Cosmoprof Bologna 2015: The road show project continues
Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna’s international platform continues its worldwide journey around the beauty sector’s major markets.
Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna’s international platform continues its worldwide journey around the beauty sector’s major markets. The figures from the 2014 edition of Cosmoprof confirm its role as an ideal window onto the development of the global cosmetics industry: 207,238 visitors, including 59,319 from abroad (an increase of 21% compared with the 2013 edition), 2,450 exhibitors from 69 countries around the world, 24 national collectives, almost 2,000 meetings organised within the International Buyer Programme between exhibiting companies and the 400 top international buyers from Europe, South-East Asia, South America, the USA, Canada, the UAE, Iraq, Russia and South Africa.
This network of international contacts and the strong partnerships developed from one edition to the next have given rise to the Cosmoprof Road Show project. Now in its second year, the project aims to increase brand awareness of the Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna name by taking the platform to the most influential international trade shows and the major cities in key markets in order to develop new partnerships with international companies and buyers.
The project’s next stop to promote the 2015 edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna is Bangkok, Thailand, on 17th September, in partnership with the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce. The local economy has shown significant growth in recent years and the beauty sector has taken on an increasingly central role on the national stage as a result of the constantly growing consumer interest in beauty and body care products.
On 9th November Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna will be in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a result of its partnership with the Italian-South African Chamber of Commerce and the Cosmetic Export Council of South Africa – CECOSA.
South Africa, and indeed the entire African continent, will be taking on a significant role in the next edition of Cosmoprof. The International Buyer Programme will include buyers from rapidly expanding African markets, besides South Africa, such as Tunisia and Senegal: countries which up till now haven’t played a major part in the global economy, but which have strong potential for growth.
A new area will also be dedicated to products made by African companies. This will offer a unique opportunity for visibility and for doing business with professional operators from the beauty sector in Europe, Asia and America.
Cosmoprof’s interest in the African market is consistent with the most influential market research, which forecasts enormous growth potential for sub-Saharan countries in line with the continuing expansion of the middle class. Besides South Africa, a large number of international operators in the beauty world are turning their attention to other emerging countries. Skin products, including those geared specifically towards dark skin, are definitely most in demand among the population, although Africa is one of the world’s most segmented and difficult markets and its many different traditions and cultures influence the success of make-up products from one country to the next.
Doing business in Africa also involves a lot of risk factors and difficulties. Political instability and the shortage of services and infrastructure have a negative impact on the development of distribution and logistics services, and it is therefore vital to make direct contact with local businesses in order to enter the market.
Sub-Saharan Africa is a new frontier for the beauty industry. This potentially difficult challenge for companies can become an opportunity for development thanks to the Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna network and its role as point of contact between international firms and the most reliable local business partners.
Cosmoprof Bologna will be held from 20th-23rd March 2015. Cosmopack, the exhibition dedicated to the beauty sector’s manufacturing supply chain, will take place from 19th-22nd March 2015.
