The first day of the event seemed to surprise everyone given the tough economic condition, as the aisles were abuzz with buyers looking for the latest ingredients and technologies.
Clearly a significant proportion of those attending had not come far as New Jersey is home to many national and international suppliers of fine ingredients suppliers and manufacturers.
However, a small but significant proportion of attendees were from overseas, indicating that company budgets are tight but not completely depleted.
‘No frills’ networking event
Organized by the NYSCC, the 'no frills' event does not have a conferencing program or presentations, nor does it serve as a significant platform for global product launches as it takes place shortly after In-Cosmetics in Europe.
Instead it stands as a networking event for this close-knit industry, allowing people to touch base with one another and firm up deals.
Although the second day was evidently less well attended, one exhibitor described the traffic he was getting to his stand as 'good quality' adding his belief that the 'tourists had stayed away'.
“Supplier's Day is definitely an important part of our calendar and always helps generate good leads for us,” said Prof. Youssef Mirhom, VP for research and development at Bio-Botanica.
“It was difficult to know what to expect at the show this year, given the economic conditions, but the show floor has been very busy, the stands are all taken and we are getting lots of enquiries.”
Although the vast majority of major launches had already been on show at In-Cosmetics, a few had been saved for the New Jersey event.
Some launch highlights
The new launches included chemical company Stepan showcasing its Biorenewable Carbon Index – an initiative to help companies comply with increasingly strict environment regulations, Hallstar's Solastay S1 photostabilizer for sun screens and a slew of new ingredients from Kobo, including a non-nano zinc oxide for sunscreens.
Many launches tied in with the show’s green theme, such as Beraca’s new ARS active revitalization hair system and its Buriti extract, PL Thomas’s Lipowheat nutricosmetic ingredient, and Active Organics’s Actilipid, Actifirm Age and ActImmune ingredients.