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Representatives of several dozen countries from around the world had hands-on experience with a wide range of goods presented at the first contracting event for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry Slavic B2Beauty at Targi Kielce 2022. Nearly 1,000 face-to-face and online meetings were held within the scope of the event. 60 entrepreneurs from 20 countries around the world and over 30 manufacturers of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals from Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania attended the sessions. We talked to Blanka Chmurzyńska-Brown, general director of the Polish Union of the Cosmetics Industry about the outcome of the first show and expectations regarding the second one, held on 13 and 14 June.

How did the participation in the first Slavic B2Beauty contracting event 2022 affect the situation of companies in the cosmetics industry? Have the companies started to export to other markets owing to their participation in the event?

Blanka Chmurzynska-Brown:  Each post-pandemic stationary event targeted at the cosmetics industry is a unique opportunity for manufacturers to establish new international cooperation. The first Slavic B2Beauty contracting event's time fit perfectly into the need to see on-site B2B meetings.

The expo location in Europe is an undoubted advantage of this event - you do not have to switch the continent to sign a new contract. It seems to us that the companies that took part in the first Slavic B2Beauty took advantage of this opportunity.

What is the situation of Polish cosmetics producers today? Are they still affected by the war in the East?

Blanka Chmurzynska-Brown:  Undoubtedly, the war in Ukraine has a long-term impact on the economy, including the cosmetics industry. We will see the war's impact for months and years to come. After all, the sale of cosmetics to Ukraine and Russia accounted for 12% of all exports and 5% of total revenues of Polish companies. Currently (March 2023) we do not have any summary data for 2022, so it is difficult to say how large the scale of losses is and whether companies have made up and recouped the lost market share. Indeed, entrepreneurs first had to deal with disrupted supply chains and shortages of essential raw materials, and then face the need to find new markets quickly -  these tasks are not easy.

What are your expectations related to the second Slavic B2Beauty?

Blanka Chmurzynska-Brown:  We receive signals from all sides that cosmetics companies concentrate on exports. Therefore, the expectations towards the second Slavic B2Beauty are also growing. Polish companies prove again and again that, conditions being favourable, they can conquer all markets. Every company finds it right time to export and expand; a certain stage of the company's development. This is further fuelled with the hard work of its entire team. - Initiatives created and developed in Poland, allowing for establishment of new relationships and finding contractors for the cosmetics industry are important. Slavic B2Beauty fits these needs perfectly.

/MŚ/