World cosmetics grow and Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2025 gets a makeover

The Buyer Lounges, the reception areas reserved for buyers to facilitate their presence at the event, will be set up in Halls 14 and 36, with reference in order to the Cosmoprime premium and prestige channel and the Perfumery and Cosmetics segment with a mass market target. In pav. 37 the Hair Lounge will host hair styling professionals. There will also be a lounge organised by the Natural and Herbal Cosmetics Group of Cosmetica Italia, located in the mezzanine between Halls 21 and 22, available to the herbalist channel.

Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna continues to be a strategic appointment for stakeholders from all over the world. Now in its 56th edition, the show continues to be the only international event to offer a comprehensive view of what's new in the beauty world, thanks to the presence in one location of all the industry's sectors, from the supply chain to the finished product. Cosmoprof also offers key business opportunities for industry growth, with match-making tools and customised consultancy services to meet the needs of all distribution channels.

The support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ICE - Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalisation of Italian companies, is a key element to guarantee the presence of key players from all over the world. Over the next few months, ICE will involve its offices abroad to encourage media promotion and the presence in Bologna of buyers, retailers, and distributors, with operators from 66 countries and with a particular focus on the United States, Africa, the Gulf Area, and the Middle East.

Ad hoc activities with Cosmetica Italia - National Association of Cosmetic Companies will further enhance the excellence of Made In Italy cosmetics, facilitating export growth.

At Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2025 professionals will be able to become aware of the main trends that are shaping the beauty industry and consumer behaviour. The key theme of the next edition will be sustainability, an essential element today to position oneself on the market, which must increasingly become a structural value of companies. To combat climate change and the social and economic problems of our time, consumers are demanding concrete, immediate and effective action from the industry. In this scenario Cosmoprof stands as a reference point for operators, on the strength of the attention it has been devoting to sustainability issues in the cosmetics industry for years. Projects and content dedicated to reducing environmental impact will be an integral part of the 2025 event.

The first steps towards sustainable cosmetics involve the supply chain, in particular the ingredients and raw materials sector, which are once again the protagonists of Ingredients Zone, a dedicated area within Cosmopack, in Hall 20. From new active ingredients with a reduced impact on biodiversity and local communities, to scientific research into new bio-tech and green chemistry solutions, there is plenty of potential to offer innovative solutions to the consumer.

New technologies offer an essential contribution to the sustainable transformation of the beauty sector, enriching above all the product use and purchasing experience. To discover all the main innovations, do not miss Beauty Tech, the area in Hall 14 that will accompany operators to discover the practical use of new retail solutions.

Thanks to the development of digital technology and constant interconnection, new markets are gaining prominence. Africa, the Middle East and South-East Asia are increasingly leading regions: the highest growth rates in cosmetics sales are being recorded here. the beauty world is paying more and more attention to indigenous cultures and communities, as well as to the specific skin and hair characteristics of consumers from different ethnic groups, and to religious and social principles (halal). The result is an increasingly comprehensive product offering for borderless beauty.

At the centre remains individual well-being, which has been changing consumers' relationship with cosmetic products for years. The concept of anti-ageing has been obsolete for years, in favour of a pro-ageing approach, which inspires us to live better with our bodies.

The focus on longevity implies an increased attention to a healthy lifestyle. Brands are responding to this trend with non-invasive supplement lines and medical beauty treatments that enhance the natural appearance of the individual, and in the world of fragrances, for example, there are an increasing number of collections and fragrances inspired by neuroscience and aromatherapy.

One of the main features of the Cosmoprof format is the wealth of initiatives and special projects designed to enrich the trade fair experience for operators with content and inspiration. The contribution of experts, opinion leaders and trend scouts from all over the world is the secret of the success of CosmoTalks, the calendar of round tables dedicated to the most topical marco-trends. Already confirmed for 2025 is the presence of agencies and associations such as Beautystreams, Ecovia Intelligence, Euromonitor International. For stakeholders in the production chain, the Cosmopack Stages, in Hall 20, are not to be missed, while for operators in applied aesthetics and nail the appointment is in the Mall, with the exclusive World Massage Meeting programme for massage and manual techniques operators, and at Cosmo OnStage, with live demonstrations of exhibitors' novelties and content dedicated to the nail sector.

Brand new for 2025 is BEAUTY Stars, the beauty award reserved for professional beauty operators and companies. The contest will highlight the passion, creativity, and professionalism of beauticians, companies, and spas, to give voice to a sector that has been able to renew itself and continues to play a strategic role in the wellbeing of the individual. The award ceremony on Thursday 20 March is not to be missed.

On Sunday 23 March, an appointment with the creativity and talent of the hair world, with the unmissable On Hair artistic shows and the brand new On Hair Education initiative, dedicated to technical training for hairdressers.

One of the most eagerly awaited events will be the Cosmoprof & Cosmopack Awards, Cosmoprof's recognition of industry excellence organised in collaboration with the Beautystreams agency. The most innovative products presented by the companies exhibiting at the next edition and the pioneering solutions put forward by the supply chain will be analysed and assessed by a technical jury made up of leading figures from the sector. The 3 best proposals for the 17 award categories will be selected. In February, a multidisciplinary jury of KOLs, buyers, brand owners and press representatives will choose the winners, who will be announced at the awards ceremony on Friday 21 March. Exhibiting companies can already submit their 2025 entries.

For the next edition, from the nominations of the Awards Beautystreams will extrapolate the most current trends by producing CosmoTrends, the report that is increasingly an established tool to guide buyers, experts, trend scouts, the international press, influencers and content creators to the show.

2024 was a particularly good year for Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna. "Cosmoprof is one of the flagships of BolognaFiere, a unique trade fair network in Italy and worldwide thanks to its spread abroad, with events in the main international markets. To support the network and respond to the needs of the industry, the BolognaFiere group at the beginning of 2024 confirmed the listing on the capital market: a fundamental step for our growth at the international level," comments the President of BolognaFiere, Gianpiero Calzolari.

"Thanks to these important financial transactions, today BolognaFiere is among the leading international trade fair operators and is number one in Italy in terms of number of events organised and share of turnover generated abroad," points out Antonio Bruzzone, CEO of BolognaFiere.

BolognaFiere Cosmoprof's economic figures are also very positive. The company is preparing to close 2024 with an expected turnover of 42 million euro (compared to 38 million in 2023) and an EBITDA in line with the increase recorded. "This year Cosmoprof events around the world have achieved excellent performance," explains Enrico Zannini, General Manager of BolognaFiere Cosmoprof. "Thanks to the support of our exhibitors and the trust of operators from all over the world, we have achieved significant turnover, which allows us to work on new collaborations and investments. On the strength of these results, we are preparing for a 2025 full of new and very stimulating projects".

Underpinning the development of Cosmoprof is also the steady growth of the cosmetics market. According to Euromonitor International, in 2024 the global cosmetics industry is expected to be worth more than EUR 568.2 billion, and forecasts for 2025 indicate a turnover of more than EUR 612.8 billion, with an average annual growth rate from 2023 of around 8%.

Analysing the top-performing countries, the USA still leads the ranking: the cosmetics market in the country will exceed EUR 115.5 billion by the end of 2024 (+5.2% compared to 2023), and in 2025 turnover will reach EUR 120.4 billion. Slowing down is China, which nevertheless continues to be the world's second largest market: in 2024, the total market value is expected to be EUR 75.2 billion (+5% compared to 2023), and in 2025 the percentage increase is expected to be 5%.

In general, it is the Middle East, Africa and Latin America that record the highest growth rates. Particularly interesting for analysts are the results of the beauty sector in Africa, which, thanks to a strong demographic increase, is positioning itself at the top of the world ranking.