Scents and events go together. Thorough event planners don’t just focus on the visual and auditory; they also think about how fragrance can enhance the gathering.
Attendees notice just about everything at an event. As they nervously mingle and chatter, their senses are on high alert. To create a truly memorable guest experience, it helps to take a holistic approach to guest comfort. And that means being intentional about scent marketing.
When setting up a trade show booth, you can be like other booths and accept the stale, convention space ambience…or you can stand out with a scent of your own. When prepping the hotel ballroom you’ve rented, you can overlook the mildewy smell the carpet has…or you can take your party to the next level with a portable scent machine.
When deployed with a thoughtful strategy, event scent marketing helps define your event and make it memorable. It creates an atmosphere that facilitates fun, energy, or whatever mood you wish to set.
To do event scent marketing right, you need to understand the strategy, the equipment, and how to choose the right fragrance.
Why Scent Marketing Matters at Events
Emotions and events go together, too. The purpose of many events is to make guests feel something. At a wedding, it’s all about beauty, love, and connection. At a business conference, the focus is on energy and action. At a birthday party, the atmosphere is fun but also nostalgic.
Of the five senses, smell is most closely tied to mood, memory, and emotion. In the human brain, these things are processed in the limbic system…and that’s exactly where scent-specific data goes when it’s inhaled.
It’s a big reason why smell-related memories are the most powerful, capable of whisking us “back in time” to memorable moments in our lives. It’s also why smells make such powerful impressions. And at an event, a good impression is exactly what you’re shooting for.
Your scent does many things, making the choice an impactful one:
- It sets the mood
- It reinforces your brand
- It separates your event from others
Whether your purpose is to generate interest from clients (business) or to ensure everyone has a good time (pleasure), scent is a great way to elevate your event.
Where Event Scenting Works Best
To understand where event scent works best, it’s important to make location assessment part of your strategy.
When you’re exploring event locations, consider how scent will work in those environments and how a scent machine might help achieve your goals. Ask questions like:
- How big is the space?
- How many people may come?
- Where can I put the scent machine?
- Are restrooms (and the smells they create) close by?
- Is scent needed for a few hours or a few days?
- Is there a noticeable scent to the space already, or is it neutral?
Done right, event scent marketing enhances your overall theme. Its purpose is not to overpower other scents (and guests!), but to supplement with subtlety.
Once you’ve assessed these elements, you can answer more specific questions like:
- What scent should I choose?
- What commercial diffuser (scent machine) will fit this space?
- What on/off schedule will keep the space consistently scented?
The more you consider, the more variables crop up. For some events, the variables may feel like too much to keep track of. That’s when it’s good to have a partner in your pocket like Aire-Master, who has been helping clients with scent solutions for over 60 years.
Commercial Scent Machines vs. Air Fresheners
Commercial scent machines are different from air fresheners in a couple of important ways. Air fresheners tend to be a quick, on-demand scent solution. They’re good for small spaces like vehicles or when you need a quick spray of fragrance in a small room or bathroom.
Scent machines for commercial use, on the other hand, are great for adding fragrance on a set-it-and-forget-it schedule. Aire-Master offers three solutions based on room size:
Small Spaces
Exclusively available at Aire-Master, D50 and D1000 scent and deodorant dispensers are ideal for offices, restrooms, entries, waiting areas, and more.
Medium Spaces
Aire-Master D100, D2000, and D2500 dispensers add scent to meeting spaces, larger lobbies, and retail areas.
Large Spaces
Aire-Master D3000 and D4000 dispensers are perfect for big indoor environments like conference centers, entertainment pavilions, casinos, and auditoriums.
Learn more about these Aire-Master options here.
Choosing the Right Fragrance for An Event
Based on historical precedent and scientific research, specific scents are associated with attention, energy, relaxation, and many other moods/feelings.
For calm arrivals, lounges, and high-stress moments
Lavender-based scents are known to help with relaxation. They tend to reduce anxiety in stressful settings, helping guests feel at ease. Vanilla, too.
Browse Calming Fragrances from Aire-Master that are great for reception/waiting areas, lounges, healthcare or wellness events, and more.
For focus, alertness, and conference energy
Want to infuse a space with energy? Lean toward scents like mint, citrus, and green tea. Citrus and eucalyptus-style fragrance notes can support a fresher, brighter atmosphere.
Browse Uplifting Fragrances from Aire-Master that are ideal for training, trade shows, networking meetings, and roundtable discussions.
For seasonal or themed events
There’s a scent (or several) for every season, which makes marketing for seasonal events easy and fun. Sometimes, this overlaps with a theme—think “Summer Strawberry”—that makes things even more fun. The key is finding a fragrance that fits your mix of season, theme, and brand.
Fresh Fragrances and Fun Fragrances from Aire-Master offer many seasonal and thematic aromas to help take your event to the next level.
As you assess the space for even scent marketing, be open to ideas generated by the space, the season, the theme, or a mix of all three. No matter what kind of event you’re holding, Aire-Master has a Welcoming Scent to fit.
Common Event Scenting Mistakes
Now that you’re beginning to analyze like a scent marketer, you need to be aware of the pitfalls.
Subtlety Works Best
Overpowering your guests with too much fragrance is counterproductive. Instead of drawing them in, it will turn them away.
Know the Flow
Air moves, and with it, scent. So before you scent a space, get to know the airflow. Find the vents, learn the HVAC schedule/settings, look at ceiling height, and be aware of door placement and proximity.
Ask the Right Questions
It’s easy to get caught up in whether you like a scent. But it’s important to take an objective stance when picking an aroma. The right question to ask is “Does this scent enhance the event, supplement the space, and benefit the brand?”
Mixing Can Be Too Much
If you’re considering more than one scent because your event space has more than one room, be careful. Executed incorrectly, it leads to a confusing miasma of fragrances…and probably a few headaches.
Planned carefully, this strategy can work wonders, but you need to understand scent zoning to do it right. The Aire-Master blog Scent Zoning for Businesses: How to Use Scent in the Right Places has all the answers.
Support Is Available
Commercial scent machines are wonderful scent marketing tools, but they do need regular attention. If managing fragrance oil levels, on/off schedules, and service feels like too much, that’s ok. Aire-Master has been helping clients strategize scent solutions since 1958; they’re here to help.
FAQs about Scents for Events
Can scent machines be used for temporary events?
Yes. Not every scenting strategy needs to be permanent. Depending on the space, event schedule, and equipment needs, a scent strategy may be designed for temporary, recurring, or ongoing use.
Where should scent machines be placed during an event?
Placement depends on airflow, room size, ceiling height, doorways, HVAC returns, guest movement, and the goal of the scent. Common areas include entrances, lobbies, registration spaces, lounges, restrooms, trade show booths, and exit areas.
What scent is best for a business event?
There is no single best scent for every business event. Conferences may benefit from fresh or uplifting fragrance families, while client receptions may call for something warmer and more refined. The best choice depends on the brand, audience, event purpose, and venue.
Are commercial scent machines better than air fresheners for events?
For a quick, small-area fix, an air freshener may be enough. For a professional event environment, commercial scent machines are usually better suited because they can provide more consistent, strategic fragrance coverage when installed and managed properly.
Can scent help guests remember an event?
Research suggests that scent can be connected to memory and brand recall in certain settings. For events, the best approach is to use a pleasant, consistent fragrance that supports the overall guest experience rather than relying on scent alone to create a memory.
How Aire-Master Can Help Businesses Create Better Event Experiences
There are lots of ways to elevate the “event experience,” and Aire-Master knows them all. Their capabilities go well beyond scent machines and fragrance libraries.
Aire-Master knows how to:
- Create a plan based on a proven strategy
- Assess the space with a focus on guest experience
- Select aromas that fit the event/brand/theme
- Choose scent machines to fit the space
- Take airflow and traffic into account
- Supplement with extra scenting on a temporary basis
- Maintain the equipment on the appropriate schedule
- Adjust to accommodate new trends
When it comes to event scent marketing, they’re adept at every part of the process, from planning to execution to maintenance. And they know how to customize each solution to fit your needs.
Whether you’re an event planner looking for an edge or the manager of a conference center looking for fresh ideas to draw more clients, you’re in the right place.
Get a quote from an Aire-Master near you today.