Indie Beauty Expo Expands for 2016

With its debut a success last summer, the organizers behind the Indie Beauty Expo (iBE) have announced plans for 2016, which includes two separate events.
 
“Last year, iBE validated two things: First, that the indie movement is large, highly relevant and growing. Second, that there is an unmet need in the market that is not addressed by the traditional trade or consumer beauty shows,” said Jillian Wright, co-founder of iBE. 
 
This year, iBE will also be held in Los Angeles (May 4-5) in addition to New York City (Aug. 24-25).

(Click for Happi's pre- and post-event coverage.)
  
“Globally, New York and Los Angeles are ranked second and third in per capita GDP.  New York is recognized as the center of beauty and lifestyle media, and Los Angeles includes a catchment area, which extends from San Diego to Santa Barbara. Together, these cities provide iBE exhibitors with access to two of the most valuable and commercially-meaningful 'must win' markets in the world,” said Nader Naeymi-Rad, co-founder of iBE.
 
The Shrine expo hall in Los Angeles will host the West Coast event.
 
For New York, organizers are shifting to The Waterfront in New York, a  larger commercial complex, to accomodate more exhibitors.
 
“Each iBE venue is recognized as an architectural monument that is rich in history and natural beauty,” said Wright. “The indie movement is rooted in independence, authenticity and the entrepreneurial journey. We chose venues that both honor this spirit and will provide indie brands with a suitable environment to showcase their amazing products.”
 
Based on the high volume of attendees at last year's event and projections for even more foot traffic in 2016, each iBE show has been extended to two full days. This allows the trade and consumer portions of the show to be held on separate days, and also gives buyers, press and consumers more dedicated time to discover and interact with exhibitors, according to Wright and Naeymi-Rad.
 
iBE will be implementing press and buyer-only segments, and also host a greater variety of workshops, panel discussions and speakers to serve the various interests of attendees.
 
All told, organizes contend they have have tripled the total event space to better facilitate attendee traffic and accommodate more areas for networking, educational events and entertainment, and doubled the number of brands who are participating.
 
iBE will also be curating brands in categories directly adjacent to beauty, such as wellness and lifestyle.
  
“iBE owes its success to the heartfelt support and amazing innovations coming from the indie community. We want to nurture the success of the indie community by building a powerful and internationally relevant platform from which indie entrepreneurs can showcase their brands. To do so, we will continue to invest heavily in iBE to make it the most compelling destination for buyers, press and consumers to discover, learn and experience indie brands,” concluded Naeymi-Rad.
 
To qualify, exhibitors must be 50% or more owned by individuals directly operating the company and have demonstrated commercial viability (fulfillment, marketing, sales, and customer support).
 
More info: http://indiebeautyexpo.com