The Fragrance Foundation USA

The Fragrance Foundation is a non-profit making educational trust founded in New York in 1949 by Chanel, Coty, Elizabeth Arden, Guerlain, Helena Rubinstein and Parfums Weil. It has become a substantial organisation in the United States and is well known internationally as the forum for the fragrance industry.

The mission of The Fragrance Foundation is to enhance the image of the fragrance industry and expand the appreciation and use of fragrance in all its forms across all distribution channels globally.

Membership categories: manufacturers, marketers, suppliers, media, advertising and public relations agencies, financial service firms, consultants, package designers and retailers.

The Foundation serves the global fragrance industry, retail, media, students, libraries, etc., as well as the public at large, in providing a central source for educational and historical information on all aspects of fragrance and the sense of smell.

A comprehensive library is maintained for use by members, students and media which encompasses a collection of current books, videos, audiotapes and articles on fragrance as well as historical books and manuscripts.

In 1982, The Fragrance Foundation established the Sense of Smell Institute (SOSI). SOSI is the Research and Education Division of The Fragrance Foundation. It is a leading global resource relating to the sense of smell and its importance to human psychology, behaviour and quality of life as well as the multisensory context of smell. To fulfil its mission, SOSI provides information resources to the public, media, corporate and academic sectors.

Among the Foundation's educational accomplishments is the introduction in 1992 of the Certified Fragrance Sales Specialists (CFSS) Programme. The CFSS Programme is designed to establish the professionalism of fragrance selling. It tests and certifies fragrance sales specialists based upon a predetermined body of knowledge. The CFSS Programme is now internet-based and has been extended to the UK and Australia. Graduates receive a Certificate and a CFSS pin. Plans to offer an advanced programme to all CFSS who qualify will be announced in 2008.

An online Entry Level Fragrance (ELF) Course geared to holiday/temporary or part-time sales specialists will be completed and available the second half of 2007. The content for this course focuses on very basic fragrance knowledge, with a large portion devoted to fragrance selling skills.

In 2000, the Foundation introduced Circle of Champions. This award is presented annually to a member of the industry that has made an outstanding and newsworthy contribution over the previous year. Past honorees include: Leonard Lauder (Estée Lauder) in 2000, Guy Peyrelongue (L'Oréal) in 2001, Annette Green (President Emeritus, The Fragrance Foundation) in 2002, Dale Cameron (Nordstrom) in 2003, Peter Born (Women's Wear Daily) in 2004, Tom Florio (Vogue) in 2005 and Ann Gottlieb (Ann Gottlieb Associates) in 2006 and John G. Lédes (Beauty Fashion & Cosmetics World) in 2007

The Fragrance Foundation presents the grand Oscar-like FiFi Awards Ceremony in New York (May 31st), attended by worldwide members of the fragrance industry. Similar events are now held by Fragrance Foundation affiliates in France, Germany and the UK.

For further information visit www.fragrance.org and www.senseofsmell.org

The Fragrance Foundation is based at 145 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016-6002, USA. For further information visit, www.fragrance.org