Beauty Packaging: How has the exhibition grown and adapted since its inception?

Enrico Zannini: Today the show in Bologna is still the most important one, since it’s the stage where companies from more than 150 countries present an exclusive preview of their new products and services. The 2019 edition of Cosmoprof Bologna featured more than 3,000 exhibiting companies in an exhibition area of up to 200,000 sqm, and over 265,000 operators from all over the world.

Antonia Benvegnù: Together with Cosmoprof, Cosmopack keeps growing, too: In Bologna, we are expecting almost 500 exhibitors, from 29 countries worldwide. Cosmopack 2020 is the reference event for contract manufacturing and private labels, process and packaging machinery, primary and secondary packaging, applicators, ingredients and raw materials: It is the place to discover the latest production technologies. The show will increase its exhibition area in 2020 and foresees an increasingly marked division between the different specialties of the supply chain. In 2021 an entire pavilion will be dedicated exclusively to machinery.

BP: How has environmental responsibility in beauty influenced the show’s structure for its exhibitors and attendees?

EZ: Nowadays sustainability has become a “state of mind” rather than a trend. Today all the sectors are called upon to present solutions with reduced impact on the environment, including recycling and circularity. This is why all our sectors present a wide range of green products, from perfumery and cosmetics to hair, from beauty salon and spa to nails.

AB: This year companies are focusing on formulation and packaging above all. The most important trend is the use of recycled materials, with a “plastic-free” philosophy. Packaging providers are bringing new elements into the market, with gestural or food-inspired designs, changing the relationship between customers and packaging, which is intended not only as an aesthetic object, but as functional, too.

BP: What themes can attendees and exhibitors look forward to in 2020?

EZ: On the threshold of a new decade, Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2020 will look ahead to contemplate the sector as it will be by 2030, helping more than 265,000 expected operators consider technologies and anticipate consumer needs for the next 10 years. We will also create discovery paths called Gardens [think: Renaissance gardens] to serve as a stage for new relationships and projects. International reference trend agencies, such as centdegrés, Beautystreams, NEZ Magazine, Quantis and Sparknews will be available to offer suggestions for innovative projects and solutions.

AB: I would like to highlight that the eighth edition of The Factory will host a live production lab to test new technologies and innovations, and present “Foundation for All”: the production of a skincare and color makeup product centered on diversity and inclusive beauty, which attendees will test in the Beauty Salon and Spa hall alongside professional makeup artists.