Live From New York: HBA Addresses Industry Trends
By: Nancy Jeffries
Posted: May 1, 2008, from the May 2008 issue of GCI Magazine.
The HBA Spring Conference, held March 4–5, 2008, at New York City’s Javits Center, addressed leading trends in “Achieving Well-being: The New Paradigm,” plus “International Prestige Packaging and Design.” The dual focus of the program brought together experts in the industry, beginning with a keynote address by Laurent Gilbert, global director of raw materials and advance research for L’Oréal, titled, “Fostering Innovation in a Global Context Relative to Characterization of Skin and Hair in Various Regions of the World.” Gilbert noted, “It’s all about innovation, to offer consumers service and benefits in a new way.” Highlighting consumer diversity and advances in science, Gilbert discussed the lipstick of the future that can change color according to a woman’s mood, and the overall demand for new possibilities, which he said started with the observation of the beauty routines of women all over the world.New Technology discussions included a forum on “DNA Technology Derived from Plants,” by James Heyward, CEO, Applied DNA Sciences; “Advanced Technologies for Smart Skin Care Products and Antiaging,” by Sam Shefer, executive vice president, Salvona Technologies; “Consumable Beauty: Products that Enhance Beauty from Within,” by Michael Natale, director of marketing, Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.; and a comprehensive discussion of “Ayurvedic Medicine for Antiaging and Skin Care Cosmetics: Crodarom,” by Suellen Bennett, marketing manager, botanicals, Croda, Inc.
Wednesday’s program opened with addresses by Jim Chastain, managing partner and founder of Reality Check Consulting Network, discussing “Well-being: Defining a Mega Trend,” that reflected contemporary consumer tastes and styles; a discussion of “Amazonian Oils and Active Ingredients from the Brazilian Rainforest,” by Brian Jones, technical sales manager, Jarchem Industries, which introduced the latest findings from the source; an exploration of fragrance, including “Aroma As a Pathway to Emotions,” by Helen Feygin, president, Intuiscent LLC; and “Using Scent to Communicate Well-being,” by Avery Gilbert, PhD, president of Synesthetics Inc., who discussed both emotional and cognitive response to fragrance.
The packaging track was opened by Marc Gobé, chairman and CEO of Desgrippe Gobé, who presented BrandJam: Humanizing Brands through Emotional Design, which supported the value of the collaborative process in creating emotional response with corporations and consumers alike. Speakers Herve Bouix, corporate vice president of packaging, new venture and special projects, The Estée Lauder Companies, discussed Technology Transfer in Packaging Innovation, noting the automotive industry’s paints and coatings potential for application to cosmetic packaging; and Tammy Vaserstein, creative director and principal, Moxie, Inc., spoke about the appeal of packaging design targeting the Latino market, within the health and beauty category, in her discussion, Que Pasa USA?
HBA announced its 16th Annual HBA Global Expo and Educational conference will take place on September 9–11, 2008, at the Javits Center in New York, and the 7th Annual HBA Industry Awards dinner will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008, at the Marriott Marquis in New York. Additional information is available at www.hbaexpo.com.