Mr. Chairman, members of the American Society of Perfumers, honored guests and speakers. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 36th Annual Symposium of the Society. It is with particular pride and accomplishment that the society completes three and one-half decades of providing a forum for our industry. A forum which permits those within our industry or related to it to present their ideas or works to a large representation of the business at one time.
In addition to these formal presentations, and by no means subordinated by it, this symposium provides an opportunity for personal one-on-one exchange of ideas in a social atmosphere of great conviviality. It is that one time in a year that we are able to get most of the country’s perfumers under one roof at one time, and that, indeed, is an accomplishment and an opportunity.
The attendance growth over the years is a testimony to that fact and is an encouragement to the society, as a whole, that an important function is being served by these symposiums. Today’s program is the result of many hours of work by our chairman, Mr. Ikey Smith and his committee. We feel that today’s progam provides a balance between technical, esthetic and marketing, and hope it will be informative and interesting for all.