Nearly 25,000 Attend Cosmoprof North America

What happens in Vegas just might have a big impact on the US personal care industry. Cosmoprof North America, which was held July 31-Aug. 2 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center enabled nearly 25,000 attendees to connect, experience new products and conduct significant business meetings with over 760 exhibitors.

As in years past, Cosmoprof North America attracted many new and innovative brands in addition to industry leaders such as Ahava, Conair, CND, Essie / L’Oreal Professional, Maletti, Moroccan Oil, OPI Nail, Orly, Rusk, Sportarredo, TIGI and Zotos International.

Four exceptional students from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) 2011 B.S. graduating class participated in this year’s Trend Scout Program. Granted unrestricted access to the show floor, the Trend Scouts toured the show and spoke with exhibitors to discover new product launches. They reported on their findings via Twitter and Facebook posts giving the entire industry access to these new beauty discoveries while further enhancing Cosmoprof North America’s social media presence. Their reports were posted in real-time at the main entrance of the show floor, helping attendees identify the current trends. Later this month, Cosmoprof North America will issue the first ever Trend Report which will be based on the scouts findings.

Staying connected during Cosmoprof North America was made easier by utilizing Foursquare. Prior to and during the event, attendees and exhibitors shared where they were on the show floor and took advantage of show specials which were only available to users by “checking in” on their phones or hand-held devices. Attendees also gained quick access to the show floor map, found preferred exhibitors and located products based on category, courtesy of chirpe.com/cosmoprof2011. This interactive map feature, created for smart phone devices, was a first-time feature debuting at this year’s event. The return of another successful tool, One-2-One Beauty Matchmaking software, delivered outstanding results, facilitating one-on-one introductions between manufacturers and distributors; more than 900 appointments were generated and accepted as requested by buyers.

Through close-knit collaborations with countries seeking to expand their beauty trade presence, Cosmoprof North America dedicated special sections on the show floor to distinct International Country Pavilions. Country Pavilions allow small- and medium-sized companies from select markets to participate in the event with the objective of obtaining direct “face time” with distributors and retailers to secure U.S. distribution. Featured countries at the 2011 show included Argentina, Brazil, China, Italy, South Korea, and Taiwan.

The International Buyer Program, a Cosmoprof North America exclusive, sponsored once again by UNIPRO, continued to unite buyers and sellers around the world with the resources, contacts, and data to build business partnerships. Returning to the show for the ninth year, beauty and cosmetic companies showcased their products and were offered the opportunity to have pre-scheduled appointments with a group of selected importers and distributors. Overall, 560 meetings were held as part of the International Buyer Program involving more than 200 exhibiting companies and 134 qualified international buyers. The international buyers were invited from Argentina, Australia, Benin, Canada, Congo, Guinea, Japan, Mauritania, Mexico, Peru, Senegal Uganda and Uruguay.