Beauty’s newest B2B event is looking to offer participants networking opportunities and educational sessions in the contract manufacturing, machinery and technology, primary and secondary packaging and raw materials sectors. And beauty’s power players are lending their names and knowledge to head up educational sessions for show attendees.

Cosmopack International Business Forum & Exhibition, to be held at New York’s Hilton Midtown Hotel September 16-17, looks to bring together the most influential international firms in the cosmetics supply chain, along with specialized buyers and distributors from the American market to learn, network and build their business. People who enroll to attend Cosmopack prior to September 12 will be able to attend at no cost. Click here to register now.

A central theme at the event will be beauty innovation. Following suit will be Innovation Circle, an exhibition space in the middle of the show floor where firms can display their cutting-edge solutions for the North American market.

A packed program of conference sessions and workshops will also be on tap. Kicking off the first day are the following sessions:

• Exploring Innovations: Formulations of the Future, presented in partnership with the online pub Cosmeticsdesign.com USA, will analyze the increasingly popular trend among manufacturing firms for sourcing new and original ingredients inspired by nature. The workshop will present the latest innovations in fragrance and color and will focus on the similarities and differences in the ways European firms and their US and Canadian counterparts approach the issue. The session will be moderated by Simon Pitman, Senior Editor, CosmeticsDesign.com USA, and will feature Aiysha Hinds, US Marketing & Sales, Omnicos Group; Amy Marks-McGee, Founder, Trendincite; Rebecca Morton, Senior Marketing Manager, TRI-K Industries, Inc.

• The workshop Retailers’ Perspective: The Visual Impact & Merchandising, moderated by Pete Born, Executive Editor, Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), is dedicated to innovative indie and national retailers and will analyze the factors evaluated by merchants when they bring cosmetic products into their stores, with special focus on packaging and merchandising. The session will provide companies developing products and looking to introduce their new products with sound advice to successfully attract major international retail groups. Panel participants include Marcia Gaynor, DMM Prestige, Global and Exclusively Owned Brands, Walgreens; Jessica Richards, Founder & Beauty Brand Advisor, Shen Beauty; Shawn Tavakoli- Founder & CEO, Beauty Collection.

• The session Peek into Tomorrowland: The Beauty Futures, moderated by Sophie Maxwell- Futures, Director, Pearlfisher, and presented in partnership with the trend and research laboratory Pearlfisher, will highlight the growing need to satisfy consumers’ wishes for personalized products, with companies looking to factors such as genetics and DNA in order to create increasingly high-performing formulations.

• The GMPs and Transparency session, overseen by Pam Busiek, President & CEO, ICMAD, in collaboration with Casey Coy of NSF International, will analyze consumer safety regulations and new trends using specific case histories to give companies vital information for entering the American market.

• From Green to Clean: Branding Insights, in partnership with The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), will discuss the importance for “green” brands, best practices for launching and growing a natural and organic brand, as well as predictions about the future of luxury consumer values as it relates to “green” consumption. Insights from FIT’s joint survey with The Boston Consulting Group entitled “BCG FIT Global Luxury Consumer Survey,” which focused on China, India and the United States, will be outlined. The session will be moderated by Dr. Brooke Carlson- Professor, Fashion Institute of Technology, and will feature Amanda Bopp, Director, Macy’s Consumer Insights & Analytics, dunnhumbyUSA; Corey Moran, Account Director, Consumer Insights and Analytics, Coty; Joshua Onysko, Founder & Chief Product Officer, Pangea Organics.

Cosmopack International Business Forum & Exhibition is organized in partnership with Cosmetica Italia and Polo Tecnologico della Cosmesi, long-standing partners in Cosmoprof and Cosmopack initiatives, and with Independent Cosmetics Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD), the trade association representing independent American cosmetics companies. To attend at no cost,

register here prior to September 12.