International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) hosted its first "Speed Smelling" event in the Middle East on May 26 at the Royale Mirage in Dubai.
The "Speed Smelling" event is a scented variation on speed dating. With less than seven minutes to appeal to perfume juries, IFF perfumers freely exercised their talents as olfactory artists with no creative constraints.
Four IFF Global Star Perfumers were present in the Middle East for the event: Dominique Ropion, Sophie Labbé, Alienor Massenet and Julien Rasquinet. Each perfumer created a custom scent, presented exclusively for the first time during the "Speed Smelling" event.
IFF opened its regional creative center in Dubai in 2011.
!['[W]hen a perfumer is given a brief, you're taking parts from different parts of your life and experiences, you're bringing such a personal POV to create an olfactive experience that can't be replicated by a computer that doesn't have those touchpoints,' says perfumer Nicole Mancini.](https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/mindful/allured/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/03/img-7063.PH7aX8fPat.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=191&q=70&w=340)
