At a time when you hear hemming and hawing nearly every day about which way the economy is headed, attending Luxe Pack NY on May 16-17 left no doubt. Things seem to be rolling along quite smoothly in the luxury cosmetics and fragrance market at least. The exhibit floor was larger than ever—with 140 participants in this 10th edition—and there was an increase of the high-level decision makers that suppliers have come to take for granted at the popular New York luxury-packaging event. Many exhibitors on-site reported excellent success over the past year—and several raved that Luxe Pack NY 2012 was their best show ever! For more on the event, please stay tuned to our July/August issue for a full review, and in the meantime, be sure to check out our photos and coverage at nitesh_bp.rodpub.com.

As you look ahead to our July/August issue, please note that this will also contain our annual International Buyers’ Guide, a year-round print and online reference guide to the industry, in which suppliers are listed by categories as well as alphabetically. It’s a once-a-year opportunity for print, but once included, online updates can be made with a quick click to keep information always current.

But before we get to the depth of summer, we still have another long-running industry show to savor. HBA Global Expo marks its 20th anniversary June 19-21 (see p. 50), and there promises to be much to see and talk about at this industry icon—including its exciting new SPLASH pavilion featuring more than 30 international emerging brands; Innovation Pavilions, which spotlight product development areas such as Eco & Sustainability, Anti-Aging Skin Care, and Tubes; and once again, the Expo’s unbeatable lineup of educational seminars, addressing topics in marketing, packaging and formulation.

In addition, this month’s issue also includes a rundown of this year’s finalists for the coveted HBA International Package Design Awards (see p. 52 and nitesh_bp.rodpub.com), sponsored by Beauty Packaging and Happi magazines. Winners will be announced at the show on June 19. Just take a look through these 11 categories, which cover mass as well as prestige, and you’ll have no qualms that both markets exhibit plenty of spunk and success as we enter the second half of the year.

Publisher Jay Gorga and I wish you a great summer—and hope to see you at HBA or another industry event!

Jamie Matusow
[email protected]