COSMOPROF WORLDWIDE BOLOGNA 2026: A GLOBAL BEAUTY ECOSYSTEM IN CONTINUOUS EVOLUTION

Milan, 18 February 2026 

Founded in Bologna over fifty years ago and now widely recognized as the global hub of the beauty industry, Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna prepares to host its 57th edition, taking place from March 26 to 29, 2026, reaffirming its role as a strategic platform where the entire international cosmetics supply chain comes together.

“Over time, Cosmoprof has evolved far beyond the dimension of a trade fair, becoming a global platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and long-term relationship building,” said Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere. “It is where the global beauty industry meets not only to showcase products and solutions, but to interpret market transformations, anticipate emerging trends, and create connections that generate value throughout the year.”

This positioning is fully reflected in the 2026 edition, characterized by increasingly balanced participation between European and non-European markets and by a broad, cross-sector, and highly qualified international community.

With more than 250,000 expected visitors and over 3,000 exhibitors from 64 countries representing more than 10,000 brands, Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2026 is completely sold out. The share of new exhibitors — accounting for 37% of the total — confirms the exhibition’s strong ability to attract new players and investments. The event’s international profile remains robust and well balanced: 56% of exhibitors come from European countries, 20% from Italy, and 44% from non-European markets, reinforcing Cosmoprof’s role as a truly global business platform. 32 country pavilions will be featured, organized in collaboration with government institutions, local chambers of commerce, and international partners. Alongside the established presence of major global markets, the 2026 edition welcomes new national pavilions, including Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Portugal, and Hungary, further expanding the event’s geographic and cultural reach.

INTERNATIONALIZATION AS A STRATEGIC FOUNDATION

For Cosmoprof, internationalization is the result of a structured and continuous process built on long-standing partnerships, market insight, and strategic planning. With the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ITA – Italian Trade Agency, the event will once again host highly qualified delegations from North America, the Middle East and Gulf region, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, strengthening global dialogue between supply and demand.

The strategic scheduling of the 2026 edition, taking place outside the Ramadan period, further enhances engagement with international markets by enabling broader and more active participation from stakeholders in the MENA region, translating into increased international attendance and more effective networking and business opportunities.

Cosmetica Italia – the personal care association, a longstanding partner of the event, also supports the business activities of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2026. “Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna continues to represent a privileged meeting point for the entire industry and a key showcase for Italian cosmetics, recognized for their outstanding quality, authentic style, and strong creative identity,” said Benedetto Lavino, President of Cosmetica Italia. “The sector, together with its supply chain, generates more than €41 billion in value and identifies internationalization, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and sustainable production as the main drivers of growth for 2026.”

BUSINESS SERVICES AND A VISITOR-CENTRIC EXPERIENCE

Exhibition performance is also reflected in strong attendance indicators and growing international interest. The Cosmoprof website has recorded a significant increase in new leads, with notable growth from North America (+28%), Europe (+11%), the Middle East (+23%), Asia (+53%), and Africa (+12%). Online ticketing, active since November, shows a highly positive trend, with registered visitors already representing more than 150 countries.

The matchmaking system involving buyers from 94 countries remains one of the event’s key business drivers, supported by advanced digital solutions such as Cosmoprof My Match

— an exclusive platform enabling industry professionals to schedule business meetings directly at the exhibition — and by a dedicated onsite team. Buyer Lounges located in Halls 14 and 36 provide strategic hospitality services, offering reserved spaces designed for premium, prestige, and mass market channels.

The 2026 edition further enhances its focus on the visitor journey. “Being truly visitor-centric means starting from the perspective of professionals who travel to Bologna from all over the world and delivering an efficient, intuitive, and high value-added experience,” said Enrico Zannini, General Manager of BolognaFiere Cosmoprof. “In 2026, we further reinforce this approach with a project aimed at improving spatial readability and orientation quality, both physical and digital, to make the exhibition experience more immediate and functional. We are investing in the integration of digital and onsite tools, enhancing the mobile app, and ensuring greater continuity between the platform and the exhibition presence, thus facilitating meeting planning and time management during the event. At the same time, we are expanding the accessibility and cross-sector nature of educational content, making the Cosmoprof experience increasingly comprehensive and valuable for all channels. Strategic partnerships and dedicated incoming services also contribute in this direction, enabling us to transform the quality of hospitality into concrete networking and business opportunities.”

AN ECOSYSTEM ALIGNED WITH MARKET EVOLUTION

Cosmoprof remains the only event worldwide capable of organically representing the entire beauty supply chain, from production to finished products, closely following the real evolution of the market.

Cosmopack, a cornerstone of the international supply chain, will host more than 600 companies from 37 countries. The exhibition will occupy Hall 19, featuring a strengthened machinery sector — with over 90 companies — and new players active in robotics, digital services, and logistics, alongside supply chain companies from the national pavilions of Korea, India, and Poland. Hall 20 will host the Fragrances & Ingredients Zone, a strategic hub dedicated to ingredients and fragrances for the cosmetics industry, fostering dialogue between research, formulation, contract manufacturers, and brand vision. Cosmopack will also be present in Halls 15, 18, 15A, and 28 with solutions in contract manufacturing, private label, primary and secondary packaging, and accessories.

Within the Cosmoprof world, fragrances are playing an increasingly central role in the beauty experience. Hall 36 consolidates its position as a reference point for mass market cosmetics, personal care, and perfumery, while the presence of Esxence in Hall 14 enriches the offering with an immersive olfactory journey dedicated to artistic perfumery and new creative expressions in the sector.

Cosmo Perfumery & Cosmetics will host more than 1,300 companies from 56 countries, with significant growth in the mass market segment (+4.5% in exhibition space), while Cosmo Hair Nail & Beauty Salon will welcome over 1,000 companies from 50 countries, confirming its role as the international benchmark for professional beauty.

THE GLOBAL MARKET LANDSCAPE

According to data from EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL, the global beauty and personal care market confirmed a solid and structural growth trajectory in 2025, exceeding €587 billion in value and recording steady increases compared to 2023 and 2024, supported by rising average prices, product innovation, and demand increasingly focused on quality, performance, and specialization. Expansion is particularly driven by premium, prestige, and dermocosmetic segments, which show stronger dynamics than the mass market, reflecting consumers’ willingness to invest in high value-added solutions, wellness, and self-care.

Key categories such as skincare, haircare, and fragrances continue to record positive performance, reinforcing the role of beauty as a resilient and countercyclical sector. In this context, 2026 is expected to be a year of further consolidation, with more moderate but stable growth prospects focused on qualitative market evolution rather than simple volume expansion.

The fragrances segment confirms itself as one of the most resilient and aspirational pillars of the beauty market, playing an increasingly central role in value creation. Globally, fragrances continue to benefit from strong premiumization trends, positioning themselves among the most dynamic categories within beauty thanks to high consumer spending propensity and a strong emotional connection with consumers. The sector is fully aligned with the growth of premium and prestige beauty, driven by olfactory innovation, brand storytelling, and the growing relevance of fragrances as identity-driven and collectible objects.

Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2026 confirms itself as a global platform and an international community that continues to grow, evolve, and share a common vision: enhancing beauty as a language capable of creating connections between markets, cultures, and people.

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