Cosmopack: beauty in the making

An entire pavilion dedicated to machines; more space for ingredients and fragrances; renewed attention towards contractors… Plus, training opportunities for the supply chain, a focus on technological trends, sustainability and all-round innovation. Antonia Benvegnù introduces us to the 2025 edition of the Cosmopack show; renewed and increasingly structured.

Davide Miserendino

After the excellent results of the last edition (248,500 operators present from 150 countries and 3,012 exhibitors), Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna continues to grow and renew, giving voice to a strongly growing cosmetics industry and reaffirming the global positioning of the brand thanks to an international network that facilitates relations with beauty industry operators in high-performance markets: Asia (Hong Kong), North America (Las Vegas and Miami), India (Mumbai), ASEAN territories (Bangkok, Thailand).

After the North America Cosmoprof in Miami in January, the first eagerly awaited event of the year for the sector that “produces” beauty is to be held in Bologna from 20 to 22 March 2025 and, in this context, Cosmopack is today the premier “exhibition” of the trade fair event, reconfirming its uniqueness as an opportunity for exchange between finished product brands and the industrial supply chain that formulates, produces and packages cosmetics. We have therefore asked Antonia Benvegnù - Head of Sales Cosmopack Bologna, Asia and Americas – to give us a preview of new developments regarding the show.

Again this year, Cosmopack is getting ready to host the best of the beauty sector’s international supply chain. It will do so, moreover, using a renewed exhibition layout. What are the most significant new developments?

For 2025, we have extended Cosmopack’s exhibition space, with the whole of pavilion 19, until last year shared with the perfumery sector, but which in March will be entirely dedicated to the production supply chain, with a predominant presence of manufacturers of processing and packaging machines. This solution allows us to give space to a sector that is constantly developing, and which characterises Cosmopack’s exhibition offer with respect to other events in the sector, which are more specific for single segments. In March 2025, we will, in fact, be able to welcome to Cosmopack 93 machinery companies, a very significant number for us. The new exhibition layout allows us also to redesign Cosmopack’s pavilions in a more functional way, with an improved distinction between the various segments also in pavilions 15, 18, 20 and 28. In pavilion 20, the area dedicated to ingredients has been expanded, hosting also fragrance houses and creators of fragrances and air fresheners, in an increasingly direct exchange with contractors, to facilitate the connection between demand and offer.

Sustainability will remain the central theme also in this edition. How will it be treated? What are the other trends that will be explored in depth and which will characterise the future of the sector?

Sustainability is a fundamental issue for the cosmetics industry, and drives the evolution of the production chain in all segments. The latest developments in the field of raw materials and ingredients, the most innovative bio-tech formulations, and the latest sustainable packaging proposals, with attention towards the end-life of the product, will be presented at Cosmopack. There will be numerous new ideas for operators, from new biodegradable materials, to refillable or recyclable product solutions, to cutting-edge technologies in the logistics field. We are also noticing important developments for the subcontracting sector, especially for fragrances, in line with the general trend that sees this type of product currently very popular with consumers. From fragrances to essential oils used as raw materials for product formulae, to producers and creators of perfumes and air fresheners, candles and objects, as far as specific logistics to safeguard the quality of the fragrances, in March 2025 there will be many companies presenting important new developments in this specific sector, from neuroscience applications in the sector to solutions that respect the skin's microbiome, from latest-generation biodegradable ingredients to gender neutral formulations.

Production chain stakeholders will have a valuable forum for exchange, the Cosmopack Stage in pavilion 20. What are the appointments not to be missed for those working in the supply chain?

Cosmopack Stage is a training and contents project specifically for operators in the supply chain. From Thursday to Saturday, every afternoon, alternating companies and experts will give technical presentations on the stage set up in pavilion 20 on the main innovations emerging in the supply chain. In addition, there will be many events in our CosmoTalks format dedicated to key issues for the industry, such as the evolution of the ingredients segment, or the development of new technologies in the fragrances area, and specific analyses regarding major world markets.

This event, today a must for the global cosmetics industry, continues to grow. What are the numbers associated with exhibitors and, in particular, to suppliers of machines for processing and refilling?

Cosmopack is confirmed again this year as a key Cosmoprof show, with the presence of all the most prestigious and renowned international operators. With 596 companies from 34 countries in the world, Cosmopack continues to represent the entire production chain: from raw materials and ingredients, to formulation, from private labels to automation solutions, from packaging to contract manufacturing and full-service solutions. The event responds to the needs of any brand and operator interested in developing a cosmetic product, whatever the volume required.

I would like, in particular, to mention the significant presence of 93 companies for the Machinery segment, present in pav. 19, specialised in processing machinery, packaging and end-of-line, robotics, control and inspection technologies, labelling solutions, smart labelling and traceability, and intralogistics.

What developments do you foresee for Cosmopack and Cosmoprof in the near future?

The 2025 edition represents an important step towards an increasingly more structured organisation of Cosmopack and an increase in new product categories in the supply chain.

The Cosmopack Awards also reflect the evolution of the sector and, as a result, of our event. While the Cosmoprof awards celebrate new developments in the finished product, the Cosmopack Awards celebrate, in fact, the most innovative and cutting-edge proposals presented by companies in the supply chain, able to determine new consumption habits and new trends. There will be 6 reference categories. Next to the more traditional categories focused on formulation and on packaging - Hair Care Formula, Make-Up Formula,  Packaging - Design and Materials, Skincare Formula – I would like to underline the presence of a category dedicated to projects more in line with the new regulations concerning environmental responsibility - Sustainability – and the Innovation Technology category, which allows us to highlight developments associated with technologies applied to processing machines, packaging and traceability. I would invite all companies to apply in order to give visibility to their proposals, reminding them that a jury of experts from all over the world will decide on the best proposals.

And, naturally, we look forward to seeing you at the award ceremony, which will be taking place during the event on Friday 21 March 2025.