FirsTaste 2026: A Taste of Tomorrow
Join us on October 22, 2026 at Bell Works in Holmdel, NJ!
Don’t miss Tastepoint’s next FirsTaste event, where the physical and digital world collide! Discover a seamless blend of technology and taste as our teams showcase the latest in flavor and ingredient solutions, emerging food and beverage trends, dynamic industry speakers and unique, interactive experiences. Join us to fuel your product development pipeline, spark your creativity, and accelerate digital-driven innovation across your portfolio.
FirsTaste is a free, two-day, invite-only event for Tastepoint and IFF customers.
Night Before Event
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Happy Hour Event at Bell Works
6:00pm – 9:00pm
Join us at Bar Bella on the first floor of Bell Works for food, drinks, and an IFF Scent Citrus Anthology Showcase. Enjoy time indoors or outside on the Bell Works patio while connecting with Tastepoint and IFF Account Teams, as well as IFF Perfumers. Dinner and drinks will be provided.
FirsTaste Event
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Bell Works
101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733
8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Breakfast, Welcome Address & Energizing Opening Session
Start the day with a hearty breakfast and an inspiring opening session presented by Colleen Orozco, IFF Regional Manager, Human Futures. Through a dynamic look at consumer behavior and the evolving role of food and beverage in the digital age, she'll set the stage for a day of insight, innovation and inspiration.
Innovation Showcase
The Innovation Showcase is the heart and soul of FirsTaste! A true collaboration between our teams—including creation and design, sensory and consumer insights, and marketing— results in a dynamic showcase of new, cutting-edge concepts, flavors, and technologies designed to help fuel your product portfolio!
At the Innovation Showcase, you’ll get insight into food and beverage trends and taste never-seen-before concepts designed to reimagine what’s possible. We highlight opportunities reflected in both current and future marketplace landscapes through:
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Future-forward flavor introductions
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Innovative category applications and formats
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Targeted consumer trend insights
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Breakthrough technologies and ingredients powered by IFF
Afternoon Experiences & Session
The afternoon will feature a lunch break + a curated series of experiences and a speaking session designed to immerse you in this year’s theme of digital transformation.
Experiences:
Immersive, interactive demos that will challenge thinking and inspire new possibilities. Watch IFF’s digital tools come to life to enhance the physical experience of food and beverage.
- The Vanilla Vault where our Vanilla legacy and expertise meet IFF's Concept Muse platform.
- Mood Scapes: A Digital Immersive Experience exploring the intersection of Product Experience capabilities and digital immersion in the IFF Scent office and virtual home space.
Afternoon Session:
Hear from Becky Graham, IFF Digital Marketing Director, and Mimi Sherlock, IFF VP Human Futures and PX, as we explore IFF's newest digital tool for product innovation.
About the Venue:
Bell Works is home to one of IFF’s state-of-the-art Scent locations and also the filming location of the hit show Severence. Self-coined the “Metroburb,” it is a one-of-a-kind destination for business and culture, complete with a ecosystem of technology, offices, retail, dining and more. The building is the reimagination of historic former Bell Labs building, designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen in 1962. Bell Labs was a birthplace for many leading technological innovations of the 20th century, and now the building has been reborn as a lively one-of-a-kind destination for business and culture. Tying into the rich history in technological advancements at Bell Works, our FirsTaste 2026 event is themed around digital transformations and how digital tools can transform the food and beverage world.
Check out all Bell Works has to offer here: https://bell.works/new-jersey/explore/
Hotel Accommodations:
If you’re staying in our hotel block at the Courtyard Marriott Lincroft, there will be shuttles to and from the events for the Night Before Event and FirsTaste. Look out for a confirmation email with the shuttle schedules!
