ESXENCE – THE ART PERFUMERY EVENT
Esxence Takes Centre Stage in Milan:
The sixteenth edition of the world’s leading event dedicated
to artistic perfumery is now open

Four Days, Forty Countries, One Star: the perfume

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

Milan, 3  June – Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event, the leading international event dedicated to artistic perfumery, today opens the doors to its sixteenth edition, running from 3 to 6 June 2026 at Allianz MiCo, Milano Convention Centre, in the heart of the CityLife District.

Esxence 2026, through the concept Sensing The World, explores the new frontiers of smell as a bridge between memory and emotion, transforming the visitor experience into a sensory and introspective journey. An invitation to slow down, feel, remember. The senses are the most human way of inhabiting reality, and together they compose the fullness of being present. Of all of them, 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, with all the emotions and weight of the moment lived. Sensing the World is an invitation to return to presence, to perceive reality with awareness.

Statements from institutions and Esxence’s founders
“Creativity and experimentation are at the heart of the new proposals arriving in Milan with Esxence, which reaffirms its role as an important global incubator of artistic perfumery — states Alessia Cappello, Councillor for Economic Development and Labour Policy — With an even bigger edition, responding to the sector’s growth, Esxence will welcome exhibitors and visitors from many countries around the world and will develop special connections between perfume and contemporary art through projects that open space for new visions and new languages.”

“In a complex but certainly stimulating international landscape, where the fragrance sector continues its steady growth, artistic perfumery plays an absolutely leading role and has become a true cultural asset, contributing 65% of the total value of the fragrance market. These are certainly optimal conditions for Esxence, which for 4 days will welcome the excellence of the segment to Milan, with the most prestigious brands, the most qualified professionals and lovers of the art of perfumery,” comments Enrico Zannini, General Director of BolognaFiere Cosmoprof. “The event will highlight the sector’s resilience, its ability to withstand economic changes and international tensions, and will facilitate connections and new solutions for the challenges ahead. The Esxence team has worked with enthusiasm and exceptional professionalism to provide exhibitors and industry professionals with effective tools and exclusive content. A journey that does not stop at the trade event itself, but aims to promote artistic perfumery throughout the year, with networking initiatives and promotional activities in the highest-growth-potential markets, to ensure a strong and well-defined positioning.”

Maurizio Cavezzali, co-founder of Esxence and CEO of Equipe Exibit, says: “Esxence was born from a clear vision: to celebrate and highlight the unique and extraordinary world of artistic perfumery. Today, we are the world’s leading event in this field, and our mission for the next five years is to promote olfactory culture and help people find the fragrance that best reflects their individuality. We firmly believe that perfume is not merely a fashion trend, but a state of self-being: the sense of smell is a way to enhance individuality, across the globe. Over the last few years, we have expanded our horizons through major international projects, thanks to our effective partnership with BolognaFiere Cosmoprof. As we reach our sixteenth edition, we are proud to confirm that Esxence is a genuine laboratory: every year, the number of launches by new quality brands from every corner of the globe continues to grow. From 70 brands at the first edition to over 20,000 square metres of exhibition space and 40 countries represented, the passion which distinguishes us remains as strong as ever.”

Silvio Levi, co-founder of Esxence and President of the Esxence Technical Committee, founder and Director of the Essencional Study Centre, emphasises: “The interest we have seen grow over the years in artistic perfumery is decidedly on the rise. A sector that was once characterised by a slow, calm, reflective pace — with few launches of truly innovative, boundary-pushing fragrances — must today contend with very different dynamics and economic interests. Thousands of fragrances launched each year, hundreds of new brands, new operators entering the scene and new marketing dynamics, with multinationals and investment groups paying ever-closer attention to the acquisition of emerging niche labels… In all this frenzy, Esxence will continue, as always, alongside Essencional, to shine a light — through its workshops, roundtables and meetings — on the best creative contributions, the most important educational activities and the most courageous experiments, both in production, distribution and education.”

Highlights of the 2026 Edition
108 brands making their debut: the new generation of artistic perfumery
Esxence reaffirms its role as a global incubator: 108 brands are presenting their creations for the first time, bringing new aesthetics, new languages and new olfactory geographies to Milan.

A bigger edition: 20,000 sq metres and over 40 countries represented
With an expansion of 3,000 sq metres compared to 2025, the event welcomes exhibitors from Saudi Arabia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, China, Colombia, South Korea, Croatia, United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Japan, Greece, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lithuania, Morocco, Norway, Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Principality of Monaco, Qatar, Czech Republic, Senegal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, Hungary, USA — creating a global map of niche perfumery.

Thanks to the fruitful collaboration with ICE – Italian Trade and Investment Agency, 50 industry professionals from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey will be attending the event.

Artistic installations: when perfume meets contemporary art
Inside Esxence, visitors discover a journey that unites different visual and olfactory languages, through the participation of:

• Roberto Vallini, with his wooden sculptures paired with fragrances created in collaboration with the Italian Perfumery Institute.
• Stefano Epis, with an XXL installation dedicated to women and their relationship with perfume.
• Roberto Floreani (Artist of the Year 2024 according to the national survey by industry magazine ARTUU), with a major site-specific installation entitled Fare vuoto / Emptying.
• Xuelei Fragrance Museum, the world’s largest perfume museum, with immersive content.
• Osmóthèque, with an exclusive selection from its historical archive.
• Accademia del Profumo, with the exhibition Iris alla Radice della Bellezza, a tribute to Italian iris, created in collaboration with Società Italiana dell’Iris and Amica.
• Milano Beauty Week, the initiative dedicated to the culture of beauty and wellbeing, with a dedicated space.
• Cosmoprof, with the project Sogni di Natura, recently created for the Musei Civici d’Arte Antica in Bologna, where the Italian Perfumery Institute designed an olfactory journey dedicated to one of the rooms, La Boschereccia, characterised by lush pictorial decorations.

Talks not to be missed
The programme, developed in collaboration with Essencional.com, brings together 26 sessions led by over 60 international speakers, offering a comprehensive overview of the most relevant topics of the moment, including:

• neuroscience and artificial intelligence
• the strategic role of TikTok
• the growth of artistic perfumery in China
• emerging markets in South Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia
• opportunities and barriers in the Asian market

Highlight: exclusive interview with Michael Edwards, conducted by Karen Marin.

Perfume culture at the centre
The Italian Perfumery Institute presents its educational approach, its courses and master programmes, and its new international partnerships, with a dedicated open day.
Making its debut at Esxence 2026 is a bookstore, created in partnership with Fashion Room, featuring a curated selection of titles dedicated to perfumery and beauty.

Experience Lab: niche beauty takes the stage
Running concurrently, also at Allianz MiCo, is Experience Lab, the event dedicated to niche beauty, now in its sixth edition.

Beyond Esxence: Fuori Esxence
Milan comes alive: during the days of Esxence, the city itself becomes a protagonist, with initiatives, encounters and moments dedicated to olfactory culture that animate its urban spaces well beyond the walls of the venue. The events calendar is available here.

The growth of artistic perfumery
Also thanks to Esxence’s contribution, artistic perfumery has surpassed the 2% threshold of the beauty market in several countries. In Italy, it is worth approximately €400 million, representing 3.5% of the beauty business and 33% of fine fragrances.

Esxence enjoys the patronage and collaboration of important institutions, as well as strategic partners and key players in the sector. The 2026 edition has been made possible:

Under the patronage of: Regione Lombardia, Comune di Milano
With the support of: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ICE – Italian Trade and Investment Agency
Sponsor: Luigi Verga Orologi
Strategic Partner: Essencional
Partners: Accademia del Profumo, Asia Perfume Foundation, Business France, Cosmoprof, Fenapro, Italian Perfumery Institute, L’Osmóthèque, Master Parfums, Milano Beauty Week, The Institute for Art and Olfaction, Xuelei Fragrance Museum, Eternal Group.
________

Press materials from participating brands are available at the following link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16jCIqsHfsuToodkoPXXDFaL7fRgFzW4X?usp=sharing

A selection of images is available at the following link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Rtei5-yI2XjKGraeRgxfFSofMDmgL0F3?usp=sharing

www.esxence.com – #esxence2026
Instagram: @esxenceofficial