It’s Sweet 16 for Cosmoprof North America as the beauty exhibition gears up for its 16th edition, to be held again at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas from July 29- 31.


Registration is open for the all-encompassing B2B beauty exhibition. The award-winning event covers all facets of the industry, offering retailers, distributors, beauty brands and suppliers the unique opportunity to discover trend-directional solutions to meet their needs from the acclaimed packaging, cosmetic and personal care and professional beauty pavilions.


The event also provides ample opportunity for attendees to grow their business through its robust educational programs which are now also open for registration. Programs are being offered in cooperation with many leading associations and publications including Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), Entrepreneur Magazine, Buzzfeed, Insider’s Guide to Spas, The Brain Trust-CAA, FIDM, Beauty Packaging, BXP Magazine, Fat Mascara, Professional Beauty Association (PBA) and Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW).


The Entrepreneur Academy offers a day-long series of workshops not offered at any other industry event or trade show, according to organizers. The academy focuses on everything attendees need to know to run a beauty business. Additional programs will continue to be offered in the coming weeks. Attendees are encouraged to check www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com/education  for updates and additional offerings.


“Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) is a celebration of beauty that provides key executives from around the world with the opportunity to discover new partnerships for growth and innovative solutions for evolving brands,” said Daniela Ciocan, marketing director, CPNA. “This year’s unique educational programs, coupled with the high caliber of our attendees, guarantees yet another successful event that will exceed expectations.”


New Attractions


Attendees seeking inspiration will find it in Vegas—one visit delivers a comprehensive view on trends from more than 45 countries and across all beauty sectors including professional beauty, according to organizers. Those looking to upgrade their formulas or packaging can find more than 100 suppliers on the exhibit floor, and in the Discover Pack area, they can identify new exhibitors that have unique solutions to offer. Inspiration and insights into cool recycled materials that the beauty industry should consider will be on display in the Material Connexion Innovation Wall, a first at this year’s event. 


CPNA also has announced a collaboration with Founders Factory—a London-based global digital accelerator and incubator. Backed by L’Oréal, Aviva, easyJet, The Guardian, Holtzbrinck and CSC, Founders Factory is a new model for corporate innovation and startup creation.


CPNA attendees and exhibitors will have the unique opportunity to learn about Founders Factory and apply to the Beauty Tech Accelerator program onsite at the convention, noted the organizer.


“The collaboration with Founders Factory enables CPNA to continuously maintain its leadership for offering unmatched business building networking and learning opportunities,” Ciocan said. “We are thrilled for the opportunity to give our participants rare access into this revolutionary program.”


Startups Welcome

Within a dedicated Founders Factory lounge in the Interactive Technology area on the CPNA show floor, visitors can experience some of the latest beauty tech solutions from program graduates and meet directly with a Founders Factory representative. Select applicants will participate in the six-month bespoke program and receive rare access to a global network of entrepreneurs, business and world leaders. From business plan development and fundraising to product engineering and marketing, an in-house team of 60 specialists are committed to helping program participants propel their brand, according to organizers.


“Founders Factory provides one of the most tailored growth programs in the world and we have a mission to find and develop the most promising early stage startups through an open innovation culture. We are a talent magnet and we are encouraging any budding entrepreneur with a passion for beauty and technology to come and visit us!” said Laura Delgado, business development lead at Founders Factory. “Our collaboration with Cosmoprof North America offers an unparalleled platform for us to meet with the best in beauty and ensure optimal program visibility.”


Fashionable Ideas


Another important partnership at CPNA is the collaboration with the  Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), which reinforces innovation and continuous education in the evolving world of beauty. FIDM undergraduate students were challenged to create a connected beauty concept for 2050. Finalists will be featured at CPNA.


“We are thrilled to work with FIDM on this unique project,” said Ciocan. “Not only do we have the opportunity to support the next generation of beauty industry professionals but we also get to share their futuristic concepts to our forward-thinking beauty lovers at our upcoming event.”


Besides creating some new concepts, the collaboration between CPNA and FIDM gives students first-hand experience with international companies and provides an engaging way for them to build key business skills. Five teams, each focused on one beauty category and consisting of one graphic design and one beauty marketing student, will be asked to consider what smart packaging might look like in 30 years, as well as what kind of formulation or delivery system products will have. Students will be required to answer these questions as well as how the product will ultimately look and be displayed.


“We always seek out collaborations and opportunities that are in line with our school’s mission and can enhance the experience for our students,” said Tina Perez, director of beauty industry management for FIDM. “The challenge CPNA gave our students will benefit them beyond measure but it’s also thrilling to know these concepts could spark further innovation and potentially fuel the next big beauty tech solution.”


To underscore the incredible power of packaging and formulation in the beauty industry, Cosmoprof will again present the Beauty Innovation & Design Awards (BeautyID Awards) in partnership with Beauty Packaging. The awards recognize creativity in packaging design, material and product formulation in the beauty segment. The awards cover all cosmetic product categories (hair, nail, skin, color, personal care, fragrance and sustainability) across professional, prestige and mass market segments. Winners will be announced during a celebratory reception held on July 30.


“The inaugural awards last year were an incredible success—with an abundance of creative and innovative submissions from around the world.  And we have another impressive group of submissions this year,” said Ciocan. “In today’s virtual world, where social media is more impactful than ever, creative package design is critical to success and our industry is delivering,” I’m proud we are able to provide another platform for brands to stand out while simultaneously maintaining our leadership for delivering such programs.”


New at CPNA is the Beauty Vanities program. Created to provide access for smaller brands to make a splash at the show, the show space offers value pricing for upstart brands. Participation in Beauty Vanities gives exhibitors access to many of CPNA’s special area programs such as buyers programs, TV shopping auditions and innovative social media programs, such as Beauty-E Zone, CPNA Beauty Reviews and See It @ CPNA.


Attendees also have the opportunity to visit Boutique to create their own personalized box with deluxe or full-size samples from selected exhibitors. And those interested in getting cool apps or digitally supported tools into their lineup must visit the interactive area anchored by Founder’s Factory, which will meet with candidates interested in signing up for the accelerator. •


More info: www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com