Organisers of the Guangzhou International Beauty & Cosmetic Import-Export Expo (also known as Guangzhou Beauty Expo), say that the show’s 30th edition has broken its previous record, despite the current economic environment, and one less day of the show.
The expo, which is presented in co operation with Cosmoprof Asia Hong Kong, attracted 217,119 visitor entries, up seven per cent from the last event in September 2008. Ninety three per cent of visitors came from mainland China. Of these, 60.2 per cent were from the Guangdong province, with visitors from all other Chinese provinces making up the remainder. Organisers say these ratios are consistent with the Guangdong province being the centre of manufacturing for beauty and cosmetic products in China, and its importance as the national trading hub and distribution centre.
The Spring 2009 show was held from March 9 to 11 at the China Import & Export Fair Pazhou Complex. Close to 2,000 exhibiting companies and brands displayed a wide spectrum of beauty and related products in six halls.
Exhibitor included companies from Australia, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan, alongside brands from Cyprus, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, USA and Vietnam. With the support of the Spa & Wellness Association Singapore (SWAS), exhibitors from Singapore participated, with a pavilion at the expo for the very first time. The objective is to foster collaboration between the spa industries in the China and Singapore, and to raise the professionalism of the spa industry in Asia through combining their mutual strengths.
Another highlight was the Traditional Chinese Medicine Pavilion, showcasing the secrets of traditional Chinese medicine and their application to beauty.
Through the influence and extensive network of the Guangdong Beauty & Cosmetic Association, Guangzhou Beauty Expo mobilised over 820 key trade buyers from across China to participate in the VIP Buyer matching programme. The organisers provided them with personal assistants and private meeting lounges, and assisted these buyers in every way to facilitate contact with exhibitors, locate the products and enterprises they were interested in, and to engage in meaningful business discussions. 
Popular live events included hair and makeup shows, with industry seminars and forums also drawing significant numbers. Topics included design and branding, the cosmetic market in China and franchises.
The spa sector was represented with the "All About Spa" showcase, providing a broad learning opportunity for the spa professional. Theresa Chew, President of SWAS, spoke on "Global Spa & Wellness Trend" while Samantha Foster, Managing Director of Spa Source Asia Ltd, shared her insights and tips on "Winning with Retail". Pevonia, Histomer, Matis, Bioline and Janssen conducted live demonstrations of the latest spa products, trends and techniques.
The 31st edition of the Guangzhou International Beauty & Cosmetic Import-Export Expo takes place from September 24 to 26, 2009 at the China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex Area B – Guangzhou.