HBA Global Expo (www.hbaexpo.com), the leading product development event for the cosmetics, fragrance, personal care and wellness industries, will present its premier educational symposium which focuses on two powerful aspects of the industry: “Achieving Well-Being: The New Paradigm” and “International Prestige Package & Design.” The dual program on March 4-5, 2008 at the Javits Center in New York, will cover high interest topics that address the growing consumer demand for healthy inner and outer beauty as well as brand marketers’ quest for “beauty-in-the-bottle.”

The HBA Spring Conference is designed to support and encourage education and networking for the industry’s technical, marketing and business professionals. The symposium will provide learning and commercialization opportunities based on leading research, ideas and resources for achieving well-being and packaging innovation and design.

As an indicator of the creative approach of the Symposium, it opens each day with Keynote Addresses. “Achieving Well-Being: The New Paradigm,” begins with a keynote address by Laurent Gilbert, Global Director of Raw Materials and Advance Research, L’Oreal, on Tuesday, March 4th at 9:00 a.m. entitled, “Fostering Innovation in a Global Context Relative to Characterization of Skin and Hair in Various Regions of the World.”

The Wednesday, March 5th program opens with the Keynote Address “Achieving Well-Being” and will be presented by Jim Chastain, Managing Partner & Founder, RealityCheck Consulting Network, on “Well-Being: Redefining a Mega Trend,” that plugs into consumers’ deepest emotional connections through a Living Diary, which explores well-being and its far reaching impact on lifestyles and attitudes.

The “Achieving Well-Being,” Technical Conference will also provide an in- depth look at new concepts, ingredients, and technologies for addressing the diverse major and niche opportunities for novel product development. Sessions will focus on a very broad and comprehensive view of what is hot in the industry and includes anti-aging tools, animal testing alternatives, novel delivery systems, and dermatologist-generated approaches. Other topics will cover renewable botanicals and organic resources, nutraceuticals, ayurvedic and Chinese botanical extracts, the impact of fragrance on well-being, DNA technology, bio-energy and degradable, environmentally friendly packaging.

The second major thrust of the HBA Spring Conference is its focus on “International Prestige Package & Design.” This event, being run in tandem with the technical “Achieving Well-Being” conference, provides a two-track forum on the importance of packaging design and the role it plays in positioning a brand that helps the consumer identify with the brand; and ultimately leads to customer loyalty. During the two-day conference, attendees will discover what it takes to use packaging and design to build brand prestige and drive consumer purchases.

The International Prestige Package & Design program, part of the dual HBA Spring Conference, also opens each day with an outstanding Keynote Address. On March 4th at 9:00 a.m. Ellen Sideri, Founder & CEO, ESP Trendlab, will speak on the “Prism Principle,” and how to reach and identify with the consumer in a complex and confusing world.

The March 5th Keynote Speaker is Marc Gobe, Chairman and CEO of Desgrippes Gobe, talking about “BRANDJAM: Humanizing Brands through Emotional Design.” Mr. Gobe will demonstrate how design as a collaborative process can create a profound emotional response with corporations and consumers alike.

Other sessions being presented during the Package & Design Conference include: HAVE IT YOUR WAY: Why Prestige Packaging Can be Sustainable; Technology Transfer in Packaging Innovation; ATTENTION: The Visual Language of Emotion at Shelf and In Life; Unleash Your Lashes: The Next Generation Of Mascara; and The Psychology Of Shopping. This HBA Conference will also provide brand and marketing professionals with insight on luxury innovations, designers’ insights, consumer behaviorism, sampling trends and an interactive roundtable led by top beauty editors and creative designers on what it takes to get your package featured in leading publications.

In addition to the full educational sessions presented at the HBA Spring Conference, attendees will have an opportunity to network and discover new resources and ideas from leading ingredient and packaging suppliers, researchers, scientists, brand marketers, universities and trend analysts during the tabletop exhibits, networking breaks and cocktail reception. Companies scheduled to participate include AISLE 9, Alcan Packaging, Ash Ingredients, Aveda, Croda, Curtis Packaging, Dermatrends, Dow Chemical, Estee Lauder, Gattefosse, HCT Packaging, Independent Can Company, Influencer LLC, John Hopkins University, Jomo Thermolding, Klocke of America, L’Oreal, Moxie, Oh, Oh, Organics, Pangea Organics, Pochet of America, Power Paper, Product Ventures, Sederma, Sephora, The Davi Luxury Group, Trent & Company, Webb Scarlet de Vlam, Wendy Lewis & Company and World Wide Packaging.

For more information on the HBA Spring Conference visit www.hbaexpo.com/spring-conference.htm. Early registration and group discounts are in effect until February 14, 2008. For sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities, contact Sal Pecoraro at 212-600-3363 or [email protected].