Hosting an event like Esxence is an honor for our city and confirms Milan's mission to be an important capital for artistic perfumes and for the world of beauty in general."
The public - made up of distributors, buyers, professionals and perfume enthusiasts - has the opportunity to discover leading, emerging and innovative brands, 70 % of which come from abroad; this trend confirms that Esxence is a valuable platform for making a name for oneself on the international scene.
The concept guiding visitors as they discover this new edition is "metamorphosis". Perfume is conceived as a natural metamorphosis and evolution, from the raw materials that make up the fragrance and change over time, to the sense of smell that gives the opportunity to appreciate new sensory emotions, while everything around us is in perpetual change. The metamorphosis also reflects the contemporary consumer's search for new values, where respect for people, the environment and nature has become essential. Esxence aims to adopt sustainable thinking in its future journey, a new journey to embrace conscious choices and move forward through changing times.
The best of world perfumery
Esxence is a place of excellence, introspection, networking and business. Worldwide, the data confirms, according to the organizers, that artistic perfumery's share of the global beauty market is close to 2 %, but its impact on alcohol-based perfumery is steadily increasing, reaching points that average around 10 % in many countries. In the Italian market, it has reached significant levels: in 2023, the volume of artistic perfumery sales was estimated at over 310 million euros, corresponding to 2.7 % of Italian beauty business in the domestic market, over 14 % of perfumery channel sales and just over 30 % of perfume sales. Niche perfumery continues its rapid transformation.
"Esxence celebrates the essence of high-quality olfactory culture and serves as a stage for the most promising brands, raising olfactory awareness and creating a truly new olfactory lexicon. We strive to enhance the entire industry by shaping new trends, offering the best of global artistic perfumery."says Maurizio Cavezzali, co-founder of Esxence and CEO of Equipe Exibit.
"Going forward, we aim to consolidate the process of international expansion in strategic countries, which began in 2022 thanks to collaboration with the ITA - the Italian Trade Agency. At the fourteenth edition of Esxence, 39 foreign operators from 14 countries (Brazil, Ethiopia, France, Japan, India, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Northern Macedonia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and United States) will be present. Milan, which in recent years has become the leading capital of artistic perfumery, is the heart of the event. The city also highlights the entire national cosmetics and perfumery supply chain through Milano Beauty Week, an initiative that Esxence is delighted to support with Cosmoprof."adds Maurizio Cavezzali.
"Since its first edition in 2009, Esxence has become a distinctive international reference in the perfumery sector and has helped to improve the consumption of quality fragrances. Many new companies and activities have been created thanks to the international connections, and we are proud to have provided these opportunities," sayseclare Silvio Levi, co-founder of Esxence and founder of Essencional. Esxence is a bridge between cultures, histories and creativity: after the fruitful and well-established collaboration with the American Art&Olfaction Awards, we are proud to welcome the Minoritè Chinese Artistic Perfumery Awards. With the Centre d'études Essencional, we keep a close eye on the sector throughout the year, collaborating with the Team to coordinate workshops and conferences that enrich our editions. These sessions involve analysis and comparison, with opinion leaders and key industry figures actively involved in shaping and influencing the future of this dynamic sector."
Experience Lab
The Allianz MiCo, Milano Convention Centre where the event takes place, also hosts Experience Lab, an event dedicated to research and excellence in beauty, bringing together brands and professionals from the international perfumery and beauty sector.
A program of conferences
Esxence strives to promote olfactory culture by presenting an attractive program of meetings, workshops and sensory journeys accessible to professionals and enthusiasts alike. These events, led by international experts, academics and researchers, feature personalities such as Annick Le Guérér, Calice Becker, Martina Bianchini and Isabelle Chazot.
The initiatives address contemporary topics, including the perception and dissemination of fragrance research in oriental markets, with a particular focus on the Middle East and China, artificial intelligence, sustainable development, olfactory education, young emerging perfumers and sophisticated raw materials. One of the conferences, supported by the ITA, is devoted to trends and prospects in the niche perfume market in America.
Active partners
CFF, Creative Flavours & Fragrances, is participating with its own experiential workshop aimed at exploring olfactory accords and unique raw materials.
For the entire event, Esxence is collaborating with key partners including: Osmothèque (the International Perfume Conservatory), Mouillettes & Co, (specialized in olfaction training and consulting), Accademia del Profumo (who will organize the exhibition Il Profumo Del Cinema @ Esxence 2024 highlighting the links between perfume and cinema) and Milano Beauty Week, the week of beauty and wellness culture.
ITA - the Italian Trade Agency - and Business France, the French national agency dedicated to promoting the internationalization of the French economy, are also supporting the event.
