Barnes Fragrance fair 2025

The perfume industry is a tough nut to crack as an independent

The expertise required to learn, memorise, and recognise thousands of ingredients; the skill to develop new accords and remain on the cutting edge of discoveries in molecular chemistry as it relates to olfaction; and then the cost of getting your hands on reliable and sustainably sourced ingredients.

All of the above means that many perfumers are a marketing front to a fragrance developed by third parties who have the resources to deliver the excellence required for a top perfume....but this also is no mean feat.

Brands who source their perfumes from third parties are very involved in the creative process and face immense challenges in getting the visibility and awareness required to turn a profit, but their fragrances are some of the best out there, truly unique, from the heart, authentic, and usually with the best ingredients (why would you bother otherwise!).

The usual new product marketing hurdles, made harder by something that requires a physical, in person, experience; the cost and resource challenges of staying on top of social media when you are a start up; the bottle neck of shelf space at Department stores and the near impossibility of reaching buyers who are frankly overwhelmed; and the limited route to market opportunities for an industry that is so dominated by the well resourced brand owning giants.

This is why the incredible Barnes Fragrance Fair, now in its third year is such a great opportunity for British brands to meet fragrance hungry consumers who appreciate the uniqueness and expertise that exists in this very magical world.

It's a brilliant chance to meet the artists behind the UK's best perfume creations and listen up with the experts.

Free to attend and meander amongst the best of UK artisan perfumery but I'd encourage you to book early for any of the incredible talks with the legendary Suzy Nightingale and Nicola Bonn @onthescentpodcast and Haydn Williams @yousmellgreatwhatisit , fragrance legend Jo Fairley , perfume supremo Alice du Parcq , Perfume walks with the fragrant @Olga P. , and a variety of expert workshops with the very best of British artisan perfumery, all made possible by the efforts of event supremo Amanda Carr.

Personally I can't wait to be back and meet so many fragrance enthusiasts, and seeing this world from the inside makes it even more special.

https://lnkd.in/e_76HBrB - selling out fast.

See you there 🌸