Beauty fair inviting foreign interest
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A promotional performance at Gwanghwamun Plaza, central Seoul, March 14, for the successful hosting of the Cosmetics and Beauty Expo in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, from May 3 to 26.
By Chung Ah-young
The beauty fair organizers estimate that it will attract a million visitors, including 70,000 foreigners. / Courtesy of Cosmetics and Beauty Expo
The Cosmetics and Beauty Expo, scheduled to take place from May 3 to 26 in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, is garnering attention from China and other countries.
Interest is growing because the fair offers visitors a rare opportunity to sample a range of Korean cosmetics and beauty products as well as take in the high-quality research and development infrastructure in the region. North Chungcheong Province is home to some 60 leading cosmetics companies such as LG House and Health Care while Osong within the province is where six state-run research institutes are located.
As part of a promotional drive to encourage visitors from other countries, Lee Si-jong, governor of North Chungcheong Province, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hubei Province in China on March 20 to attract more Chinese tourists to the area.
The North Chungcheong provincial government has retained friendly relations with the Hubei provincial government since 2006. Lee invited a Chinese delegation from the province to attend the beauty fair. The delegation promised full support to promote the event in the Chinese province.
Before signing the MOU with the Hubei delegation, Lee and other Korean delegations visited Beijing and Shanghai to meet businessmen and travel agents as part of further promotional activities.
“The fair will be at the forefront of creating another hallyu market for the Korean beauty industry following the popularity of K-dramas and K-pop music in countries around the world by connecting with bio technologies a strong industry in the province,” Lee said.
Lee Soo-han, director of international commerce in the provincial government, said that the Korean delegations reaffirmed China’s growing interest in Korean beauty products with the help of the hallyu boom worldwide.
“It was a good opportunity to promote Osong, a rising hub for the Korean cosmetics industry in the world,” Lee said.
The organizing committee has promoted its event not only in China but also in other East Asian countries such as the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam where the Korean cosmetics projects are gaining popularity.
As hallyu is continuing to reach many countries, the benefits are reaching the Korean cosmetics industry which includes bio technology research into stem cells and advanced nanotechnology.
North Chungcheong Province Governor Lee Si-jong, sixth from left, poses with Chinese delegates from Hubei provincial government after signing an MOU in China on March 20.
According to recent statistics, the cosmetics market here expanded to $7.9 billion in 2011 from 4.9 billion in 2006, registering an annual growth rate of 10.4 percent on average.
Given the growing popularity of Korean cosmetics brands overseas, the organizing committee estimates that it will attract a million visitors, including 70,000 of which it hopes will be foreigners.
Some 300 domestic and foreign companies along with 2,000 buyers are expected to join the expo.
Under the title “Healthy Bio, Beautiful Life,” the fair, the only one supported by the government, will provide comprehensive information about beauty and health products.
The “World Beauty Pavilion” will explore the diverse meanings of beauty seen throughout history and culture. Makeup techniques of beauties from the past will be on show.
The “Beauty Innovation Pavilion” will display the development of cosmetics science and technology and the future and vision of the bio-cosmetics and beauty industry.
The “Industrial Exhibition Pavilion” will promote sales of beauty products of participating cosmetic and beauty businesses. The pavilion will show cosmetic products in their various forms including raw materials, equipment and other related beauty commercials goods.
In the “Beauty Market,” the participating cosmetic beauty businesses can sell their products and promote their new products at affordable prices for visitors to the expo.
In the “Korean Culture Pavilion,” visitors can see changes in beauty tradition which have been maintained over the past 5,000 years of Korean history.
Aside from the main exhibitions, the expo will provide a variety of sideline performances,
events and contests in which visitors can participate and enjoy. Top body painting groups from around the world will hit the stage in the “World Body Performance.”
Also, a series of special events including domestic and international seminars and academic conferences will be held during the 24-day fair.
For more information, visit www.osongbeautyexpo.kr or call at (043)-249-4519.