Mr Edward Che, General Manager at Messe Frankfurt (Shenzhen) Co Ltd, commented on this milestone edition at the fair’s close: “Our decision to enter the fragrance market reflects our understanding that scent has become an integral part of personal identity. Increasingly, individuals – particularly within the younger generation – are seeking ways to express their distinctiveness through fragrance. In response, we co-organised a commercially successful platform with Notes Shanghai Exhibition Co Ltd to facilitate connection between industry professionals and fragrance enthusiasts. On behalf of Messe Frankfurt, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to our partner for their collaboration and industry expertise, and reaffirm a shared commitment to advancing and supporting the sustainable growth of the fragrance sector and engaging deeply within this specialised market.”
Mr Alex Wu, Founder of Notes Shanghai Exhibition Co Ltd, noted: “Having joined the Beautyworld family and becoming a part of Messe Frankfurt’s global portfolio, Notes Shanghai’s core mission remains to cultivate a high-quality platform for the niche perfume and home fragrance industry. Building on several special collaborations this year, we look forward to working with more international talents and brands through diverse showcases and exchanges to jointly explore the future direction of the industry.”
A magnet for global fragrance houses to connect with emerging markets
Occupying over 6,000 gross sqm, the fair dedicated 60% of its space to international brands from regions spanning Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America, with 25% of brands exhibiting at the show for the first time. Prestigious names including AMOUAGE, BORNTOSTANDOUT, ELLA K, Jo Loves, and many more, leveraged the fair as a strategic platform to access the burgeoning Chinese market.
As a first-time exhibitor at Notes Shanghai, Korean niche perfume brand BORNTOSTANDOUT attracted significant interest from fairgoers. “The response surpassed our expectations, with strong interest and positive feedback from visitors,” shared Ms Ziwen Zhang, Associate Marketer – Marketing Division, HOUSEBYLM INC (BTSO). “Beyond B2C clients, we established valuable B2B contacts with leading retailers including SKP and Taikoo Li, as well as online channels like JD.com and TikTok. We chose to exhibit at Asia's largest perfume fair to explore the Asian and Chinese markets – we have yet to enter China. We hope to better understand local consumer preferences and engage in-person. The fair revealed the strong potential of the Chinese market, and we are pleased with the outcome.”
As global interest in China's perfume market continues to increase, the fair has become the leading platform for rising domestic brands like Maison Yin, melt season, and Zhufu to reach a worldwide audience, showcasing their uniquely Chinese olfactory identity.
Mr Bobber Wang, Founder of Zhufu, reflected positively on the fair’s outcome: “During the exclusive days for buyers, we engaged with a significant number of promising potential clients. The fair helped us connect with key channel clients, including hotels and premium shopping malls, and these engagements laid a solid foundation for our future expansion into online and overseas markets. This platform also served as our stage to break new ground for a Chinese brand in an international market traditionally led by French perfumeries, presenting a unique narrative of Eastern aesthetics and Chinese cultural depth.”
Uniting the worldwide perfume community through scent
From fine perfumes to home aromas and traditional Chinese incense, the fair presented a rich panorama of olfactory artistry. It attracted international professionals, buyers, consumers, social media influencers and fragrance enthusiasts while simultaneously providing local visitors first-hand access to global fragrance trends.
Ms Sun Yina, General Manager of Zhijian Healthcare Consulting (Shanghai) Co Ltd, visited the fair to source for home fragrance products: “Our company specialises in aromatherapy product development, and we visit every year to seek scent inspiration and suitable partners for customised projects. Notes Shanghai’s precise market positioning allows us to access a wide selection of mid-to-high-end niche fragrance brands from both domestic and international markets, along with leading fragrance ingredient suppliers such as DSM-Firmenich, IFF and TechnicoFlor. As Chinese consumers increasingly seek diverse and personalised scents, this event offers far greater efficiency for professional matchmaking in the aromatherapy sector compared to other traditional beauty fairs.”
Bridging cultures and creativity: a hub for innovation and exchange
Beyond the exhibits, the fair cemented its position as a key industry hub through an engaging agenda of over 50 forums, seminars, roundtable discussions and other special events held concurrently. These sessions provided deep insights into market trends and featured creative showcases from international guest speakers such as Luca Turin, Sebastian Jara (The Perfume Guy), Victoria Frolova and many more, engaging attendees within the realm of fragrance.
Mr Tomonobu Nakamori, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, NOSE SHOP Inc, shared his insights on identifying strategic opportunities in Japan's challenging perfume market during his session: “The audience’s response was enthusiastic, with many attendees approaching me with further enquiries. I could truly feel their passion for both the perfume industry and the Japanese market, and the platform is helpful to boost industry exchange. While the Chinese market is vast, few local brands expand overseas, making my in-person visit to the fair essential. Witnessing so many exhibitors today with such quality and unique concepts made this trip truly worthwhile. This is my first time attending Notes Shanghai, and the experience has exceeded my expectations.”
In addition, the fair's nine special presentations stood out as core highlights, captivating visitors throughout the fair. Among them, “The Odyssey of Perfume History”, curated by the world's only perfume conservatory, Osmothèque, offered visitors a journey through the legacy of timeless fragrances.
Co-hosted with the French olfactory organisation Nez, the first-ever Shanghai Perfume Week boasted a special zone within the hall, which spotlighted a collection of niche international perfume brands, along with an olfactory bookshop devoted to the literary and cultural dimensions of perfume.
The fair also hosted the prestigious Golden Osmanthus Awards (GOA), with the winner selection taking place onsite, adding further excitement to proceedings. The awards honoured excellence within China’s fragrance industry through a dual-judging system that combined evaluations from a professional panel with a public vote, ensuring that winners were recognised for both their technical artistry and popular appeal.
For more information about Notes Shanghai, please visit: www.notesshanghai.com
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With a workforce of some 2,500 people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 29 subsidiaries, it organises events around the world. Group sales in financial year 2024 were around € 775 million. We serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of Messe Frankfurt’s key strengths is its powerful and closely knit global sales network, which covers around 180 countries in all regions of the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are using our digital expertise to develop new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.
Sustainability is a central pillar of our corporate strategy. Here, we strike a healthy balance between ecological and economic interests, social responsibility and diversity.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com/sustainability
With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
Background information on Notes Shanghai Exhibition Co Ltd
Notes Shanghai, the premier international exhibition for the fragrance industry, is held twice a year – Spring and Autumn edition. As the exclusive authorised exhibition of the Golden Osmanthus Awards (GOA) — the highest official honour in China’s fragrance industry — Notes Shanghai is organised by Notes Shanghai Exhibition Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Golden Osmanthus Culture Group. The event is distinguished by its professionalism, international outlook, and deep focus on the fine fragrance sector.
The exhibition seeks to foster international exchange within the fragrance industry, promote originality and innovation, and provide valuable networking opportunities for both professionals and enthusiasts. With its comprehensive conference agenda and a curated selection of high-quality brands, it offers a unique and premium experience for industry experts and the public alike.
Background information on Conzoom Circle