Jean-Yves Bourgeois: How many exhibitors -- and visitors - were at the Cosmetic Business show in Munich in 2018? Was there an increase? Can you give more figures about the categories of visitors, and from which countries? 

Ivonne Simons: The CosmeticBusiness 2018 was the largest and most international edition to date: 419 exhibitors and companies from 19 countries – including about 70 new exhibitors – presented new ideas and solutions for the creation of the cosmetic products of the future at the MOC Munich. The trade fair showed its international side again: 37% of the exhibitors came from abroad – 2% more than during the last edition. This meant that more than 150 foreign companies were represented at CosmeticBusiness 2018. Most of the international exhibitors were from France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland.

Interest amongst the trade visitors was higher than ever. Visitors from 55 countries visited this year’s CosmeticBusiness, which had an international share of 31%–5% more than last year. A particularly large number of visitors came from Austria, Switzerland, Poland and Italy. Moreover, the trade fair exhibited a high level of decision-making authority: 91% of visitors are involved in the decision-making processes in their companies. CosmeticBusiness also distinguished itself through a large variety of trade visitors: There were employees from global market leaders, private label producers and chemists, niche suppliers and specialist cosmetics brands through to start-ups.

JYB:  You have decided to organize the show differently, with some specific areas. Can you explain your idea and what you will be doing for next year?

IS: The new trade fair highlights, such as the exhibition section Color Cosmetics and the Distributors Lounge, were very well received by exhibitors and visitors. For us, this confirms that the constant development of our trade fair keeps us at the heart of the industry. In the new exhibition section Color Cosmetics, suppliers of color cosmetics presented their product range. The Distributors Lounge, which hosted over 50 matchmaking sessions, also celebrated its successful premiere. The service particularly supported foreign suppliers and cosmetic brands in finding distributors from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Of course, we will continue to permanently listen to the industry to find out about new needs that may influence features of our show in the future, too.

JYB: I just had time to visit the show—do you organize conferences? If yes, what was the main topic this year; if not, do you think that you will invest more in this?

IS: The accompanying and comprehensive conference program of CosmeticBusiness offers plenty of room to discover trends, new developments and innovations from the cosmetics and supply industry. This year, the trend and specialist presentations – for example on current industry topics such as color and material trends, packaging design 4.0, and developments in the field of natural cosmetics – were very well attended. The newly introduced trend workshops from the Carlin Creative Trend Bureau were also very well received.

JYB: There are a lot of cosmetics shows in the world. Can you explain the specificity of your show and your goals for the future?

IS: CosmeticBusiness is an international trade fair in Europe, at which the cosmetics industry meets up with its suppliers and finds the wherewithal for the development of all kinds of cosmetic products, from raw materials and manufacturing to packaging. Our B2B trade fair is…a trend barometer for decision makers in senior management positions, in product management and development, as well as those in marketing, purchasing and production. It is here that the parameters for tomorrow’s cosmetic market will be set.

JYB: Communication is very important before and after the show. What are your tools in this matter?

IS: We have a varied communication mix consisting of activities in the fields of marketing, online marketing and media relations.

JYB: What do you expect for next year?

IS: The next CosmeticBusiness will take place from 5 to 6 June 2019 in the MOC Munich. We will continue optimizing the offer of our trade fair. CosmeticBusiness will be again the meeting place for the cosmetics industry and its suppliers, providing inspiration and exchange. 

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