4 Fragrance-Focused Options for Corporate Teambuilding

During the Essence of Excellence challenge from Alexandria, Virginia-based Catalyst Teambuilding Events, groups are tasked with creating and blending an individual fragrance that appeals to a given market. After learning the basic techniques of perfumery, teams blend the base and mid and top notes to create a male, female, or unisex fragrance, along with a targeted marketing campaign. Designed to be a breakout session or evening entertainment, Essence of Excellence helps attendees understand customer satisfaction as well as improve team communication. Pricing for the one- to two-hour event is based on the date, number of participants, and location.

With Blend Custom Parfum in Atlanta, guests can conceptualize, design, and name their own fragrance to take home. Or teams can build a corporate fragrance as a way to creatively present company goals, objectives, and core values. The fragrance can be custom packaged as well. For each event, teams are supplied with drawing tools, pads, beakers, scent strips, formula pads, essences, and coffee beans (they help reset a sense of smell). Blend Custom Parfum is available for groups of six to 200, depending on the concept. For larger groups, pricing starts at $45; a V.I.P. package costs $500 and includes branded products such as body cream, bubble bath, and shaving cream.

At Scented Studio in Denver, groups can create their own perfume or cologne, as well as learn a brief history on fragrance and the art of perfume making. It costs $55 per person and includes a 30 milliliter bottle of fragrance; the workshop is approximately 90 minutes. Groups can also choose from more than 500 fragrant and essential oils to incorporate into perfumes, colognes, body mists, roll-on oils, dry oil sprays, sugar and salt scrubs, body whips, lotions, body washes, massage oils, room diffusers, candles, and more. Prices vary from $21.47 to $29.95, depending on the chosen product. Plus, the studio keeps the custom-made fragrances on file, so attendees or coworkers can order it for future events, birthdays, and as corporate gifts.

Dallas-based Scentsation offers a two-hour create-a-scent event for corporate groups, which features a lesson on as many as 15 blends, describing their emotions, characteristics, and ingredients. Afterwards, participants make and name their signature scents. For a more intense teambuilding experience, the custom fragrance company also offers a similar event in a half- or full-day format. First, a master perfumer provides a brief history of exotic fragrances and essential oils. Then, in a head-to-head challenge, teams produce fragrances that will capture a target market, including naming the perfume and choosing the brand packaging. Pricing for the events is based on location, size of group, dates, and times, and is available only in Texas for 10 to 500 participants. Perfume oil rollers with custom labeling, a bottle charm, and pouch cost $7; larger spray perfumes and lotions, $12 each.