Every year, Parkway puts together a trade show calendar. We analyze each show decide which trade shows we are going to attend, picking and choosing is NEVER easy as there are a lot of GREAT shows out there and we service A LOT of industries. That being said, to make a thoughtful decision, we take many things in to consideration. 

• What market is the trade show focusing on - do we have a lot of customers in that market already or is it a market we are looking to break into? 
• Who is going to be exhibiting at the trade show, do we have competitors exhibiting there? What about customers?
• Which shows have the best and most interesting speakers and educational programs?
• Where is the location of the show and what is the demographic of the attendees ie General Public vs. Trade only?
• Lastly of course and the typically the deciding factor is cost. 
• What does it cost to exhibit there? What does it cost to walk to the show? 
• What does it cost to sponsor a booth? What does it cost to get and stay there if necessary. 
• Will we need to fly or is it local and we can either take a car, train or bus? How much are hotels? 
• What does it cost for signage at the event and to potentially sponsor a forum or speaker.  

Clearly no ones budget is unlimited and so it is for that reason that cuts often have to be made. For us, one of the cuts we had to make this year was the Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna show in Bologna, Italy. According to the Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna show, this is what we missed...

"The 50th edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna
has come to the end

> Download the press release

Bologna (Italy), 20 March 2017 – The 50th edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna has come to the end, at the presence of Ivan Scalfarotto, Undersecretary for International Trade of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development.

The edition n. 50 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 attendance, with +16% of foreign professionals compared to last year. 2,677 exhibiting companies from 69 countries. To increase the international profile of the 2017 edition, 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 have been 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 Agency, 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 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, have shown the changes of cosmetics, make-up, hairstyles from 1960 till nowadays, with hints to lifestyle."

Read to see the original press release: http://www.cosmoprof.com/2017/03/the-50th-edition-... and to learn more about Cosmoprof!

Exhibitor List - Cosmoprof Worldwide Bolonge

 The list of exhibitors was gargantuan. Check out this PDF attached. It is over 124 pages long!

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According to the Cosmoprof website, the top 5 reasons to attend next year are....

1.BE A VIP BUYER - Enjoy the VIP benefits of being a buyer:

• VIP PASS, earlier entrance and a fast lane to access Cosmoprof/Cosmopack
• BUYERS’ LOUNGE and related services (access by invitation only)
• WELCOME BAG, a selection of products offered by our exhibitors
• EXHIBITORS’ PREVIEW, preferential access to the exhibitors list and on-line preview of exhibitors’ profile and products through our matchmaking software
• B2B MEETINGS, pre-scheduled appointments and agenda set up through our matchmaking software
• NETWORKING EVENTS, invitation to attend collateral events taking place during show days
• MEMBERSHIP Cosmoprof/Cosmopack community, a network dedicated to the Beauty Industry

2. YOU CHOOSE WHO YOU MEET - Make the most of your time at the show by using our matchmaking appointment system: select the exhibitors in advance, ask for a meeting, fix your agenda and meet them onsite. Pre-arranged meetings will let you manage your time before the exhibition, learn more about the exhibitors and plan your visit.

3. IT’S FREE –Exhibitors and selected buyers will have the chance to join the International Buyer Program at no cost but what we expect is a professional approach, a strong commitment, the intent to turn meetings in a concrete business opportunity and not in a shaking hands moment.

4. A UNIQUE SHOWCASE - The best global suppliers, all under one roof, launch their novelties on occasion of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, the international hub where beauty takes shape. You will be overwhelmed by new trends, conferences, peer-to-peer networking, ideas exchange, knowhow contamination, best practices.

5. DEVELOP YOUR BUSINESS - B2B meetings aim at maximizing return in terms of new business and trade connections. B2B meetings are a starting point for future partnerships and strategic contacts. B2B meetings let you experience brands, products as well as have conversation on hot topics and upcoming trends.