Wow this year has gone fast! I usually say this when I return from an annual trip to Cosmoprof in Hong Kong and this year is no different.
For those who do not know, Cosmoprof is a large Cosmetic & Beauty Expo where brands and packaging suppliers from all over the world come together to present their new and exciting products. This is usually a busy few days for us to network and meet with clients, however this year was disappointing to see the numbers so low and exhibitors questioning if they will be back.
It was successful for us however. There were a few new emerging trends and sustainability seems to be at the forefront on most exhibitors stands. It’s great to see something we have been advocating for the last 2 years finally starting to get some traction.
Hanging on stand walls were stats printed of why our industry should look at sustainable options for packaging, why formulations should remove certain ingredients and stands trying to highlight what they are currently doing that is environmentally friendly. To be honest, it’s hard to cut through what companies are really doing and what is their marketing.
In two years at Weltrade Packaging we established a firm footprint on PCR post consumer resin tubes, rPET and sugarcane bioplastic. We are continually improving our sustainable packaging options and have some really exciting news for 2020 once our due diligence has taken place on other new options. Our sourcing and qc checks run 11 months of the year and our China team are continuously visiting our partner factories to work with them on continuous improvement and developing new packing lines or tweaking existing lines with new additives and decoration techniques.
This year as every year we ask packaging exhibitors “What’s new?” and it seems to be the same every year, nothing unless you make your own custom shape. If you go there looking to shop you will find the same me too items that is everywhere. Cosmoprof for us is really a place to meet our clients that are exhibiting and to meet others that come for a few days but don’t exhibit.
Finally the city. I love Hong Kong, it’s a city I work in and visit regularly and we have our overseas trade office there. Unfortunately this year, the impact of the protests were significant. Enormous amounts of graffiti, roads empty, shops closed everywhere, trains only running to certain stations and airport with increased security checks.
I hope that they can work it out sooner rather than later, and get the city back and that exhibitors and visitors return again for Cosmoprof in 2020.