What visitors and exhibitors have to say about this
year’s show and advice for the next
Spanning across three continents in three cities—Bologna, Las Vegas and Hong Kong—Cosmoprof is undeniably the world’s largest and most anticipated beauty exhibition. Each year, Cosmoprof North America takes place in Las Vegas where the annual event attracts exhibitors, buyers, press and visitors for three days of exciting launches, deal making and educational discussions.
This year’s event was held July 12 -14 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center and drew a huge crowd of beauty veterans and newbies all clamoring to see what’s next in the cosmetics, skin, nails, hair and fragrance industries. Cosmoprof North America takes place directly after the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) and has evolved to include sections focusing on manufacturing; countries—including Brazil, Chile, China and Italy; Spotlight—a section for new and emerging brands; Tones of Beauty and Discover Scent.
Exhibitors ranged from large and familiar brands, like Revlon Professional, to newer brands including Pottymints—the world’s first dissolvable air refreshing tablets for the bathroom—who debuted new products and drew rave reviews. We caught up with a few show-goers to see what they gleaned from this year’s event.
love, Aunt Bonnie
“This was my fourth consecutive year attending the North American show and my seventh year in total after attending the Bologna show,” shared Corey Huggins, Founder & Global CEO of love, Aunt Bonnie. Huggins worked with Cosmoprof to develop Tones of Beauty, a luxury showcase catering to the Black and Brown beauty market. Huggins, who was able to solidify new clients from Africa and Europe at the show, found the show to be beneficial as he was able to discover brands from all over the world and interact with them under one roof to really get to know them. His advice to brands considering attending next year is to be prepared; know which brands you have to meet and make those the priority. He advises looking to discover new brands after that.
Men Rock
First time attendee and UK-based men’s grooming company Men Rock decided to attend the show only nine months prior, after attending Cosmoprof Bologna, and they certainly made an impact. Men Rock’s Managing Partner, Paul Johnson, had a threefold goal set when he decided to exhibit at Cosmoprof North America: (1) to see if the US buyers would be as excited as consumers in Europe have been, (2) to build a distribution network for US expansion and (3) to gain a better understanding of the US market. “We were overwhelmed with the positive reception and there is every chance that we made all the contacts to be able to launch effectively in the US ahead of our own targets,” Johnson stated. His advice for future attendees is to be clear on your objectives going in and not be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the show and opportunities. Weigh your opportunities and get ready to begin the hard work after the show.
MD Solar Sciences
Trusted brand MD Solar Sciences is available in the professional channel (i.e. dermatologist offices), but decided to exhibit at Cosmoprof as an entryway into the prestige market to share their efficacious products for modern women. Visitors were able to meet with MD Solar Sciences in the Discovery Beauty area where they had the chance to tell their story, and set up intimate meetings with buyers and press looking to learn more about the science behind their preventative and restorative line.
My Skin
Corey Williams, a licensed cosmetologist with over 23 years of industry experience and the CEO of My Skin, attended the show to gain insight and meet with distributors for the brand. Williams attends several shows a year and believes that Cosmoprof is one of the best in the industry. “Our expectations were met,” said Williams. “We were able to gain exposure to our brand and gain the right niche of distribution that we were looking for.” My Skin produces an effective, yet gentle solution for ingrown hairs and other skin problems.
Scents of Place
Perhaps the most exciting thing of beauty that I saw at the show was the Scents of Place fragrance machine from 5th Screen Design. I learned about the concept a few years back at a trend forecasting event, so I was thrilled to see that the idea had come to life. Scents of Place is a revolutionary fragrance-sampling device that allows consumers to learn about fragrance while testing them out using a digital fragrance dispenser. The juice is emitted in the air so you can sample as many as you like without the fear of mixing or over layering. For retail outlets looking for a new way to attract and generate more fragrance sales, this could be used in a variety of settings—perhaps as an airport vending machine.
The beauty industry is constantly evolving, but one thing remains the same: our desire to find innovative ways to meet the consumer’s lifestyle and demands. Attending a tradeshow like Cosmoprof is a great way to see what’s new and build relationships with distributors, other brands, buyers, marketing firms and the press. It’s up to the brands to attend and present what’s new in the beauty space, and if you are an attendee, do your homework, come prepared and get ready for the rush after the show.
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