The 50th edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna has come to an end, with the presence of Ivan Scalfarotto, Undersecretary for International Trade for the Italian Ministry of Economic Development.

The 50th edition confirmed the leadership of the only truly international Italian trade fair, with its branches in Asia and North America. More than 250,000 visitors from 150 countries attended the event; record of international appearances, with +16% of foreign professionals compared to last year. 2,677 exhibiting companies from 69 countries. To increase the international profile edition 2017, 29 Country Pavilions: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, California, China, South Korea, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Israel, Indonesia, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Spain, United States, Taiwan, Turkey, Hungary and, for the first time, Argentina, Chile, Japan, Latvia and the United Arab Emirates / Dubai.

Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna is a not-to-be-missed business opportunity, as proved this year by the excellent results of the International Buyer Program, consolidated tool of the international Cosmoprof network to facilitate business meetings between companies on one side and buyers and distributors on the other. This year 9,000 meetings were scheduled thanks to the match-making software You Meet.

This year marks a new beginning for the international network of Cosmoprof, as announced during the opening press conference that took place at the presence of Michele Scannavini, President of ITA - Italian Trade Agency.

"Thanks to collaborations and business partnerships, first of all with the Ministry of Economic Development and the ITA – Italian Trade Agnecy, the Cosmoprof Worldwide network is reaching all the booming markets from all continents, confirming a strategic ally for companies in the sector for the development of new business opportunity", said Franco Boni, President of Bologna Fiere. "The internationalization of the Cosmoprof network is strengthened in 2017 with the cooperation with Iran Beauty & Clean, the main event for the sector in the Gulf region and the Middle East. Cosmoprof Bologna will be exclusive international agent of the 24th edition of this important exhibition, to be held at the Teheran International Fairground from April 25. In September BolognaFiere Cosmoprof will start working with Feira Belleza y Salud in Bogota, Colombia, opening up interesting perspectives for Latin America. And then we are working to develop a project that in 2019 will cover India".

"The cosmetics industry is cyclical, as demonstrated by the data in 2016 evidencing the value of the total turnover of 10.5 billion Euros (+ 5%). The positive trend registered by economic surveys has been confirmed in a general climate of optimism: companies have welcomed the visit of the many Italian and foreign operators and the quality of contacts. The full calendar of conferences has been noted for careful attention to new trends, market scenarios and consumer attitude. 2017 - said Fabio Rossello, President of Cosmetica Italia – Personal Care Association - marks the common goal of the fiftieth anniversary of the Cosmoprof and of our association. The partnership has always guaranteed us the support for the industry and its main trade show, a unique event in the world paradigm. The visit of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economic Development, Ivan Scalfarotto, has been a sign of the growing attention that even the institutions pay on a sector that stands out in foreign markets for exports in double-digit growth (+ 12%) and a trade balance of 2.3 billion euro record. It is thanks to these synergies, between institutions, trade and industry, that we consolidated a winning and competitive system strategy."

Among the most popular innovations of the 50th edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, COSMOPRIME, the special area with 151 exhibitors, 81% of them from foreign countries, which are focused in retail channels positioned in a specific market segment, from high-end mass market to prestige and niche perfumery. The latest trends have been presented in the Extraordinary Gallery; the new growing segments such as multi-ethnic beauty have been represented by Tones of Beauty; the round tables of CosmoTalks presented insights on the world of retail and the future of the beauty market; finally, The Perfume Factory has been a journey into the production process of a fragrance.

Cosmoprof celebrated his fiftieth birthday hosting the exhibition "50 ANNI BELLI", organized in collaboration with the Milano Fashion Library and the supervision by Carlo Montanaro: images of prestigious, both Italian and foreign magazines, shew the changes of cosmetics, make-up, hairstyles from 1960 till nowadays, with hints to lifestyle.