Milwaukee-based company Prolitec is partnering its services with stores, hotels, casinos to create a positive scent experience for customers. Its patented, micron-sized droplets are distributed quietly and subtly throughout a space. And from the retail perspective, it seems to be working. According to Andy Ginsberg, facilities director of the Mirage hotel and casino, where “This is by far one system that actually does work. Not the cheapest system out there, but it’s a quality product.”

Read more at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

The conference was held Dec. 7-9 at the Gansevoort Hotel in Miami Beach. In a statement following the announcement, SMI said it jointly gave the award to Prolitec and Abercrombie in order to recognize the two companies for their “ground-breaking in-store scenting program” and “as acknowledgement of their leadership in the use of scent in merchandising and in-store communications.”

“When it comes to using scent in merchandising, Abercrombie is a true pioneer,” said Prolitec CEO Richard Weening. “Abercrombie’s CEO Mike Jeffries and his leadership team are superstars in retail merchandising and masters of the art of engaging all the senses in the store. They are key contributors to ambient scenting’s emergence as one of the hottest trends in retailing.”

From MarketWatch

For further reporting on ScentWorld Expo, check out the NY Times: Scent Makers Sweeten the Smell of Commerce

Whether you realize it or not, a lot of businesses stink.

OK, so perhaps “stink” isn’t the right word; “have a scent” is more like it.

For the better part of the last decade, retailers, casinos and hotels have experimented heavily with “ambient scenting,” a fancy term that describes the process of using scent distribution technology to give a space a unique and inviting smell. The goal for businesses is to enhance the customer experience, increase brand recognition and ultimately drive sales.

Sound too farfetched to be mainstream? It’s not. In fact, if you’ve sat in the lobby of a Westin hotel or shopped at an Abercrombie & Fitch sometime in the last few years, you’ve likely experienced it yourself.

What’s fascinating about ambient scenting is that it’s a trend that hasn’t worn off during these tough economic times. Like a good perfume, it has staying power…

Read more at Fox Business.

Catherine was actually repeating a project in which UC Berkeley scientists tried to train people’s noses.  Researchers are learning that the human ability to smell is actually far more sensitive than they’d previously realized. One study found that humans can detect some chemicals diluted in water to less that one part per billion — that’s a few drops in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

What’s more, smell affects human mood and behavior even if people don’t consciously register what they’re smelling.

Check out the Sept. 2011 issue of NewScientist to read the full story.

While many chain stores across America are stalling growth in today’s economy, Goodwill thrift-store locations are thriving, and the company is expanding. Ambient scenting is part of a move toward making the thrift store shopping experience more like a mainstream retail experience.

The 44 stores will utilize a signature scent featuring hints of sweet orange and honeysuckle, custom-designed by Milwaukee-based Prolitec to create a clean, crisp atmosphere.

More at Marketwire.

[Can Ambient Scent Enhance the Nightlife Experience? in Chemosensory Perception, June 2011]

Flawless incorporates a blend of cucumber, pear and citrus along with magnolia and verbena, and is finished with rich saffron and cocoa.

Ben Bridge assembled a dynamic team to create Flawless, including renowned perfumer Raymond Matts, who helped create Clinique’s “Happy” and Elizabeth Taylor’s “White Diamonds,” and Prolitec Inc., whose  system enables a scent experience without  spritzing.

More at diamonds.net

Air/Q ATMOSPHERES™ Offers New Technology for Community Health and Wellness Programs

MILWAUKEE, WI–(Marketwire – March 1, 2011) – From ancient times to the present day, people have relied on natural scents like lavender, verbena and jasmine to help them achieve states of calm, alertness and well-being. Now, with the launch of its Air/Q ATMOSPHERES™ system, Prolitec, Inc. (www.prolitec.com) makes it possible to do this for an entire assisted-living community, enhancing the experience of residents and staff, and making positive impressions on visitors.

ATMOSPHERES™ is a computer-controlled, fully-automated system that works through the HVAC system or from appliances mounted on walls, in or above ceilings or on tabletops to maintain a controlled, light level of a natural aromatherapy scent throughout the common areas. The system is fully supported by Prolitec with onsite periodic service and requires no staff involvement.

Natural scents include blends of chamomile, aromatic lavender and other complementary and proprietary ingredients. Their proven benefits can also be brought to individual resident rooms through the Air/Q™ Whole Room Air Freshener™, a sleek, miniaturized version of Prolitec’s commercial scenting technology that is small enough to rest on a tabletop.

“There is a body of scientific literature illustrating the remarkable ability of natural fragrances to impact mood and cognitive function,” noted Richard Weening, CEO of Prolitec. “Aromatherapy and the use of scent to achieve an outcome has become an important part of holistic health and wellness programs. According to a Duke University study, for example, the scent of lavender relaxed participants every bit as much as a physical massage. These potentially therapeutic benefits make Air/Q ATMOSPHERES™ a natural fit for the assisted-living industry.”

The industrywide launch of Air/Q ATMOSPHERES™ follows 18 months of testing in more than 50 assisted-living facilities, including most of the communities of Aegis Living, a national leader in retirement and assisted living.

Air/Q ATMOSPHERES™ is “green” and fully compliant with the stringent regulatory requirements of OSHA and the state of California, Weening added. “Prolitec’s patented micro-droplet technology creates a uniform scent effect with a bare minimum of product — less than 1 molecule out of every 1 million molecules in the air,” he explained. “In addition to using far less product, this very small amount of scent is unlikely to trigger an allergic reaction in sensitive residents.”

Typically, in fact, residents are exposed to far higher amounts of scented product — up to 100 times greater — from the likes of restroom deodorizers, aerosols and plug-in air fresheners. These relatively inefficient products also tend to be more expensive when used in an assisted-living or retirement setting, Weening added.

Through the Air/Q ATMOSPHERES™ program, Prolitec offers a wide range of broadly appealing aromatherapy fragrances that can be customized for the specific requirements of clients based on the proven benefits of this ancient science. The unique adjustability of the Air/Q system also provides an additional layer of customization. “The result is a transformed atmosphere that improves the overall experience of residents, staff and visitors,” Weening said.

About Prolitec

Prolitec (www.prolitec.com) develops and provides innovative airborne technologies for infection control, odor cancellation, and the use of scent for positive emotional and physiological experiences. The company’s technologies are employed by retailers, hotels, casinos, fitness centers, spas, healthcare facilities, and other institutional and commercial facilities in the U.S. and 46 countries around the world.

In the realm of art,

Most events take place at The Book Club in Shoreditch, and it looks like they tend to sell out, so get your tickets early!

More at www.scratchandsniffevents.com

Lithuania is pioneering a new type of national symbol to convey the character of the ex-Soviet Baltic state in a fragrant way with a bottle of perfume.

Lithuania’s foreign ministry has already sent bottles of the new fragrance to all ambassadors accredited to Vilnius.

The project with olfactory appeal is “a good example of how to communicate Lithuania to the public in an innovative way,” according to a foreign ministry statement.

“We wanted to create something special, representing Lithuania and the Lithuanian character, ” Mindaugas Stongvilas, an expert in emotional communication behind the project told the Lithuanian daily Vilniaus diena.

The perfume “Lithuania” is a blend of sandalwood, cedar and musk intended to connote the Indo-European origins of the Lithuanian language as well as Lithuanian strength of character, its designer says.

“For Lithuanians to identify themselves with this perfume, we’ve added the smell of wood fires that can be associated with pagan rituals, as well as moss and wildflowers,” Stongvilas said.

The creation of the perfume has been entrusted to France’s Galimard perfume from Grasse on the Riviera which has been in business since 1747. The first thousand bottles were produced for more than a 100,000 litas (28,900 euros, 38,792 dollars).

Lithuanian soldiers deployed in Afghanistan have also received samples. Soon it will be the turn of Lithuanian embassies, hotels and airports.

Buy a bottle for yourself at www.lietuvoskvapas.lt