Having missed the first two events, I finally succeeded in visiting Barnes Fragrance Fair. Here’s what I thought of it, and what I hope to see in the future…
A day out from the gym
Yes, my Sussex-based business is in personal training, but I’m a whole human who is much more than their work! Fragrance has been a huge part of my life since my pre-teens, and I could probably write a series of posts on why. Plus I wear perfume daily, and even when I’m coaching clients on the gym floor, I wear my high-end or niche favourites, because I firmly advocate for not “saving things for best”.
Happily, Barnes Fragrance Fair takes place on a Saturday, which is a day of the week I reserve for myself. In the weeks leading up to the event, I did experience mild anxiety regarding which of my collection to choose to wear to an occasion that would be graced by many people with excellent noses… and then I had an accident in Soliflore the week before, and the decision was made – I’d appreciate wearing my latest purchase to channel the fresh energy and enjoy my day.
Barnes Fragrance Fair – for consumers
One of the best things about this event is that it’s open to everyone and, so far, access to the main fair has been free of charge (there are optional paid talks available to book). The fragrance industry is huge, and there are lots of massive international events held annually that are aimed at retailers and other associated businesses. But many are closed to consumers and, for fans, this is understandable but disappointing.
Barnes has been curated for small, niche brands to present themselves to the general public. Due to the size of businesses attending, it’s often a very cool opportunity to meet the person behind the scents which, for fragheads, is a dream come true.
A minor criticism
Lots of us saw this coming – the event has surged in popularity for 2025 and, as a result, the venue was far too small. It’s a lovely thing to see, that something has really taken off and more people are able to enjoy and access it. But it also isn’t ideal. The experience of a fragrance event can already be overwhelming, and this at times felt incredibly cramped.
Fortunately, I found it easy to get in and out of the venue as I pleased, so I did several laps with breaks for literal fresh air. We were lucky that the weather was good – if it had been raining, I’m not sure what I’d have done!
It was, at times, difficult to chat to those staffing their stands as it was so busy. There are ways that could be managed, from ticketing the event (whether it’s kept free of charge or not, just to manage the flow by offering a morning or afternoon entry time slot, for example, would guarantee what the maximum capacity is), to expanding the size of the venue or spreading the event over two days.
You have arrived at fragrance heaven
Overall, it’s a wonderful event to attend. It’s a real joy to be in a room full of people who share and understand one of your greatest interests. Everyone felt positive, and there was a lot of love being shared for some flourishing businesses, which makes me very happy. It was great to talk about something that’s important to me, and express gratitude for these special creations. Unsurprisingly, there were some new launches being shown off: Nancy Meiland, whose range I’m a longtime fan of, has launched new packaging and debuted it at the fair; Gallivant, who I was initially upset with for standing firm in terms of my favourite of theirs being a limited edition won me over with a preview of their next collection (I’m absolutely bowled over by Ar Riyad and was thrilled to walk away with a travel size bottle).
Whether you’re into fragrance already or – crucially – want to get started, this event is a must-do. There’s a lot of bullshit online about gatekeeping favourite fragrances, and with the rise of influencer and content creator culture, it’s very clear that there are some brands significantly manipulating social media to increase their sales. Perfume can be hard to shop for when you’re trying to do it via a screen, it’s absolutely something that’s best experienced in person, and that’s why events such as these are so important. If you’re new or just getting into it, don’t be afraid to show up, you’ll be welcomed.
Ideas for the future of Barnes Fragrance Fair
Organisers, if you’d like the thoughts of an event manager and fan, these are mine (in addition to a bigger and better venue!). Things I’d love to see are…
A newbie intro session – let’s embrace people and guide them in their sniffing. It can be so intimidating, like some types of visual art, but encouraging people just to play and try things out is such a helpful step
Personal shopping experience – this could be an additional way of raising money for charity (as was done very effectively via goodie bags); let’s have some expert guides for those who want a whistlestop tour of the Fair, or to be nudged outside of their comfort zone. It’ll also help the busy standholders out by having other representatives to talk about their products
Content booth – for both your own content generation, and to potentially lessen the hordes parading around with their camera equipment… how about a booth? Have everyone answer prompts such as, “what are you wearing today?”, “what’s your favourite discovery?” and, “what would you love to see next year?”
Yes, I am available to help – so call me!