Undisputed positive feedback serves as affirmation
of the strength and status of the leading beauty event
Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) furthered its reputation as the leading B2B beauty trade show by introducing revolutionary technologies and forward-thinking programs at its recent event, held annually at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Close to 30,000 attendees engaged with a record-breaking 1,017 exhibitors from 39 countries to discover unique brand launches; product innovations; new channels for distribution, packaging, and manufacturing; and to form key relationships with top industry professionals and retailers from July 12-14. The three-day event, which takes place under one roof encompassing more than 252,908 square feet, remains the single most important networking opportunity in the United States for all sectors of the global beauty industry.
CPNA is organized by North American Beauty Events, a joint venture between BolognaFiere Cosmoprof S.p.a., a leading Italian-based organizer of international trade shows such as Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, and the Professional Beauty Association (PBA), one of North America’s largest and most influential trade associations representing all categories in the professional beauty industry. The latter hosted its annual PBA Beauty Week, also at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, in conjunction with CPNA’s show, giving CPNA attendees even more unfiltered access to industry happenings and the ultimate platform for one-stop networking.
This year’s event had a strong international presence featuring 9 country pavilions representing cultural beauty from: Australia, Brazil, China/Tawain, Ecuador, Italy, Pakistan, Peru, South Korea and Spain. The event hosted 356 international exhibitors representing 39 countries.
Major Retailers
Major retailers come to CPNA to find what’s the newest and best in beauty from entrepreneurial companies. Organizations such as Barney’s NY, Ulta, C.O. Bigelows, Apothia, Duane Reade, HSN, Kohl’s, HSN, Pharmaca, Amazon.com, Beauty.com, Beauty Bar, Murale, MAS Global, CHALHOUB Group and many more were all present at the show.
Introduction of New Special Areas and Social Programs
CPNA introduced 3 brand new special areas to its lineup: Discover Scent, IBFE – Focus on the Beauty Supply Chain and Tones of Beauty. Discover Scent located on the Beauty Avenue featured 13 companies representing artisanal high end fragrances and fragrance suppliers and was developed in partnership with Sniffapalooza, a robust organization that unites fragrance aficionados and industry heavyweights worldwide. Tones of Beauty also made its CPNA debut in an effort to cater to the growing multicultural beauty market. Ten brands across 5 distinct categories—skin, hair, cosmetics, fragrance, and lifestyle—were curated by Corey Huggins of love, Aunt Bonnie to exhibit as innovators in the polyethnic market. Another program freshly added to the exhibition was the International Business Forum & Exhibition – Focus on the Beauty Supply Chain. This new area serves as a business platform for companies specialized in packaging, machinery, OEM and raw materials, which gave them the opportunity to present to beauty professionals innovative technologies and new projects in an effort to fulfill the request for innovation and research of the North American beauty market.
To support the new focus on fragrance, CPNA partnered with Air Aroma who developed a custom fragrance that was piped into several areas of the exhibition, while to support the packaging sector The Dieline Awards honoring packaging innovators hosted a special pop-up installation making its first appearance at CPNA. Tones of Beauty also welcomed a select group of multicultural digital influencers who created live brand and consumer interactions throughout the course of the event.
The B2B Connection Hub
Ensuring maximum brand visibility for its exhibitors and guests, CPNA enabled connections with key buyers and leading online influencers. As part of the Domestic Buyer, International Buyer, Discover Beauty Buyer and IBF&E – Focus on the Beauty Supply Chain buyer programs over 750 one-on-one meetings occurred throughout the show. In addition, and unique to CPNA, leading TV shopping channels EVINE Live, HSN and QVC auditioned 22 select brands onsite to find their next winning on-air products. The US Commercial Service group also hosted nearly 350 export counseling meetings and arranged approximately 225 meetings between US exhibiting companies and international buyer delegates. Leading online personalities were in attendance and shared news from the show floor with their followers. The invited bloggers have a combined audience of 20 million followers. They posted live from the show floor on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, getting more than 200,000 engagements to date.
The Growth of Existing Initiatives
From the Interactive Experience and Interactive Technology area to the popular BOUTIQUE sampling program and stellar education sessions, CPNA’s existing initiatives surpassed expectations and wowed attendees. Courtesy of drom Fragrances, mycoocoon, and Pulsar, CPNA’s Interactive Area boasted a mood altering multisensorial experience that married the visual (chromatherapy) with scent (fragrances that match the color moods) and the auditory sense (music to match the color moods). In addition, the Interactive Technology Area offered unique exhibits from FaceCake Marketing Technologies, Good Apple Digital, and Hone. Attendees also flocked to the BOUTIQUE sampling area to curate their own beauty box, created by HCT Group, and helped raise a little over $16,000 for City of Hope. Attendees had ample opportunity to experience all things beauty: over 1,500 people fully immersed themselves in the coveted education conferences moderated by executives from ICMAD, F.I.T., CEW, WWD, Beauty Store Business, Beauty Packaging, INC. Magazine and more.
CPNA Hosts PBA Beauty Week
One of the most anticipated events was PBA Business Forum featuring Beauty Pitch with renowned entrepreneurs Mark Cuban and John Paul DeJoria (Co-founder, Paul Mitchell Hair Care). After a brief Q&A session moderated by PBA Chairman Scott Buchanan with Melissa Goldstein (Beauty Director, Martha Stewart Living) and Neil Parmar (INC.com), five pre-selected companies received the opportunity to pitch their brands and products live—to Cuban and DeJoria. The winning company, 100% Pure, received a one-year mentorship from Cuban and a $10,000 cash prize, courtesy of the private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners in conjunction with CircleUp.
The 2015 North American Hairstyling Award winners were recognized during a star-studded awards ceremony on July 12 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Held during PBA Beauty Week, North America’s largest, most inclusive beauty event, NAHA drew more than 3,000 attendees to the event, while thousands tuned in to watch PBA’s live streaming broadcast online at nahalive.com. This year’s celebration was hosted by Brad Goreski, a TV personality, fashion stylist, lifestyle expert and one of the new hosts of E!’s “Fashion Police.” NAHA’s top honor, Hairstylist of the Year, was presented to Robert Grimes from RLG Salon in Austin, TX. This is Grimes’s first NAHA Hairstylist of the Year honor. This year also included a NAHA first, with the addition of the Nail Professional of the Year category.
Cosmoprof North America will return to Mandalay Bay Convention Center for its 2016 event, July 24 – 26. Stay tuned to www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com for information and updates. Also, visit the official CPNA Facebook page (facebook.com/cosmoprofnorthamerica).
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Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) is the award winning premier international B2B beauty trade show covering all facets of the industry under one roof and the largest event of its kind in the Americas. For more information, please visit www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com. Event information and exhibitor updates are also posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@COSMOPROFNA).
