The expo is an all-day event, with distinct programing for each group. Brands and press come together in the morning, buyers can discover new products throughout the day and in the evening consumers shop and interact with the exhibiting brands.
Who’s who
Brands appearing at the event are all at least 50% owned by the company founders or active leaders—that’s in keeping with the industry standard for an independent brand, as defined by Cosmetics Executive Women (CEW).
Independent brands often fill a niche in the personal care sector by establishing a standard for ingredient use and formulation, and the Indie Beauty Expo team appreciates this sort of innovation. In programing the event they looked “for brands that adhere to the core principles of clean beauty,” IBE founder Jillian Wright told Thoughtfully magazine.
These brands steer clear of “everything from animal-testing to ‘villain ingredients’, like parabens,” she added. In addition to that, the brands involved have been vetted for their competence in management, marketing, and distribution.
Among the exhibitors are several brands well-positioned for success, including fragrance maker Pour Le Monde. The company is already a favorite with women’s magazine editors and upscale consumers looking for natural scents.
Speaking up
Presentations at the expo will comprise both business topics aimed at brand owners looking to advance their companies and beauty talks to educate consumers.
The roster of speakers includes Rachel Roberts, founder of Oyl +Water; Melisse Gelula, co-founder of Well+Good; Yael Akalay, founder of Red Flower; Kristen Arnett, founder and makeup artist with the Green Beauty Team, among many others.
Where beauty lives
The inaugural IBE is taking place at the Altman Building in New York City—a no brainer, according to Wright.
The city is well known for being “the largest beauty market in North America,” as Wright told Thoughtfully, “so there are plenty of local buyers and consumers. Finally, much of the beauty press and media are stationed here. Picking NYC as our launch location was probably the easiest decision we had to make!”
Indie beauty is integral to the larger industry. These small, agile companies readily innovate new technologies, brand in direct response to the consumer zeitgeist, and identifying new segments and opportunities in the market.