Cosmoprof Asia attendance grows by 4.2% from previous year

Held from Nov 13 to 16, the trade show spanned two venues: the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) and the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), which held Cosmopack Asia 2018 and Cosmoprof Asia 2018 respectively.

The event’s organisers maintained that the “One Fair, Two Venues” concept has continued to be a resounding success and will continue with the format.

David Bondi, Director, Cosmoprof Asia and Senior Vice President, UBM Asia said: “This year’s visitor numbers, fair exhibitors and products confirm what the global trends are telling us, that as an industry beauty and cosmetics are not only continually pushing the boundaries of innovation and science, but also that the Asia market is full of savvy consumers keen to understand and invest in cutting-edge products.”​

Record-shattering numbers

Together, Cosmopack Asia 2018 and Cosmoprof Asia 2018 hosted a total of 87,284 attendees from 135 countries and regions.

This marked a 4.2% increase in visitors from 2017. Among them 62,964 came from abroad, up 3.2% from last year. The entire area for both venues rose 5% from last year to 113.800sqm, allowing for the event to accommodate to 3,030 exhibitors from 53 countries and regions.

The sheer number of exhibitors from all over the world gave the visitors the chance to discover the trends shaping the Asia-Pacific market.

“We are delighted to share that this record-breaking year brought together more exhibitors, attendees and business than ever before, to both our AsiaWorld-Expo and Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre venues.” ​Said Bondi.

He added that according to trend forecasts, he expects the 2019 edition of the show to build on the success and grow even larger.

Event highlights

The packed calendar of talks, special showcases and seminars provided valuable opportunities to glean insight and forecasts into the Asia-Pacific beauty market. Additionally, the targeted initiatives arranged added more value to the exhibition offerings.

Held at AWE and HKECE respectively, SKINTONIC – The Factory and SKINTONIC – The Shop were received positively.

“The Factory” offered visitors a rare glimpse into the entire manufacturing process of an exclusive dual-effect serum, while “The Shop” gave them a futuristic look into the future of retail with elements such as virtual reality, augmented reality and Internet of Product (IoP).

At AWE, COSMOLAB focused on the latest manufacturing processes and automated and data-driven manufacturing technologies, including A.I. and Industry 4.0. COSMOLAB visitors were given a chance to witness how Artificial Intelligence can capture analytics based on hair types and other features to create a unique formulated shampoo.

Focus on naturals and hair

This year, the Natural & Organic zone hosted companies from all over the world, presenting green, eco-friendly, organic products, supplements, and Halal cosmetics.

Green beauty was the primary focus of the Natural & Organic Symposium. Hosted in partnership with Ecovia Intelligence and Euromonitor International, the symposium hosted talks dedicated to on-trend topics like sustainability and opportunities in organic certification.

For the first time, Cosmoprof Asia presented ON HAIR, a two-day event dedicated to the increasingly popular hair industry.

Organised by Asia Hair Masters Association, The Hong Kong Hair and Styling Arts Festival 2018, featured hair shows, workshops, and competitions.

Giving back

As part of its charity initiative, the new edition of BOUTIQUE returned to HKECE to raise funds for the Chi Heng Foundation, a Hong Kong-based charity dedicated to addressing children impacted by AIDS and to AIDS prevention and education.

Visitors could choose seven travel-size products from 10 exhibiting companies participating in the initiative. The products were presented in a deluxe gift bag sponsored by Baralan, for a symbolic cost of HK$100.