Duccio Campagnoli, President of BolognaFiere

With more than 2,500 exhibiting firms and 73% of them coming from outside Italy, the 49th edition of Cosmoprof promises to be more global than ever. Furthermore, the show will host 25 international National Collectives, with South Africa, Australia, India, Morocco and Indonesia among the newcomers.

Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna goes from strength to strength and is becoming increasingly global. With the ground laid by a packed schedule of road shows introducing this world-leading format to the key international markets, each year Cosmoprof welcomes exhibitors from new countries, professional operators, researchers from the most experienced trend forecasting agencies and top buyers: a community which accompanies Cosmoprof not only to Bologna but also to the Las Vegas and Hong Kong editions,” explains Duccio Campagnoli, President of BolognaFiere, the organiser of the show. “This growing internationalisation is one of Cosmoprof’s real strengths.

As far as visitors are concerned, the organisers expect the next edition will beat previous records, with a 19% increase in online pre-sales. Visitors from 150 nations are expected to attend the show. Last year the show welcomed about 248,000 visitors, including 79,000 from abroad.

The organisers consider internationalisation as a vital ingredient of Cosmoprof, which is seen by cosmetics firms as a way to access both established and emerging players. The are therefore renewing the International Buyer Programme that will once again help set up B2B meetings between exhibiting companies and a selection of top international buyers.

First ever area dedicated to halal cosmetics

For the first time ever, the 49th edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna will also offer an exhibition area dedicated to domestic and international manufacturers and distributors of halal-certified products (which are “suitable” for Muslim consumers). Located inside the Natural Cosmetics pavilion, this new zone is part of the Halal Beauty Care & Spa project, developed in partnership with the Italian halal certification body WHAD (World Halal Development).

The organisers of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2016 held a press conference last week in Milan

With an annual growth rate of 12% worldwide (as high as 19% in GCC markets) and the number of potential consumers reaching one third of the world’s population, halal cosmetics are a rapidly rising trend,” explain the organisers of Cosmoprof.

While halal cosmetics are most sought after by consumers in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, this trend also directly impacts international brands and manufacturers. Indeed, 80% of the cosmetic products sold in Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC), for instance, are actually made in Europe, primarily Italy and France. Furthermore, as these products place particular emphasis on “natural ingredients, the production process, fair trade and eco-sustainability, they are increasingly appreciated by non-Muslim consumers.

Among the exhibitors, Acumen International Trading will present Love Your Nails, a line of halal nail polishes, Cultivator Natural Products, which will present its line of hair dyes, Intercosmetica will showcase its numerous halal formulations, and Khadija Cosmetics, will introduce its halal makeup line. A total of fifteen companies will exhibit in this space.