NYSCC Suppliers’ Day continues growth trajectory
2011 event ‘stronger and more consistent’
The 2011 NYSCC Suppliers’ Day, which ran from 10-11 May at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, was the largest event to date, according to organisers. “So far it seems to be stronger and more consistent than previous years,” NY chapter chair Lipo Chemicals’ Brian Hom, told SPC. “Last year was a strong year given the bad economy. This year I think our attendance is as high, or higher even than last year – we don’t know for sure yet, it’s still early – but we’re expecting large numbers and we’re seeing vendors that we haven’t seen previously in years past because of the economy.”
Indeed, this year’s Suppliers’ Day hosted an additional 20 companies as compared to 2010’s event. Show chairman Jeff Crume commented: “We added an extra 20 booths this year because we filled the ballroom that used to be the café area with another 20 companies. Every year we try and find a way to fit extra booths in if we can and we got lucky this year.”
To accommodate growing exhibitor numbers, opening hours were also extended with an extra hour added to the first day, which ran from 8.30am to 4.30pm. “We wanted to do it both for our benefit and for the attendees’ benefits, because there are so many companies here that you literally need both days to try and see everybody,” explained Crume. “By putting an extra half hour on the front and end of the first day we’re giving attendees and exhibitors more time to meet and conduct business. I figured the first day would be a better test subject as Tuesday is typically our busiest day.”
This year also saw organisers trial a ‘paperless show’ using i-Pad technology and developed in collaboration with Innovadex. Under the concept, every exhibitor and attendee was assigned an Innovadex ID number, which could be entered into i-Pads allocated to participating exhibitors. “It [the ID number] is directly linked to all the visitor’s pertinent contact information and you can literally send technical literature to those people as they’re standing at your booth as opposed to handing out brochures that may or may not make it back to their office,” Crume told SPC.
Hom called the scheme, which involved 100 exhibiting companies, “very environmentally friendly” and “B2B efficient” with “no follow-ups and no delay”.
Participants were largely satisfied with the opportunities provided by 2011’s event. “We’re meeting all the people we want to meet and having the kind of conversations that we want to have about our technology and about innovation in the market,” commented Courtney S Fretz, strategic marketing manager, home and personal care, The Dow Chemical Company. “We’ve had a mix of visitors. We’ve had global brand owners, regional brand owners from all over the Americas – north and south – and then you see the start-ups that have an interesting take on either an old ingredient or a new ingredient.”
Yong Zhu, senior staff scientist, product development at Procter & Gamble Cosmetics – a first time visitor at NYSCC Suppliers’ Day – told SPC: “It’s an excellent show, with a very friendly atmosphere. As someone who’s new to the cosmetics industry, it’s been useful to get a feel for the culture and to network. My main aim here has been to source suppliers and look for new technology and there’s been a lot of innovation, especially from smaller suppliers.”
Featured companies
- Companies:
- Procter and Gamble
- Dow Chemical Company
- Society of Cosmetic Chemists