Envisioning the beauty industry in 2030 was supposed to be the theme of the annual edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna but a pandemic and three date postponements later, the Italian beauty trade show format had to deal with a shorter-term forecast and question what the cosmetics world will look like after COVID-19 instead.
In particular, WeCosmoprof offered companies and buyers a virtual environment that facilitated networking and negotiations, and provided insightful content and discussions via a packed schedule of webinars. “The pandemic has prompted many companies in the beauty sector to revise their marketing, communication and sales strategies, taking maximum advantage of digital channels. From the very beginning of the pandemic, Intercos Group launched and implemented its own digital wave in order to stay close to clients, creating a promotional plan and a tailor-made reorganization to support the business in this crucial moment.
The executive called WeCosmoprof “an opportunity to communicate outward, widen our client reach and implement new contacts” and praised its intuitive and easy-to-use format. Yet she had concerns on the event as “there have been very few contacts, so it didn’t resulted into a real business opportunity.”
Some buyers might not have used the platform to finalize orders but still found it instrumental for scouting and networking purposes. Mario Parteli and Luca Della Croce, founders of Italian start-up Abiby that offers beauty-box subscriptions and a dedicated e-commerce, said the event was helpful to lay the foundations of future collaborations and to introduce themselves to new brands.
Providing a multifaceted analysis of the COVID-19 impacts, topics ranged from changes in consumer behaviors and retail to the rise of new trends and packaging innovation, with additional sessions shedding the light on specific markets, including the U.S., China and India.