PS: What is Cosmoprof and why it is important to the packaging industry?

Ciocan: Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) is the leading B2B beauty event in the Americas. We host over 1,100 exhibitors from nearly 40 countries at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV on July 9th through the 11th. The show covers all facets of the beauty and cosmetics industry.  Retailers, beauty brands and manufacturers have the advantage of finding all packaging solutions under one roof. We anticipate 33,000 attendees this year who will discover unique innovations in formulation and packaging. 

PS: How much of the show is devoted to packaging?

Ciocan: Making up 1/3 of the show floor, CPNA devotes an entire pavilion to packaging suppliers and formulators. Unprecedented in North America, this section highlights everything from raw materials to product development and packaging to private label. Buyers discover innovative ingredients, cutting-edge components, technological advances, marketing angles and much more to help them develop new or upgrade existing products. This unique section takes business owners from concept to creation. 

PS:  What kinds of opportunities are available to those in the packaging industry on the show floor?

Ciocan: We have several opportunities for packaging companies to make meaningful connections. New this year is DISCOVER PACK, a curated special area inside the packaging pavilion. Participating companies enjoy exposure in this high-end show-within-a-show and benefit from face-to-face meetings with key U.S. and international buyers in addition to receiving prime real estate on the show floor. We created DISCOVER PACK to give new exhibitors in the packaging area the enhanced visibility.

We expanded CPNA’s robust conference schedule to include sessions specifically focused on packaging and branding. CPNA is also planning to create guided show tours that would put a spotlight on growing trends and help attendees find solutions for upcoming projects.

PS: Why did Cosmoprof decide to expand the packaging pavilion to include Discover Pack?

Ciocan: DISCOVER PACK reinforces the importance packaging plays in the beauty industry. As only 12 exhibitors will be featured, the area also promises to deliver a tailored and well-rounded showcase of the latest packaging innovations- from packaging to contract manufacturing.

DISCOVER PACK rounds out the portfolio of special areas that distinguish CPNA as the premier event in the beauty industry. As such, the area will be highly stylized to resemble the other highly coveted ‘special areas’ and stand out on the show floor. To ensure showcase novelty, only first-time CPNA exhibitors qualify to exhibit in the new area. The program is open to suppliers of innovative packaging, ingredients and raw material, novel contract manufacturing, innovative fillers, unique delivery encapsulation systems, converters, labelers and unique decoration process providers.

PS: CPNA recently launched an award for beauty packaging. What is the BIDA award and why did CPNA launch it?

Ciocan: The new Beauty Innovation & Design Awards (BeautyID Awards) will recognize creativity in packaging design, material and product formulation in the ever-growing beauty segment. The Awards will cover all cosmetic product categories (hair, nail, skin, color, personal care, fragrance and sustainability) across professional, prestige and mass market segments. In addition, one category is dedicated specifically to cosmetic contract manufacturing.

The judges will be looking for that unique combination of distinctive design and user functionality. Design, branding and PR agencies as well as suppliers and product manufacturers, can all apply. However, package and/or formulation cannot be in a conceptual stage and must have been launched during April 1st 2016- March 1st, 2017.

CPNA recognizes innovative beauty brands, and the beauty industry has historically been on the cutting-edge when it comes to packaging and formulation so it was a natural evolution to provide a platform to recognize such creativity. To learn more, visit: beautyIDawards.com.