World's leading brands
flock en masse to record edition of Beautyworld Middle East
With the UAE ranked among the world's highest per
capita spenders on beauty products and the region blossoming into one of the
top beauty and personal care markets globally, it was no surprise that the
focus of the beauty and wellness industry was firmly on the region at the
recent Beautyworld Middle East 2017.
According to the latest figures from Euromonitor
International, released alongside Beautyworld Middle East 2017, the UAE was
ranked 7th in the world in per capita spend on beauty care products, totalling
US$ 239 in 2016, up two places from the previous year. As a whole, the MEA
region spent a whopping $30 billion on beauty and personal care in 2016.
Beautyworld Middle East 2017 saw a bevy of beautiful
people share the stage with regional traders, professionals, and international
manufacturers, as the Middle East’s largest beauty and wellness exhibition completed
a record run in Dubai.
Beautyworld Middle East 2017, which took place at the
Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, attracted 42,012 visitors
from 135 countries, and featured 1,580 exhibitors from 60 countries.
Spanning 55,000sqm, the three-day event’s 11.5 per
cent increase in size year-on-year was duly matched by a 13 per cent growth in
visitors, with throngs of spa and salon professionals, hairstylists, makeup
artists, importers and exporters out in force, sourcing inspiration and the
latest products displayed by the biggest brands in the global beauty business.
Beautyworld Middle East continued its double-digit
growth trajectory in remarkable fashion, as ten show highlights shared the
spotlight with more than 100 product launches across six sections of Hair,
Nails, & Salon Supplies; Cosmetics & Skincare; Machinery, Packaging,
and Raw Materials; Professional Equipment, Spa & Wellness; Fragrance
Compounds & Finished Fragrance; and Personal Care & Hygiene.
The 22nd edition of the annual showcase was
a mix of glamour and serious business in equal doses; models graced catwalks
presenting the latest makeup and hair trends from the likes of Hollywood hair
artist Guy Tang at one end of the exhibition’s vast expanse, while across the
other, European premium skincare manufacturers or makers of niche perfumes were
striking deals with regional distributors and high-end retailers.
Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of organiser Messe Frankfurt Middle
East, said: “Although Beautyworld Middle East continues to grow in size and
scope every year, it has maintained, and even advanced its relevance in the
Middle East and African beauty and wellness market, which continues to deliver
up a wealth of opportunity for global and local players alike.
“Whether you’re a professional hair stylist seeking
inspirational colouring trends, an entrepreneur looking for private label
cosmetic manufacturers, or a hotel operator searching for the cutting-edge spa equipment
and treatments, there’s really something for everyone.
“The show’s impressive growth coincides with Dubai’s
position at the forefront of interregional trade,” added Pauwels. “Figures from Dubai Customs show the emirate traded
AED20.68 billion worth of perfumes and cosmetics in 2016, while in the first
quarter of 2017, 202,000 tonnes worth AED5 billion were imported, exported, and
re-exported.”
Neoderma from Cyprus was among the 650-plus Skincare
& Cosmetics exhibitors at Beautyworld Middle East 2017, and used the event to
launch its ‘Airless’ premium skincare range, including a Halal-certified
whitening cream.
CEO Andreas Loizou said Neoderma is one of the first
in the world to make 100 per cent airless skincare products. Initially a
manufacturer for private labels and the professional market, Neoderma is now
entering the high-end retail market as part of its five year business expansion
plan.
“The retail world is taking over and multi experience
stores are becoming very strong, where one can find the right products and have
treatments all at once, from skincare to haircare, to body to spa and massage,”
said Loizou.
“We’re meeting some big global retail groups,
distributors, airport duty free retailers and hotels this week at Beautyworld
Middle East, and this is why we’re here. The Middle East and Africa is a
priority region as part of our five year business plan, and we consider Dubai
as the middle ground connecting these markets.
“Although it’s our first time exhibiting here, we’ve
known about Beautyworld Middle East for many years,” added Loizou. “We analysed 15 cosmetics exhibitions
globally, and this show has demonstrated over the years to be the future in
terms of attracting our target market.”
Among the many show highlights returning to Beautyworld
Middle East 2017 was Quintessence, an exclusive showcase of luxury and niche
perfumes, many of which were seen for the first time in the region.
The 2nd edition of the highly popular
feature had doubled in size over the previous year, with every one of the 23
high-end brands on display coming with its own rich story, embedded in the
creations of the unique scents themselves.
Luxe House, a distributor of premium beauty products
throughout the Gulf region and several other Middle East countries, had six
brands under its banner at Quintessence: Tom Daxon, Nishane, Le Galion,
Signature Fragrances, Teaology, and Simone Cosac.
Doaa Tahboub, Co-Founder and Marketing Director of
Luxe House, said: “Quintessence offers us a golden opportunity to be present in
front of a massive market segment that tends to be split between those
searching for ultra-luxury products and those looking for something a lot more
personalised and unique, and that has an independent voice.
“There’re movements happening in each direction, and I
would like to think of ourselves as a hybrid between the two. We do represent
luxury brands but we’re also there for people who are willing to be individual
and step out with strong individuality.
“Quintessence is ideal not only to fulfil marketing objectives,
but to draw inspiration from because it’s very refined, it’s very intimate, it’s
designer-led. The way it’s built, and the dynamics of the feature makes it feel
as though it’s an independent exhibition on its own,” added Tahboub.
Elsewhere, USA-headquartered professional haircare
solutions manufacturer GKHair was one of more than 350 exhibitors in the Hair,
Nails & Salon Supplies section at Beautyworld Middle East 2017.
Founded ten years ago in Miami, GKHair products and
treatments are now available in salons in more than 70 countries, including 11
in the Middle East. Founder and CEO Van
Tiboli said the region comprises around 20 per cent of GKHair’s global business.
“The Middle East market is a very important for us,
and since I started the brand in 2007, we opened country by country in the region,”
said Tiboli. “It’s a market that’s
growing every year; it requires a lot of GKHair products, and demands high
quality products.
“Now GKHair is not only in the beauty industry, but
we’re also in the technology industry today.
We recently developed our own mobile app which supports the sales and
the overall distribution of GKHair and Tiboli products. It helps us control the growth of the company
in a much better and professional way, and helps us develop products and have
these products reach the countries that they have to reach.”
Beautyworld Middle East is the region’s largest
international trade fair for beauty products, hair, fragrances, and wellbeing. The international flavour of the show was
underline by the presence of 22 country pavilions, while the captivating highlights
were spearheaded by Centre Stage by Nazih Group – a three-day educational
showcase of the latest trends and developments in the beauty industry.
Other special event
features ensuring visitors come away inspired, educated, and rejuvenated
included: Battle of the Barbers; Sensorial Journey by Carita & centdgres;
Hair Education by ghd; Nail It! By Artistic and OPI; the Business in Beauty
Summit; and Face it! by Mehron and Madi International.
The 23rd edition of Beautyworld Middle East
takes place from 8-10 May 2018. More
information is available at: www.beautyworldme.com.
