Esxence 2024: An Experiential Showcase for the Senses - From Doubt to Clarity - Part 1
Esxence 2024 by Perfume.Curious
Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event, established in 2009, is the premier international gathering for both professionals and enthusiasts in the world of artistic perfumery. This event blends history and tradition with innovation and research, offering an exhibition area of exceptional quality. With more than 10,000 attendees at the last edition, Esxence provides a unique platform for networking and business among insiders, exhibitors, retailers, buyers, and distributors. Each year, a technical committee selects top international brands, ensuring a high-quality showcase of the Art of Perfumery.
Entering the dark corridor with warm lighting; butterflies, flowers and brown vintage sofa, which reminds me of Jazz Club by Replica. I don’t smell perfumes but various different scents on my way here. I smell excitement. Heart pumping. It is my first time at the Expo - not my last time for sure, I think! I’m a little bit overwhelmed already and I just entered the lobby area. Here people take pictures while in a line to leave their jackets and bags. There is an unsettling feeling in the air, but it calls you forward. I move fast towards the entrance check, just to disappear quickly from this enormous crowd that has been lined up for a minute now and slowly moved upstairs.
The first thing I see: a Kajal bag. A bag! That’s right, I really need a bag! Crossing the checkpoint, all I see is a people going back and forth from booth to booth. I don’t even know where to start from. For a second I start to doubt myself, what am I doing here? Luckily, this feeling goes away quickly and my eyes search for a bag for my jacket. As an afterthought, I understand that this is a genius marketing technique to expose your brand to the audience. I think we all can guess where I am heading next. You are right - the Kajal stand. And just like that, I’m offered a shiny orange bag and welcomed to try their perfumes.
This is my very first impression of what Esxcence 2024 is. Big crowd. Business. Branding. Noise. But at the same time a moment of clarity, that is offered to me in the form of a tote. Almost like a whisper “Start from here! You are welcome here!” I try to ignore the hint and move to the side to re-evaluate my plans and ambitions. Coming here I had one goal in mind: “Get to know the perfume industry in all its marketing glory”. The how was undefined. I didn’t know what to expect. But here I am, I need to be flexible and adjust myself to this overwhelmingly exciting energy.
Pictures! Let’s start with photos! I see a big Esxence 2024 photoshoot background in front of me. A bearded gentleman is taking group pictures. I wonder who he is - his energy is very calm despite the buzz around him. He looks at us, smiles and continues to talk with a group of people who seem exited about their conversation. In a moment of calm, we decide to take the first picture as a memory of Esxence 2024.
Kajal Booth: Esxence 2024
After that, collected and eager to start exploration, we head back to Kajal stand, this time with perfumes in mind. Overwhelmed by sparkling sea of perfume bottles and chatting people, I spot my favorite color from afar - an emerald green bottle called “Almaz”. It is a mysterious, luxurious and contradicting color. It symbolizes renewal and rebirth, however, sometimes carrying dangerous implications, historically even poisoning the wearer.
Just like curiosity, time to time leading Alice away from the familiar path, emerald green catches your attention and takes you on a journey. And so it did to me. The journey of Perfume.Curious has begun.
Perfume.Curious: Exploring Kajal
The First Perfume of Esxence 2024: Almaz by Kajal
Almaz - it simply means "diamond" in Amharic, Arabic, Russian and a number of other languages, however, for me it represents more than that. The word itself takes me on a journey of mysterious Middle-Eastern stories and secrets. It reminds me of childhood tails I used to love about genies, hidden treasures, colorful carpets and midnight stars. It is a feeling of something hidden, unexploited and rare. I let my mind wonder in my fantastic world for few seconds, simultaneously sniffing this gem I just found. Almaz opens fruity-citrusy, but soon turns into more sweet scent with powdery notes. As a vintage perfume lover, this is the stage where I want the perfume to stay, surrounding me with a cloud of powdery rose, orris root and raspberry. Unfortunately it starts to become much sweeter, instead, I prefer powdery and floral notes. Initially brown sugar, tonka and vanilla take over, leaving me with a slightly confused feeling. I love the top and middle notes, but base notes break the fantasy for me. I was expecting something spicier, mysterious, something unconventional, but I was greeted with a safe choice.
It is a pleasant scent for less experienced consumer who enjoys feminine, juicy and comforting scents, but for a person with an established perfume style, it falls into “I like it but I don’t love it”-category. Just to make sure I evaluated it correctly, I make a round, sniffing other options such as Lamar, Aican and Masa, just to find out that I’m pulled back to Kajal. There is something about the packaging and my childhood memories that keep me coming back to it, despite not being a fan of the holistic composition of the fragrance. I think this is a great example of importance of packaging choices and scent coherency. It is a bestseller, captivating the noses of many, but leaving me wondering whether slight changes on the base notes would make this a masterpiece in the future.
Almaz by Kajal. Picture: https://kajalperfumes.com/products/the-new-beauty
If there is one thing I can say about Kajal as a brand and the experience it creates, I would describe it as Captivating. It captivates a nervous wonderer, welcomes and calms them down to stay. Its presence is intriguing, luxurious and slightly mysterious. You don’t necessarily get what you expect, but you will come back to understand it better, perhaps even to reframe your thoughts and give it another try.
After two months since the event ended, I’m still wondering about Kajal and its mysterious Almaz perfume. I come back to the scent strip to smell it again and again. Yes, I can still smell it after two months, which is a great sign of its quality and long lasting effect. Momentum that stays with you - even after separation. Kajal indeed creates a great first impression, putting the brand in my “To visit again” -list, and I think this is exactly why Kajal is so appealing to new audiences: Its pleasant marketing techniques, friendliness and intriguing packaging creates a coherent experience, filled with good memories and wonders about the future. Other brands could learn a thing or two from their presentation techniques and heartwarming customer service.
Here! I came up with a few tips and tricks for better brand impression.
Top 3 Tips for Great Brand First Impression - Part 1/2
Provide resting/recharging spaces
Whether it is a photoshoot booth, sofa corner or locate close to cafeteria - this will make people stay longer and get to know your brand better.
After several hours of talking and hundreds of brands, people tend to migrate towards quiet areas with food and refreshments.
Give branded bags not only for buyers, but also for visitors
This is free marketing for you, because there will be people walking around Milan in shops, the subway and around the convention center with your logo in plain sight.
Make it accessible and approachable (either handing these bags or having them openly on display).
Be welcoming, friendly and open
Even though visitor wouldn’t buy from you or make a deal immidiately, after hundreds of brands, the ones that people will remember, are those that made them feel welcomed and good.
… and no, apparently this was not obvious for many brands at the fair.
More About Esxence & Kajal:
Esxence Official Site: https://www.esxence.com/
Kajal Official Site: https://kajalperfumes.com/
Picture Source: https://kajalperfumes.com/products/the-new-beauty
Esxence is organized next time on 19-22 February 2025!
What was your first impression of Esxence 2024? Are you curious to attend next year?
