L'Oréal's connection with the CIIE dated back to a letter in 2018. The letter outlined China's preparations for the CIIE and its plan to invite foreign businesses to share in China's development opportunities.

Upon reading the letter, the immediate reaction of Jean-Paul Agon, the then Chairman and CEO of L'Oréal China, was "This idea is fantastic". L'Oréal quickly became one of the first enthusiastic supporters of the CIIE, taking the lead in participating in the exhibition.

As a regular exhibitor at the CIIE and the rotating chairman of the council of the CIIE Enterprise Alliance for five consecutive terms, L'Oréal participated in the exhibition for the seventh consecutive year in 2024 and once again served as the "dual chair" of the Council of the CIIE Enterprise Alliance and the Daily Consumer Goods Professional Committee.

Exhibits, goods, best sellers

L'Oréal's firm choice to participate in the CIIE is because the company is full of confidence in China's future development. Every year, L'Oréal customizes themes for its exhibition, bringing the latest trends and the most appealing new brands, products, technologies, and concepts that captivate Chinese consumers to the CIIE.

Today, the CIIE has become a top-tier project for L'Oréal globally, serving as the preferred platform for the global debut of L'Oréal's new products and technologies.

Over the past seven years, L'Oreal has launched nearly 20 new international brands and dozens of beauty and black technologies at the CIIE. Many new products have changed from "exhibits to commodities, and from commodities to popular products" on the CIIE platform.

L'Oréal is deeply integrating into the CIIE and continuously increasing its investment. In 2024, L'Oréal set up the largest single booth in the daily consumer goods industry at the 7th CIIE, covering 672 square meters. On this stage, L'Oréal created a main booth full of artistic charm, offering the audience a grand feast that combines technology, culture, and artistry.

At that time, L'Oréal not only debuted global new products, popular beauty technology, and cross-industry collaborations for sustainable consumption, but will decoded the scientific "artistry" behind the skincare, makeup, haircare, and perfume categories.

The CIIE is not only a stage for global new products and technological debuts but also a grand event that bridges different cultures and promotes international exchange and cooperation. In 2024, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, France was the guest country of honor at the CIIE, showcasing to the world the longstanding friendship between the two countries and highlighting the fruitful results of their practical cooperation.

As a witness and participant of the friendship between China and France, L'Oreal entered the French Pavilion to pay tribute to the friendship between China and France, so that French elegance and Chinese charm can reflect each other, and jointly write a beautiful and shared movement of China-France cooperation.

Sharing, co-creation and win-win

The story of cooperation at the CIIE has continued. In 2019, L'Oreal met Oriental Beauty Valley at the 2nd CIIE and jointly created the "BIG BANG Beauty Technology Innovation Program" to create a win- win situation with start-ups with cutting-edge technologies and promote open innovation in beauty technology.

In April 2023, during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China, witnessed by ministers of the two countries, the French track in the "BIG BANG Beauty Technology Innovation Plan" was officially upgraded to a Sino-French strategic project. One year later, Meitgu Oriental signed a strategic cooperation memorandum with CTIBIOTECH, the winner of the 2023 BIG BANG China-France track, to help CTIBIOTECH enter the Chinese market. This cooperation further highlights the spillover effect of the CIIE.

The CIIE welcomes industry leaders to bring their own black technologies, and vigorously supports start-ups to bring their own skills to this world-class stage.

At the 6th CIIE, L'Oreal North Asia Beauty Technology Co-creation Incubation Exhibition unveiled. [Photo/L'Oreal]

The CIIE's support for "openness, cooperation, innovation and win- win" coincides with L'Oreal's BIG BANG project. In 2023, L'Oreal successfully expanded its BIG BANG project from China to Japan and South Korea. Taking this opportunity, L'Oreal invited innovative companies from Japan, South Korea and France to jointly participate in the CIIE to explore the unlimited opportunities in the Chinese market.

L'Oreal BIG BANG Beauty technology creation camp North Asia division winning enterprise award ceremony. [Photo/L'Oreal]

The overseas start-ups said they were impressed by the CIIE. Here, they not only felt the vitality and innovative atmosphere of the Chinese market, met like-minded partners and potential partners, but also received policy "service packages" from governments at all levels in China. They are eager to have more "close contact" with China, which supports open innovation. Like L'Oreal, they have changed from "first return guest" to "repeat guest" and then to "resident guest" at CIIE!

The spillover effects of the CIIE have made L'Oreal feel the vitality and potential of the Chinese market, and strengthened L'Oreal's determination to deeply cultivate the Chinese market. In 2024, L'Oreal increased its investment in the Chinese market. The Smart Operation Center located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province was officially launched in April 2024, hoping to further meet the increasingly personalized consumption upgrading needs of Chinese consumers.

As an old friend of the CIIE, L'Oréal will remain committed to supporting the expo. During the signing ceremony to attend the 7th CIIE, L'Oréal has already secured its participation for the 8th CIIE.

Fan Yubin

(Translated by Zhang Youchao)