Speech by Eric Meilhoc, SFP President at SIMPPAR in Grasse

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, Monsieur le Maire.

The entire Board of Directors of the Société Française des Parfumeurs et moi-même are delighted to welcome you to the Salon International des Matières Premières pour la Parfumerie, SIMPPAR.

Mr. Mayor, we would like to extend our warmest thanks and gratitude to you for :

• to make this 17th edition of our Show a special moment, like an enchanted interlude during these two days
• that the city of Grasse vibrates to the rhythm of SIMPPAR
• for reserving this exceptional space for us
• and, in fact, for rolling out the red carpet for us.

We couldn't have wished for a more beautiful setting than the city of Grasse to welcome us and celebrate together this first edition "outside the walls", which is the culmination of an incredible adventure.

We are extremely grateful to your teams for their dedication and collective efforts to make this event a success.

This edition was made possible by our SIMPPAR magicians:

Thierry Duclos, Alexandra and Philippe Massé. Thank you for your passionate commitment, your hard work and your total investment in the preparation and organization of this now "unmissable" event.

Allow me, Mr. Mayor, to use an expression dear to your heart: "An extraordinary human adventure".

Please give a standing ovation to Mr Jérôme Viaud, Philippe Massé, Thierry Duclos and Alexandra.

This XVIIth edition is fully in keeping with its international character, with 98 exhibitors from 20 countries, some of them participating for the first time.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all our exhibitors, including companies from Grasse, for their support and loyal participation in our Paris show since its inception.

I would also like to welcome the international associations present among us:

• British Society of Perfumers... BSP
• Deutsche Gesellschaft der Parfümeure... DGP
• International Federation of Essential Oils & Aroma Trades... IFEAT

One of the highlights of the Société Française des Parfumeurs is the showcasing of new talent through the Prix International du Jeune Parfumeur SFP.

It encourages young perfume composers under the age of 35, of all nationalities, living in France or abroad, members of the SFP or up-and-coming, to freely express their creativity.

It's time to reveal the theme of the 34th edition of our prize, which will be awarded in June 2025.

Our source of inspiration was the application for Unesco World Heritage listing of "the olfactory and poetic cultural landscapes of lavender in Provence", supported by the association "Maison du Patrimoine Culturel Lavandicole de Provence", which was created in 2023.

To support and illustrate this theme, we've chosen magnificent views of Provencal villages, lavender fields and the work of beekeepers through their hives.

Many thanks to Jennifer Coët, in charge of the iconography project for the "Maison du Patrimoine Culturel Lavandicole de Provence", for providing us with these beautiful photographs and for the layout of this visual.

Here is the theme of our next prize:

Lavender is one of the inseparable flowers of Provence's landscapes, and it needs all our attention and protection.

More than a solinote, your composition will sublimate the power of the lavender note , its aromatic and floral facets and the beauty of its region.

Use your emotions and creativity to illustrate and bring life to this emblematic perfume plant.

Dear young perfumers .... The technical and artistic juries will be eager to discover your beautiful creations.

For this 34th edition, two prizes will be awarded.

The first, from the Société Française des Parfumeurs, will be presented at SIMPPAR 2025, on June 4.

The second prize will be awarded independently by an artistic jury made up of members of the Association pour l'inscription des " Paysages culturels olfactifs et poétiques de la Lavande de Provence " à l'Unesco. This exceptional prize will be awarded at a special event a few days after SIMPPAR 2025.

I now give the floor to Mr Jérôme Viaud and wish you a very pleasant evening.

The Board of Directors of the French Society of Perfumers and myself are delighted to welcome you to the 17th edition of our International Exhibition of Raw Materials for Perfumery.

This SIMPPAR is the result of an incredible adventure.

Mr. Mayor, we would like to extend our warmest thanks and gratitude to you for your exceptional welcome.

We could not have wished for a finer setting than the city of Grasse to welcome us and to celebrate, together, this first edition outside of Paris for "an Exceptional exhibition made of events of Excellence".

Many thanks to Thierry Duclos, Alexandra and Philippe Massé for their passionate commitment and for the tremendous job they did to prepare and to organize this exceptional event.

The presence of 98 exhibitors representing 20 countries, some of whom are participating for the first time, makes the 17th edition a truly International event.

Above all, I would like to thank all of you, Visitors, Exhibitors for being here. Special thanks go to companies from Grasse, for their support and their loyal participation in SIMPPAR from the beginning even when they had to come to Paris.

We are also honoured by the presence, for the first time, of

• the British Society of Perfumers (BSP),
• the Deutsche Gesellschaft der Parfümeure (DGP)
• and the International Federation of Essential Oils & Aroma Trades (IFEAT).

Last but not least

As you know, the French Society of perfumers helps discover new talents through its SFP International Young Perfumer Award.

I am very pleased to announce the theme for the 34th edition to be awarded in June 2025 ... namely .... Lavender.

The challenge for the candidates will be to draw inspiration from the olfactive and poetic cultural landscapes of lavender in Provence.

I now pass the floor to Mr Jérome Viaud, and look forward to seeing all of you at our cocktail party.