Overall, 2023’s CMPL was a display case of collaboration among those who would usually be competitors in the beauty industry. And, a number of fresh faces came to the event, it was great to see newcomers at an event like this, newcomers always drive an open dialogue and innovation. What an event it was!
During the event, the energy was electric, like-minded people came together to exchange ideas, not compete in herding visitors to their stalls. The exhibition was meant to connect contract manufacturers, private label manufacturers, and service providers with both upcoming and established brands. These brands make both food and non-food products. So, the event was a knowledge exchange, understanding strengths and improvements that could be made and sharing ideas. As usual, I learned as much as I shared and was honored to be involved in an event where innovation became less of a war and more of a collaborative process.
Aside from a spirit of collaboration, CMPL showcased new and interesting trends in beauty. In general, the cosmetics industry is going the way of the fashion industry, where everything is about putting your best foot forward. To put their best foot forward, brands are thinking about sustainability. I was pleasantly surprised to find that sustainability and new initiatives in manufacturing dominated the floor. More than anything else, CMPL put India first so that India is able to give something novel to the overall global industry, rather than focusing on international brands. There was definitely a ‘we are brothers in innovation’ feeling to this year’s CMPL.
Keeping with the theme of collaboration, there was a knowledge series, was a knowledge-sharing session, which was more of a panel discussion. And, this year Maxima had the opportunity to propose a particular topic called Future Proofing the Beauty Industry. We worked closely with a company called Cent Degrees. The whole thing went well and we were able to get into serious discussions about possible paths the cosmetics industry might take in the near future, upcoming innovations.
Speaking of initiatives in manufacturing, we launched the first-ever Indian Vegan Collagen Range. There were not only brands but scientists and people from the industry who were curious to know more about how we came up with this product. So, I guess that vegan collagen cosmetics created intrigue, which makes me feel elated. A lot went into creating it.
In the end, new faces and established brands came together with a spirit of sharing and collaboration to further the industry as a whole, not, as I expected it would be, the fragmented parts competing for a position at the top. It was a day, despite the weeks leading up to it where Marketing and R&D had been working their hardest to establish Maxima as a leader, in which the industry worked together to forge new bonds, learn of individual strengths and weaknesses as well as come up with innovations. All in all, it was an energetic display of collaboration in the beauty industry.