This year’s Cosmoprof Bologna had all the ingredients for success, following a previous two years beset by economic woes and natural disasters, as Nadia Di Martino reports
In 2009 it was the credit crunch which affected Cosmoprof Bologna, while in 2010 it was the unexpected eruption of an Icelandic volcano which caused enormous disruption to air travel on the very day the exhibition opened its doors.
Given the previous two troubled shows, organiser SoGeCos had better expectations for this year’s 44th edition. Luckily these expectations were fulfilled, with visitors from many countries around the world gathering in large numbers in Bologna to see what was new in the world of beauty.
“I like to think of Cosmoprof Bologna 2011 as the awakening of a sleeping beauty. The dedicated areas in Cosmoprof, together with a number of workshops, press conferences and dinner parties have contributed to make this year’s event an incredible success,” commented Aureliana De Sanctis, managing director of SoGeCos.
Of the same opinion was Gino Cocchi, president of SoGeCos and vice president of BolognaFiere and of Confindustria Bologna: “Every year Cosmoprof brings a breath of fresh air, change and internationalism to Bologna while Bologna offers Cosmoprof a practical city that makes the exhibition pleasant and of the highest quality.”
Cocchi continues: “The great novelty for 2011 is that Cosmoprof Bologna has been able to weather the recent economic crisis by facing change bravely, supporting it with investments and improving the services for the exhibitors. Basically Comsoprof Bologna focused on the problems and transformed them into opportunities.”
And after just one day at the show, Unipro’s president, Fabio Franchina, was also of the same mindset: “I am happy to say that this year represents a great success for the exhibition. Cosmoprof Bologna has given motivation and enthusiasm back to the business.” Franchina went so far as saying that if he had to choose a word to describe the event he’d pick “unmissable” which was quite an endorsement.
Foreign comeback
This year Cosmoprof aimed at upping its ante in terms of technology. The exhibition was streamed live on the Cosmoprof website, allowing consumers to view the show from the privacy of their own homes for the first time. Also a new addition, the Official Cosmoprof Blogger booth was set up and hosted six international beauty bloggers who reported live on the exhibition.
In total, 2,300 exhibitors from 58 countries, taking over an area of 194,000sqm, formed the heart of Cosmoprof Bologna 2011. On the opening day, the exhibition recorded the return of an increasing number of foreign visitors, especially from the US, France, Germany, eastern Europe and the Middle East. A new influx of visitors also came from India, Australia and the Far East.
The show recorded an increase of foreign visitors of 8% compared to the previous year to total 36,076. Italian visitors meanwhile numbered 141,211, a huge increase of 25% over 2010. All of the above data, released by the organiser SoGeCos, highlighted a real return to form for the 44th edition of Cosmoprof Bologna, a show which managed to welcome a total of 177,287 visitors through its doors in just four days.
Some of the foreign exhibitors were adamant that Cosmoprof Bologna remains the place to be seen. Eric Arminjon, vice president marketing for Canadian brand Dans Un Jardin, said: “Cosmoprof was actually brilliant last year and this edition is also really huge. It’s the opportunity to showcase our products and because we are a niche brand we feel this is the best platform for us.”
For some it was a first visit, as in the case of Bulgarian company Star Nails. Svetlina Nikolova from the company commented: “We are currently sold only in Bulgaria and Romania and because we felt the time was right to take part in an exhibition, we chose Cosmoprof as it is the biggest show of its kind worldwide. We used to come here as visitors and we have always made good contacts here.”
Indeed, many brands used Cosmoprof as the platform to launch new products. Travelling from Germany, Cosnova relaunched its colour cosmetics brand Catrice at the show while in the skin care arena it launched My Skin as part of its Essence line, dedicated to young consumers. Director of communications Petra Schönegger was enthusiastic about the exhibition: “It’s good to come to Comosprof because we can meet existing clients and also potential distributors. The show went well for us so we plan to attend again next year.”
Meanwhile Israeli company Dead Sea Minerals presented its new skin care range, The Black Caviar Collection. Export director Erez Mizrahi commented on the exhibition: “At this time the remit for Cosmprof is not so clear. It has its ups and downs. Perhaps it should be re-thought and held every two years otherwise the buyers don’t get the chance to see many new launches here.”
Some exhibitors complained about quality being overlooked in favour of attracting hordes of the general public. This was especially evident in the nail halls which were populated by those eager to buy OPI nail polish at cost price. Some exhibitors complained about the dates chosen for the show, and the fact that it included a weekend, which for some wasn’t the best use of time.
Nevertheless Cosmoprof Bologna strived to approach beauty with a new spirit and focused on the holistic concept of beauty as a quality that comes from within. At the opening press conference on 18 March, De Sanctis explained: “This year we have taken inspiration from the concept of beauty as purity of heart. The ‘beauty generation’ that Cosmoprof represents has a positive attitude and is not only beautiful on the outside but from within too. With this comprehensive concept at its foundation, Cosmoprof Bologna is a real variety of events this year.”
Nailing it
A driving sector for the beauty industry worldwide in the last couple of years, nail care occupied Hall 21 with the Love Nails Space. It even featured a nail bar where Martini aperitifs were served in the classic Italian tradition.
US brand OPI celebrated its 30th birthday at Cosmoprof with a private party. The exhibition has become a pivotal event for the brand. This year the company previewed its new collection which has been developed in conjunction with the latest Pirates of the Caribbean film and the range will be released to tie-in with the film’s release later this summer.
Alessandro Viale, customer care executive for OPI Italia, commented: “The nail care sector in Italy is developing and it’s the only segment showing very strong growth. The entire nail care sector grew by 27% from 2009 to 2010 in Italy and OPI has seen its sales increase by a massive 35% in the same period. The first quarter of 2011 has already seen a record 25% growth for the company.”
When it came to talking about Cosmoprof Bologna 2011, Viale appeared less enthusiastic however. “We have seen sales double during the first two days here compared to last year, but on the other hand we are really disappointed about the services provided by the organisers of the exhibition. I believe this is why popular brands including some of the hair care giants don’t come to Cosmoprof anymore.
“In my opinion the service provided here is not worth the expense we face as exhibitors. The nature of Cosmoprof Bologna has changed and it has become an exhibition for private consumers and not for professionals as it was originally. Selling to the public is good for OPI but certainly not relevant for many other companies,” he concluded.
However, the idea that being present at Comosprof Bologna implies visibility and success remained widespread among most exhibitors. “We are having a positive experience and anyway we have the feeling we cannot miss out on this show,” said Suzanne Uding, sales manager for Dutch natural hair and nail care brand Trind.
“The show is very international and we find it easy to do business here so we will definitely come back next year as we find it very valuable to be here.” Trind used Comosprof as a platform to launch its new Caring Colour nail range, manufactured in Holland.
Hair grows its presence
Hair care, another driving segment in the Italian beauty industry, covered a dedicated area in Cosmoprof that spread itself out over several halls including Hall 36 where the On Hair Industry event took place on the 20 and 21 March.
Some of the most popular hair stylists in the world performed in this space, showcasing the latest hair trends – among were them Aldo Coppola for Aldo Coppola Hair Therapy and Mark Hayes for the Sassoon Academy.
Italian company Framesi, which manufactures professional hair care products, was in attendance at the show where it presented its new products to visitors by way of a 4D video which was supposed to give the public a 360 degree sensorial experience – for example viewers could experience the blast of a hair dryer while watching an interactive hair styling demonstration.
Marta Confalonieri, press office executive for the company commented: “The exhibition this year is definitely giving us valuable contacts and the fact that Framesi is totally up to date with the latest trends in hair care, which are anti-ageing and the concept of hair spa, definitely helps.”
Another Italian manufacturer, Emsibeth Cosmetics, showcased its innovative Thermal Colour line at Cosmoprof. Alessandra Tadei, export sales manager, said: “Our range of hair care products is based on spa water from Caldero, a city near Verona. We also employ the same thermal water for our skin care products as it’s ideal for irritated skin.” Tadei added that being at Cosmoprof was really important to the company and its experience at Cosmoprof was definitely a positive one. “We will certainly be back next year as Cosmoprof Bologna is the meeting point for beauty worldwide.”
Showcasing variety
As always, Cosmoprof Bologna tried to cater for all tastes and needs. Hall 25N housed the Green Pavilion, dedicated to natural and organic products. Tina Gill, marketing and sales manager at Organic Monitor, told ECM: “We have found Cosmoprof to be the largest trade show for the beauty industry, in terms of the number of exhibitors and visitors.
“We estimate that Cosmoprof has hosted over 400 natural and organic exhibitors this year. In terms of any downsides, the large number of exhibitors and visitors makes the show very crowded at times and it’s difficult to meet enough exhibitors over a relatively short period of time.”
The trend for natural and organic products is still one of the most popular in Europe and this was evident at Cosmoprof. “We have used Cosmoprof to announce that we have recently received NOP certification,” commented Nathalie Vidal, communications manager at Laboratoires Bea. “This will improve our export business in the US as we have many customers over there. We are utilising Cosmoprof as the platform to launch our new range, which is based on pomegranate.”
In other areas of the show, Halls 25 and 26 were out of bounds to the general public and featured selective brands including certain perfumers and colour cosmetics brands including Germany’s Artdeco and Denmark’s Gosh together with skin care brands like Juvena and Mavala.
In this area Sergio Porazzi, commercial director for Eurostyle and the brands bellaoggi and Amarena, felt that this year Cosmoprof was something of a paradox: “We have had less contact with Italian buyers and more contact with foreign buyers including those from Russia, North Africa and Spain. Also, even though compared to other years we have made fewer contacts, the ones we have made seem to be excellent so hopefully they will convert into actual business further down the line.”
Capone Prestige was also present in the selective area with its El Charro fragrance. According to sales director, Massimo Priori: “Cosmoprof Bologna is a great opportunity for us as the world can get to know us. However I believe in the past five years the exhibition has changed a great deal. The organisers should reorganise the show and exhibit the novelties and new products in the perfumery areas in a more meaningful way.”
Meanwhile, far from the pavilions, in the fairytale setting of the Re Enzo palace in Bologna, Cosmoprof did celebrate the perfumery sector holding the 22nd Accademia del Profumo International Awards which recognised excellence in the fragrance arena. Held on the evening of the 19 March, according to Franchina the awards were “a testimony to the renovation that the perfumery sector has undergone in Italy of late”.
Much to celebrate
As always, Italian industry body Unipro released its key 2010 industry results on the opening day of the exhibition and Franchina told the assembled press: “In 2009 the Italian market recorded a 3% growth which was exceptional considering that was the most difficult economic year for a long time.
Last year was definitely the time to check how the market was really performing and with a 1.3% growth we are happy to say that these results are durable and constant.”
Franchina also discussed some other data that was even more reassuring - the 17% growth of the export market, previously the most affected sector in Italy during the recession with losses of around 12%.
“The main markets we export to are Germany, France, the UK and the US. We have also increased our exports to Hong Kong by a massive 54% and this is great as it’s the door to China,” commented Franchina.
Last year’s figures proved that Italy has a strong and healthy market able to respond to specific consumer needs and to a variety of sectors. Unipro estimates that Italian men use seven beauty products on a daily basis while in the case of women the number goes up to 14.
Franchina added: “The most spectacular result for us in 2010 was the performance of pharmacies, whose sales increased by 3.5% showing that this channel is increasingly identified as a knowledgeable outlet for purchasing skin care. There was also the revamp of perfumeries which has become the second lead channel of distribution after two years of difficulties.”
More good news came from the beauty salon and hair salon sector and direct sales also saw good results growing by 6%. Online sales have started to grow noticeably, up 11% on the previous year to a total value of t100m and, according to Franchina, the segment is now very relevant to the overall market.
Franchina also believes that positive signs in the cosmetics industry in Italy are almost everywhere despite certain areas showing slight contraction.
For instance there’s no way to check how many products men use as they often borrow from the women in their lives.
Export expectations
Gian Andrea Positano, director of Unipro’s statistical centre, commented on the Unipro results: “The forecast for the future is that Italian exports will increase partly thanks to the
re-evaluation of the US dollar.” Positano also explained that Italy is currently aiming at developing its relations with overseas markets as part of its long-term strategy.
“In India the cosmetics industry has been growing steadily and consumers there are very much into hygiene, personal care and a mix of wellness and well-being so this is definitely an interesting market for Italy to look to.
“With regards to the Middle East, it remains quite challenging for medium sized companies to get a break there so many use Cosmoprof Bologna as a way to get contacts in this area first.”
Competition for business in new markets is indeed tough but the reputation of Cosmoprof Bologna as a showcase for beauty is far reaching and many do use the show as a springboard for future success.
Having achieved great results and much positive feedback this year, the exhibition can be proud that its reputation as a key event for those in the beauty industry has been restored to full health.