Back in May 2020, Barcelona Olfaction Week (BOW) was one of the first events to breathe some air back into the sector following a tough lockdown. One year later, this initiative has once again proven itself essential for putting perfumes at the heart of such a key economic activity. The result was a hybrid event to support olfactive science in the broadest sense of the term and to make Barcelona the perfumery capital of the world.
From 28 May to 5 June, the event organisers rolled out a strong and diverse range of activities that gathered over 2,000 people from more than 25 countries for limited capacity face-to-face events (compliant with current regulations governing health safety) and events based on its online platform, including talks, themed conferences and workshops such as the one given by Bettina Perison (Eurofragance) on how to make perfumes using ingredients we all have at home.
For yet another year, RAFESA took part as a Gold sponsor to offer its support, experience and assistance to the organisers. “We are firmly committed to the sector, and events like Barcelona Olfaction Week are an essential tool for sharing, rethinking and accelerating the industry model we want to have by providing our vision, knowledge and sensitivity”, said Anna Escribano, CEO of RAFESA.
What does space smell like?
The 3rd Barcelona Olfaction Congress (BOC) also took place on the fringes of Barcelona Olfaction Week. This professional meeting was attended by experts of recognised standing from Spain and overseas to share solutions for sustainability in the perfume industry, future regulatory changes (IFRA), the impact of COVID-19 on people’s sense of smell and the latest technical and scientific advancements. They included such outstanding figures as Josep Roca (Celler de Can Roca) and experts from the European Space Agency (ESA), who spoke about the smell of planets and space.
Another major event from this week was the 4th International Perfume Competition – Mouillette d’Argent in Teià, which was this year inspired by the violet. Promoted by the Beauty Cluster, up to 16 finalist perfumes took part from among 112 perfumers in 25 countries. The prize for Best Creation went to the perfume called Hana Matsuri by Yasuyuki Shinohara (Japan), while the prize for Best Independent Perfume went to Violet Saffron by Max Rossa (United States). Finally, the people’s prize was presented to Appalachian Blue by Celine Guivarc’h (France). The chairman of the panel, perfumer Rosendo Mateu, took the opportunity to announce that the rose will be the signature olfactory note for the 2022 edition.
Barcelona Olfaction Week has reaffirmed its status as a key tool for promoting this industry and raising its international profile, bringing the public closer to the perfume universe as a vital part of culture and, at the same time, providing an asset of great value for the economy and society. An alternative but necessary way of generating dialogue and value among professionals and sharing perspectives and concerns with other subsectors related to perfumery, such as oenogastronomy and other artistic expressions.
