by Kerstan Szczepanski
Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) is the leading b2b beauty tradeshow in the Americas. July 11 – 13 the Las Vegas exposition was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, celebrating 20 years of highlighting the best in skin, hair and nail care, toiletries, fragrances, tools, and accessories for professional retailers and distributors. With shows in Bologna, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Mumbai, and Bangkok, the Cosmoprof network is a powerhouse worldwide platform that includes over half a million professionals and 10,000 exhibitors. January 23rd-25th, Cosmoprof North America will inaugurate its Miami show, focusing on business in South and Central America, the Caribbean, and the East Coast of the US.
ECN’s Christy DiGiambattista sat down with Liza Rapay, head of marketing for Cosmoprof, to ask how the Las Vegas show has gone and how it is different from past shows.
Rapay says, “Last year we had two halls, the older hall which was dedicated to our supply chain solutions, and all the finished products in the West Hall. Putting them under one roof this year made navigating (the tradeshow) much easier than last year.”
And there’s a great deal to navigate. With 20% growth in attendance over last year, Cosmoprof North America is the giant of the industry. 1100 beauty brands and retailers, buyers, and distributors from 108 countries filled the West Hall. The long list of attendees ran the gamut from Walmart, Costco, and Target thru Sally Beauty to Neiman Marcus, Estée Companies, Revlon, and L’Oréal.
“This year’s Cosmoprof was the busiest we have been in many years,” states Harlan Kirschner, CEO of the Kirschner Group, Inc., in CPNA’s press release. “Not only was our domestic sales team overbooked with appointments, but our teams in Canada, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Latin America were very busy and held amazing meetings with our brands exhibiting. Every brand was pleased with the success of the show and the quality of customers who attended.”
“We’re so excited,” Rapay enthused. “It is our twentieth anniversary, 44% of our registrants are brand new! The beauty industry is always so dynamic. If you look at the numbers last year for growth, beauty is the only sector that grew in units, not just in dollars. People are shopping again, putting on makeup and wearing scents again, going out. Very exciting.”
Cosmoprof North America serves as the premier launching pad for new beauty brands by introducing revolutionary technologies, product innovations, and new channels of manufacturing, packaging, and distribution. www.cosmoprof.com
