Forging ahead amid uncertainty

The ongoing protest and social unrest in Hong Kong did not put a damper on Cosmoprof Asia and Cosmopack Asia, and the joint events were considered a success thanks to the team's resilience. 

Cosmopack Asia at AsiaWorld-Expo is home to all kinds of pack and original equipment manufacturer suppliers

Hot idea
Offer buyer-centric incentives along with a telemarketing campaign to boost buyer count


 

Cosmopack Asia at AsiaWorld-Expo is home to all kinds of pack and original equipment manufacturer suppliers

Brief
Launched in 1996, Cosmoprof Asia is the region’s leading B2B international beauty trade show. With the “1 Fair 2 Venues” formula introduced since 2016, Cosmopack Asia at AsiaWorld-Expo is home to all kinds of pack and original equipment manufacturer suppliers, while Cosmoprof Asia at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre housed exhibitors of finished products.

The 24th edition of the show, like other Hong Kong-based events, faced the ongoing protests and social unrest which began in June 2019. But despite ongoing protests and social unrest, the 2019 edition was held as per normal. In fact, last year’s tradeshow grew five per cent compared to 2018 in terms of exhibition area.

Highlights
To drive innovation and enrich the experience of attendees, Mimi Yeung, senior project manager, said the MEXME Factory showcased the development and production of a revolutionary all-in-one cosmetic tool, designed by international design agency centdegrés, in collaboration with leading companies exhibiting at Cosmopack Asia.

Meanwhile, Cosmolab, the project done in partnership with Opal Cosmetics, focused on aromatherapy and fragrances, where visitors learnt how different scents can influence emotions, Yeung shared.

CosmoTalks sessions across both venues provided market updates and insights, while Cosmotrends Gallery showcased the most interesting products and the upcoming trends of the beauty community.

Lastly, the Cosmoprof and Cosmopack Asia Awards Ceremony held on November 13 celebrated the most outstanding products and industrial solutions.

Challenges
The unprecedented situation in Hong Kong made visiting for foreigners challenging in 2019 across all industries.

Yeung commented: “Still, Cosmoprof Asia is an important event for business and trading for the beauty industry and has many stakeholders counting on the show to continue in November. The challenge was how to create a safe and efficient environment for all participants.

To assure the safety and security of attendees, measures introduced included tightened access control, increasing the number of security staff, monitoring real-time protests, updating attendees on the latest situation in Hong Kong, and making special transport arrangements.

Alice Suen, event director, Cosmoprof Asia, commented: “The saying ‘tide over the difficult times’ best describes our mindset. With the extremely fluid situation and the unprecedented challenge, it was really tough.”

Several enticing ideas were also implemented, such as offering buyer-centric incentives with 10,000 complimentary hotel room nights available to buyers nominated by exhibitors, and hotel sponsorship for some 300 VIP buyers from South-east Asia and China. A massive telemarketing campaign targeting 30,000 Asian and global buyers was also mounted.

Regardless, she attributed the show’s success to the relentless momentum of the staff and the high level of dedication and professionalism of the different local and overseas planning to successfully deliver Cosmoprof Asia.

Event Cosmoprof Asia and Cosmopack Asia
Organiser BolognaFiere Group and Informa Markets
Venue Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (Cosmoprof Asia) and AsiaWorld-Expo (Cosmopack Asia)
Date November 13-15, 2019 (Cosmoprof Asia) and November 12-14, 2019 (Cosmopack Asia)
Attendance 2,955 exhibitors from 48 countries and 40,046 visitors from 129 countries

Sponsored Post