ESXENCE – THE ART PERFUMERY EVENT
Milan is full of beauty: the 16th edition
of the iconic event dedicated to artistic fragrances takes place next June

3-6 June 2026, Allianz MiCo Milano Convention Centre, Gate 6 – Viale Scarampo

Milan, 14 April 2026 – Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event, the world’s leading event for artistic perfumery, is gearing up for its 16^th edition, scheduled for June 3–6, 2026, at Allianz MiCo, the Milan Convention Center, in the heart of the CityLife District. The edition has been presented today at Palazzo Citterio within the exhibition Giovanni Gastel. Rewind, dedicated to the renowned Italian photographer.

The 2026 edition will take place across an extended exhibition area, with over 3,000 square meters more than last year, for a total of approximately 20,000 square meters. Of particular note is the increasingly international presence of exhibitors, with both established and emerging countries expanding the event’s geographical horizons, including: Saudi Arabia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, China, Colombia, South Korea, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Japan, Greece, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lithuania, Morocco, Norway, the Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Monaco, Qatar, the Czech Republic, Senegal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK, Hungary, and the USA.

Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event is consolidating its important role as a talent incubator, presenting 108 brands for the upcoming edition that will be participating in the event for the first time, making their official debut on the international scene. In a global market increasingly interested in beauty and fragrance, the event has managed to constantly reinvent itself and, over time, build something more than just an exhibition platform: an ecosystem where the present meets those who are shaping the future.

Sensing The World: the concept of the sixteenth edition
The concept of this sixteenth edition emerges from a reflection: how often does the world speak to us without us truly listening?

The senses are the most human way of experiencing reality, and together they constitute the fullness of being present. Among them all, smell is the deepest: it acts before thought, reaches what we are at our core, and brings it back to life. A scent does not describe a memory; it awakens it, along with the emotions and weight of the moment experienced.

The sun on the first day that feels like spring, a carefree childhood afternoon, the light rain of an autumn day: without their scent, these and many other memories would be nothing more than faded images. Thanks to smell, however, they return with their original warmth and emotion. “Sensing the World” is therefore an invitation to return to the present moment and to be more attuned to our surroundings, to perceive reality with mindfulness, allowing our body, mind, and emotions to move in harmony—for within the scents preserved in our memory lies the most authentic trace of who we are.

Statements
Debora Massari, Regional Councilor for Tourism, Regional Marketing, and Fashion for the Lombardy Region, points out: “The 16^th edition of Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event is an event of extraordinary strategic importance for Lombardy, able of further strengthening Milan’s position as an international capital of creativity, innovation, and lifestyle. Events of this calibre not only attract industry professionals and visitors from around the world but also generate a tangible impact on the regional economy, stimulating sectors ranging from tourism and commerce to design and fashion. Esxence is much more than a trade show: it is a cultural and entrepreneurial ecosystem that showcases talent, facilitates market connections, and promotes excellence in craftsmanship. The wide international participation and the presence of new brands attest to Lombardy’s capacity to serve as a global platform for high-value-added sectors. As the Lombardy Region, we wholeheartedly support events like this one, because they help showcase a dynamic, open, and competitive Lombardy—one able of identifying new trends and transforming them into opportunities for development and sustainable growth for the region.”

“Esxence represents for Milan a particularly significant event, able of bringing together in our city independent brands, buyers and highly specialised operators in artistic perfumery from all over the world — says the Councillor for Economic Development and Labour Policies, Alessia Cappello — An event that enhances the most creative and innovative dimension of contemporary perfumery, giving space to new visions, languages and protagonists who contribute to strengthening Milan’s role as an international capital of fragrance as well. Perfume is a silent word that speaks directly to the soul.”

Enrico Zannini, General Manager of BolognaFiere Cosmoprof spa, notes: “Despite a complex economic and geopolitical landscape, the beauty industry continues to demonstrate extraordinary resilience, confirming its status as one of the most dynamic sectors globally. In this context, the fragrance sector represents one of the best-performing segments, driven by growing demand for sensory experiences and highly creative content. Events like Esxence best reflect this evolution, offering a unique platform where culture, innovation, and vision come together.”

Maurizio Cavezzali, co-founder of Esxence and CEO of Equipe Exibit, adds: “This edition of Esxence is part of a meaningful evolution in olfactory culture. Much has changed since the early days of niche perfumery: what began as a series of smaller, more intimate events has now become a global phenomenon. In recent years, this transformation has clearly accelerated; the number of events has grown, with new initiatives joining established ones, thus requiring brands and industry players to make strategic choices. In this scenario, Esxence has begun exploring new markets, bringing a selection of Italian brands to New York last October as part of an initiative organized by ITA – Italian Trade Agency and launching the Explorers by Esxence format in Hong Kong last November during Cosmoprof Asia. This year as well, thanks to our strategic partnership with BolognaFiere Cosmoprof, we will develop initiatives in the American and Asian markets, continuing to look toward new opportunities.”

Silvio Levi, co-founder and Chair of the Technical Committee of Esxence, as well as founder and Director of the Essencional Research Center, concludes: “We are experiencing events with global repercussions that are rapidly reshaping the foundations of every human activity, while also giving rise to profound human and social challenges. In these circumstances, the language of perfume becomes an even more powerful messenger of respect and mutual understanding across different cultural realities. We are witnessing an ongoing cultural convergence: year after year, we embrace proposals from other continents and observe the evolution of consumption and the role of perfume — less and less a mask, and more and more an identity card for its wearer. Amid countless imitations, we have noticed a marked rise in authentic stories, a desire to champion solid values, and a conscious rediscovery of a perfumery more focused on leaving a lasting legacy across generations. For this reason, we must create even greater opportunities for bold, unconventional, and creative new proposals that breathe new life into an industry whose primary goal should not be quick financial returns, but rather to chart a course that ensures a bright future for an increasingly large and complex supply chain — making the sector ever more deserving of being called artistic”.

A Journey through Art and Scent
The exhibition program will be enriched by a series of exhibitions designed to highlight the event’s cultural relevance. Installations and curatorial projects will offer visitors new perspectives on the world of artistic perfumery, transforming the event into a space for discovery, exploration, and creativity. Among the featured artists are sculptor Roberto Vallini, with his wooden works paired with fragrances developed in collaboration with students from the Italian Perfumery Institute—a higher education institution dedicated to the culture of perfume—and type artist Stefano Epis, with an XXL-scale installation dedicated to women and their relationship with fragrances. Xuelei Fragrance Museum, the world’s largest perfume museum, will guide visitors through videos, informational materials, and first-hand accounts, offering a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the project. Additionally, the prestigious International Perfume Conservatory L’Osmothèque will present an exclusive and original exhibition. Imagine, the official publication of Fenapro, the Italian Federation of Perfumeries, will present the exhibition “Parole della Profumeria” to deepen the understanding of those special shops that are perfumeries — where words, indeed, are part of the experience: not merely letters, but concepts that can be summed up in the universal word, Amore (Love).

Accademia del Profumo will present the installation “Iris at the Root of Beauty”, created in collaboration with the Società Italiana dell’Iris and Amica, dedicated to this raw material, an excellence of perfumery and of the Italian territory. There will also be a space dedicated to Cosmoprof, which will host the “Sogni di Natura” project, recently created for the Musei Civici d’Arte Antica in Bologna, where the Italian Perfumery Institute has designed an olfactory journey dedicated to one of the galleries, La Boschereccia, characterized by lush painted decorations.

The growth of artistic perfumery
Esxence has promoted and supported the development of artistic perfumery on a global level, with the goal of bringing it to account for around 2% of the global Beauty market. A result already surpassed in some countries, and particularly in Italy, thanks to its distinctive distribution system. Since this is a sector fundamentally based on alcoholic perfumery, its impact often reaches over 10% in Italy, with an estimated turnover of 400 million euros, an incidence of over 3.5% on the beauty business and 33% on that of fine fragrances.

The Esxence Event Calendar
The conference hall will host a series of talks, developed in collaboration with Essencional.com, dedicated to the latest trends in the industry. This will be an opportunity to explore new perspectives and gain insight into the dynamics that are reshaping the global market.

Topics on the agenda include: the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence; the strategic role of TikTok in contemporary communication; the trends driving the success of artistic perfumery in China (including social intelligence, e-commerce, and market entry strategies); and an in-depth look at the rapidly evolving landscape of niche perfumery in South Korea, Vietnam, and Indonesia—three markets evolving at very different speeds and with distinct dynamics. The President of the Asian Perfume Foundation will address the success factors of research-driven perfumery in Asia, while Invest Hong Kong will share practical insights for companies looking to expand into the Asian market. This will be followed by a panel organized by Eternal Group, China’s leading perfume distributor, which will outline opportunities, regulatory barriers, and future trends in the Chinese market.

BeautyStreams will host a session dedicated to exploring industry trends, offering an in-depth overview of the most significant market developments.

A highly anticipated highlight will be an exclusive interview with Michael Edwards, conducted by Karen Marin of Essencional, to trace the evolution of fragrance families and celebrate the milestones of an extraordinary career.

Among the speakers at several talks will be creatives and representatives from leading fragrance houses, including Givaudan, Mane, Robertet, CPL Aromas, and DHFF – Double Horse Flavours & Fragrances, one of Asia’s oldest and most prestigious fragrance houses.

Ernesto Collado returns this year with his outdoor olfactory walk near CityLife.

Bookstore
Among the new additions to this edition is a bookstore created in collaboration with Fashion Room, offering visitors a selection of books dedicated to the world of perfumery and beauty.

The Importance of Training
Italian Perfumery Institute will be present with a dedicated space to showcase the school and its initiatives. On Saturday, it will host an open day, offering the opportunity to learn more about the teaching methodology and activities devoted to olfactory culture. Italian Perfumery Institute is building strategic partnerships with institutions and associations at an international level to foster cultural exchanges, including with the Asian Perfume Foundation.

Experience Lab
At the Allianz MiCo, Milano Convention Centre, alongside Esxence, Experience Lab — the reference event for research-driven and excellence-focused beauty, now in its sixth edition – will take place.

Partners of the Sixteenth Edition
Esxence is made possible thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ITA – Italian Trade Agency, which will bring approximately 50 industry operators from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, the USA, Brazil, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.

A special thanks goes to Business France, the French National Agency serving the internationalisation of the French economy, which has been supporting the event for many years.

For its sixteenth edition, Esxence can count on partners such as: Accademia del Profumo, Asian Perfume Foundation, Beautystreams, Italian Perfumery Institute, L’Osmothèque, Master Parfums, The Institute for Art and Olfaction, Xuelei Fragrance Museum, and Eternal Group.

Essencional.com is a strategic partner.

To access the event, purchasing an entry ticket is required; information is available on the Esxence website.

www.esxence.com – #esxence2026

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