Intellectual Beauty and Health Business

On April 22—24 Crocus-Expo held the IX International exhibition for professional cosmetics and equipment for beauty salons INTERCHARM professional. This year it was attended by more than 370 major companies from Russia, Germany, Italy, Canada, Poland, UAE and Japan. According to the facilitators, the opening day registered 50% more visitors compared to INTERCHARM professional 2009, and 33,600 professionals visited INTERCHARM professional in the course of its history.

The exposition area was divided into specialized sections: professional cosmetics, cosmetological equipment, hairdressing equipment, facilities for spa salons, cosmetological and hairdressing services, aromatherapy, nail service, Farma + Beauty etc.

Most show stands held workshops and master-classes where professionals made a show of new approaches and solutions in beauty industry, displayed a wide range of goods and services. Nearly all events (injections, manicure, massage, masks, hair extension etc.) were video recorded and replayed on a big screen. In front of such screens there emerged ad—lib cinema halls for visitors.

INTERCHARM professional enables trade visitors to take part in a highly topical business program — 1,350 representatives of beauty industry exchanged job-related experience in 2010.

Key subjects of the IX All-Russia Conference “Beauty Salons management” under the slogan “2010: the year of intellectual business” included anti-recessionary marketing and management. The Conference participants discussed efficient HR management, fresh approaches to promotion of salon services.

During the V Professional Forum Farma+Beauty directors of pharmacies and pharmacy chains exchanged their opinions on specificity of cosmetics and parapharmaceuticals distribution in pharmacies in the context of crisis. The Forum participants emphasized that consumers had become more expedient and changed their attitude to money — this made the last year difficult in terms of sales.

Great interest was fuelled by the VI International Meeting of Spa-Professionals “SPA-Institute”. Professionals of spa-business discussed various business models for salons customized to the city (Moscow model, regional model, European model), advanced technologies (multimedia spa, scientific national spa), prospects of spa-tourism and other aspects.

Sessions of the XIII International Applied Esthetics Congress were devoted to classical cosmetology, injection methods in esthetic correction, contemporary youth prolongation techniques and agents. The Congress also held professional awards “Man of the Year Les Nouvelles Esthetiques 2010”. This was awarded to Mr. Evgeny Shevalovsky, the founder of one of the largest distribution companies for professional cosmetics.

Apart from experience demonstration and a business section, INTERCHARM professional also had an element of competitiveness. The exhibition held the I European Nail Contest among 162 nail masters from Russia, the CIS and far-abroad countries: Israel, Germany, Latvia, Norway and Estonia. The works were assessed by the international jury: professionals from Norway, Finland and Estonia. The independent monitoring group included members of the International Chiropody Nail Association, USA. It was the first time in the history of such contests that professionals received a unique opportunity to approve themselves in male manicure.

Both visitors and participants were optimistic about the exhibition. All respondents marked sales growth apparent in the course of the exhibition and after it, a good deal of new business contacts (this year there were 30 new exhibitors) and increased recognition of trademarks.

On October 20—23 Crocus-Expo will hold theXVII International Cosmetics and Perfumery exhibition InterCHARM 2010.