The biennial World Perfumery Congress (WPC) - June 13 to 15, 2016 - will take place at Miami Beach in the famous Fontainebleau Hotel and will be the global stage for fragrance artistry and technology, providing a unique forum for members of the industry to exchange insights and information.
With sustainability a key motif for the years ahead, the 2016 conference programme will focus on the theme ‘A Responsible Future for Fragrance’, bringing forward insights from industry thought leaders and focusing on new opportunities.
Alongside the presentation programme, more than 70 exhibitors will showcase the industry’s latest innovations and provide attendees with invaluable insights on new fragrance technologies. They will include major industry companies, such as Givaudan, Robertet Inc, MANE and Symrise AG.
On the opening day, the keynote session on ‘Nature, Science and Communities’ will explore current trends for natural ingredients and sustainable sourcing. Attendees will hear from Roberto Oliveira de Lima, CEO of Brazil-based Natura, and Achim Daub, President, Scent & Care at Symrise AG. Their ambition is to drive a circular economy and Oliveira de Lima will explain how Natura’s eco-friendly industrial complex Ecoparque works on the concept of symbiosis.
Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable products, which is forcing all industries, including the relatively low-footprint fragrance sector, to adapt. On June 13, Torsten Kulke, SVP Global Innovation & Regulatory Fragrances & Oral Care, Scent & Care Division, will lead a two-part presentation on ‘Fragrance Sustainability Strategies’. He will discuss the opportunities and challenges of the industry’s sustainability and footprint-minimising strategies before moderating a panel debate.
Joining the panel to discuss the sustainability of ingredients and strategies will be Mike Popplewell, vice president, Corporate R&D, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc; Hervé Fretay, global director of Naturals, Fragrance Division of Givaudan; and Jason Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Ginkgo Bioworks.
The second day of the conference will see the focus shift to ‘green practice’ in the fragrance industry. Another two-part presentation and panel debate titled ‘Designing and Assessing Green Fragrances’ will be hosted by Tony Phan, Process & Project Engineer at MANE. He will discuss how consumers expect sustainable fragrances with low environmental footprints as well as products to be made with renewable resources.
The second part will see Kip Cleverley, head of Global Sustainability at International Flavors and Fragrances Inc; Patrick Foley, chief science officer at P2 Science; and Torsten Kulke, SVP Global Innovation & Regulatory Fragrances & Oral Care, Scent & Care Division, join a panel to debate the benefits of ‘green chemistry’.
Iain Stevenson, prestige fragrance design leader at Procter & Gamble will present alongside Laurent Le Guernec, senior perfumer, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc, on Tuesday to deliver a presentation on The Power of Scents and Brands. The session will discuss how fragrance creates delight and drives value for brands.
Stevenson is also the latest addition to the speaker roster, bringing experience in both developing the fragrance innovation capability for P&G's luxury division and in downstream fragrance design and upstream fragrance development programmes.
