High profile visitors and exhibitors come together to honour Korea’s €10bn cosmetics market at extended three-day event
It was sold out well in advance, so it’s no surprise that this year’s in-cosmetics Korea, organised by Reed Exhibitions, delivered the biggest– and most high profile – personal care ingredients event in Korea to date. The show was 20% bigger than in 2016 and, with many of the industry’s most established brands in attendance, it revealed the latest innovations and upcoming trends to inspire new product development teams.
7,217 professional visitors from companies including AmorePacific, Cosmax, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberley Clark, Kolmar, L’Oréal, LG Household & Health Care, Shiseido, TonyMoly, Unilever and more gathered at COEX in Seoul from 20-22 June to conduct business with the world’s leading ingredients suppliers. This record attendance equates to an increase of 17% on 2016. The exhibition also hosted a group of VIP R&D visitors from China and Taiwan, as part of the event’s Gold Business Guest programme. By popular demand, the show was extended to three days, offering R&D professionals a greater opportunity to review the latest innovations, delve into current trends and network with industry colleagues.
With Korea known as a hotbed of innovation and the country’s cosmetics market expected to hit €10.95bn this year, the event was undeniably crucial for any businesses looking to enter or develop their offering in the region. And as the only exhibition dedicated to personal care ingredients in Korea, it certainly made its mark.
Visitor Sooryun Tak, Senior Researcher at LG Household enthused:
“We are launching a haircare brand and met a supplier at the show who we are talking to about developing a new range of products collaboratively. I was also really inspired by the range of non-silicone solutions available from suppliers here, that’s why it’s really good to have a personal care ingredients event like in-cosmetics Korea in our country.”
Of the 214 exhibitors present, there was higher representation of the world’s top 20 ingredient suppliers than in previous years, with personal care giants AzkoNobel, Clariant, Croda, Dow Chemical and DSM Nutritional Products all taking stands. In total, 58% of exhibitors were based outside Korea, highlighting the importance of the event – and indeed the Korean cosmetics industry – to the global market.
Exhibitor Carla Perez, Asia Pacific Beauty Care Technical Manager at SEPPIC commented: “in-cosmetics Korea is special because it balances raw materials and presentations. You can learn about ingredients and the latest innovations but also about market trends, consumer insights and finished products, which is important for suppliers like us.”
Alongside the many well-known exhibitors, this year’s exhibition also attracted many new companies who signed up to showcase their products to a captive audience. Among them was Elizabeth Cambar-Roney, International Sales Director at Connoils LLC who added:
“Korea is the biggest international market for us and that’s the main reason why we’re here. This show has been an eye-opener for me. Korean visitors enjoy experimenting with our products and that’s why, next year, I will get involved with the Sensory Bar. In addition to Koreans, I also had visitors from China, Japan and Thailand so it was a very successful experience.”
While this year’s exhibitor offering was particularly impressive, the educational programme covered a diverse range of topics including Premium Skincare in Asia by Sunny Um of Euromonitor International; Understanding Korea’s Cosmetic Regulations by Ja-eun Song of Korea Cosmetic Association; Haircare Trends by Belinda Carli of Institute of Personal Care Science and more.
The Sensory Bar – a new addition to in-cosmetics Korea – attracted large crowds, drawing manufacturers in to examine the unusual textures and sensations of products developed by some of the leading innovators in the field. Visitors were also treated to live demonstrations by suppliers highlighting how to formulate their sensory products.
New for in-cosmetics Korea 2017 were Product Trails recommended by independent industry experts in three categories. Designed to help attendees navigate their way around the exhibition, they highlighted key natural actives, moisturisers and anti-ageing products.
For visitors keen to discover the latest launches (within the last 8 months), the Innovation Zone displayed the most current active and functional ingredients to see and test. The area retained its crown as one of the most popular areas of the show and achieved a 94% satisfaction score in the research carried out via interactive feedback touchpads.
Sarah Gibson, in-cosmetics Korea Exhibition Director, commented: “We are delighted – but not surprised – by the success of this year’s in-cosmetics Korea. We are proud to bring the Korean and global industry together on an annual basis. Education at the show is 100% free and the 91% average satisfaction score for this year’s seminars demonstrates how beneficial this programme is to our attendees. We are very much looking forward to the 2018 event, which will feature a 4th exhibition hall to accommodate more exhibitors and the launch of our first ever Formulation Lab in Korea.”
in-cosmetics Korea 2018 will take place at COEX in Seoul from 13-15 June 2018. Register your interest to visit now.