Cosmopack/Cosmoprof Bologna Set to Open April 2

By Jamie Matusow

Cosmoprof, which began in 1967 as a trade fair, has grown into a venue for determining trends across the beauty industry. When the event runs in April (April 3-6), with the theme “Neocosmoprof, R-Evolution,” pavilions on the sprawling fairgrounds in Bologna, Italy, will once again play host to four key trade sectors: Perfumes and Cosmetics; Spa; Hair; and Nail and Hand Care.
 
Cosmopack (April 2-5)—the packaging and outsourced manufacturing showcase located in Halls 19-20—opens one day earlier (and closes one day earlier) than the fair’s official dates, for a day devoted to international suppliers.

A number of changes have been made to this year’s show, including added emphasis on the halls’ logistics to make it simple for visitors to find their areas of interest.

One of the most important changes will be an area dedicated to the “Laboratory” where you can find “visions of the future” and suggestions on how to interpret these into today’s business. This area will be called Cosmoff Lab.

The Perfumeries area has been reorganized into three specific areas according to artistic design, recognition and distribution. Masterpieces houses artistic perfumery and products dedicated to end users. Black Label is a new trend related to brands that do not generate enormous sales turnovers, but have strong personalities and recognizable connotations. Golden Label features perfumery collections available at the distribution channels of independent perfume shops or buying groups that generate substantial sales turnovers at world level.

In addition to the exhibition, a full program of sessions and panel discussions is offered.

A fragrance conference in partnership with the International Museum of Perfumery in Grasse, France, “Four Talents for a Fragrance,” will focus on “rebuilding the passion behind perfumes,” looking at the roles of the client, fragrance creator, designer and “chef.” It will be held Friday, April 3, from 2:30-4:30pm in the Cosmoff Lab.

“The Latest Trends in the World of Paperboard Packaging” is a conference highlighting paperboard as a natural packaging material, and will be held Friday, April 3, from 10:30am-12:30pm in the Cosmoff Lab.

“Living Design as Life Style” will look at the concept of design as a behavior and not an added value. Focus will be on design ROI and ergo-dynamic versus geometric design: Do consumer attitudes influence design trends? This session will be held Thursday, April 2, 2:30 -4:30pm in the Palazzo Congressisala Italia.

Cosmoprof Spa, a special area dedicated to spas and beauty, launches this year inside the beauty sector. The new Halls 14 and 15, inaugurated in 2008 and designed by Cerri Associates in partnership with the architect Alessandro Colombo, plus Halls 16,18 and 22, will house the new “temple of beauty.” The display spaces will be reorganized on the basis of concepts and thermatic areas, so as to offer visitors customized user itineraries.

For more info on the exhibition and conference: www.cosmoprof.com

**SAVE THE DATE: Cosmoprof North America 2009 will take place July 19-21 at the Mandalay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.  For more information, visit www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com.