Last week hundreds of beauty companies flocked to Shanghai for the China Beauty Expo. Billed as the premiere beauty business event in Asia, the three-day Expo brought together some 1200 brands from over 20 countries. Held at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, a sprawling facility that includes over 650,000 square feet of exhibition space, companies from around the globe gathered to show off new beauty tools, ingredients, services, treatments, and packaging.
Throughout the 15 exhibit halls there was a dizzying array of spectacles — muscular shirtless men hawking product samples, brand ambassadors giving neck massages, orchestrated fashion show-type events to demonstrate new makeup, booth workers dressed as cosplay-like characters — all vying for the attention of potential distributors, buyers, and shoppers.
New technology was on display, from medical-type treatments to steam removal for nail polish and motorized nail sculpting (think of a dremmel tool for your nails).
3-D printed nail art with an app for design selection
Woman receiving a facial sonogram
South Korea’s Memebox, showcasing a collection by PONY, the influential beauty guru. The South Korean company has Y-Combinator connections and a San Francisco office, with a strategy that targets social media influencers for deep collaborations.
Cupping demonstrations
Expecting some half a million visitors, the Expo also stood as an opportunity for brands looking to expand and grow in the robust Chinese market. As cultural customs give preference to cultivating more personal relationships and conducting business face-to-face, the event helps facilitate personalized interactions.
Product experiences from Merlot Skin Care
The Expo reinforced a number of industry trends including the utilization of aloe as a signature ingredient, the strength of the natural beauty category, and the undeniable role of social media in building authentic brand awareness and partnering with online personalities to cater to a specific audience.
The prevalence of WeChat in China makes social shopping (social media + ecommerce) a more seamless experience — an integration that hasn’t fully hit the U.S., but it’s just a matter of time… Here’s looking to CBE 2017.