As we approach November 2023, the beauty industry is abuzz with anticipation for one of its most significant events - Beauty Connect 2023. This leading industry platform, set to take place in Los Angeles, USA, from November 6th to 8th, is committed to driving innovation, investment, and partnerships to accelerate brand growth across the beauty, wellness, and personal care sectors.
Beauty Connect 2023 is more than just a conference; it's a dynamic hub where brands can build connections, formulate partnerships, and develop lasting relationships with key industry players from across the supply chain. With an expected attendance of thousands, including over 500 executive attendees, this event promises to be a vibrant networking opportunity.
The Beauty Connect LA 2023, a global series event that aims to foster innovation, investment, and partnerships in the beauty, wellness, and personal care sectors, is set to take place from November 6-8, 2023. The event promises to be a hub for industry leaders, offering multiple brand workshops, private and public pitching opportunities, intimate roundtables focused on industry challenges, and pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings.
This year, Beauty Connect is offering more opportunities than ever to connect. Attendees can look forward to multiple brand workshops, private and public pitching opportunities, intimate roundtables focused on industry challenges, and pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings. All these activities will run alongside main-stage content, providing all participants a comprehensive and immersive experience.
The event also offers exposure opportunities for emerging brands. The much-loved Beauty Connect Gift Bag is back for 2023, featuring more products than ever. Brands can get their products into the hands of senior decision-makers from across the beauty and wellness space. Additionally, the Product Pop-Up offers up-and-coming brands the chance to receive real-time feedback from industry leaders, strategic partners, and peers.
2023 Agenda at a Glance
One of the key themes for Beauty Connect 2023 is sustainability. As one of the biggest issues affecting every industry, sustainability and brand sustainability claims are expected to be significant growth drivers for emerging beauty brands in 2023. The event will provide a platform for brands to showcase their commitment to sustainable practices and learn from industry-leading vendors and sustainability experts.
In addition, the beauty industry is witnessing a shift towards omnichannel sales, with more consumers adopting an omnichannel approach to shopping. Beauty Connect 2023 will provide insights into this trend, helping brands to adapt and thrive in this changing landscape. With over 50 industry-leading speakers and more than 500 executive attendees, Beauty Connect LA 2023 promises to be an invaluable opportunity for brands to accelerate their growth and make meaningful connections. With over 50 industry-leading speakers and more than 500 executive attendees, Beauty Connect LA 2023 promises to be an invaluable opportunity for brands to accelerate their growth and make meaningful connections.
Pre-Day: Monday November 6, 2023
On November 6th, 2023, Beauty Connect LA will kick off with a pre-day agenda filled with networking opportunities, interactive content, and social events. The day will begin with a workshop on fundraising, cash flow, and strategic deals from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm, hosted by Threadstone.
This session aims to build confidence in emerging beauty brands' financing strategies. Participants will learn how to position their brand for investment, identify pitching do's and don'ts, understand the best investors to target at each business stage, and comprehend different deal structures.
The afternoon will start with a session on operational resilience, focusing on scaling for growth and mitigating supply chain risks. Hosted by Acquire Beauty from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm, this workshop will provide tools for operational success and supply chain management. Key discussion points will include cash flow management, leveraging data and analytics, warehousing and logistics planning, supplier evaluation and collaboration, inventory optimization, and new product development processes.
From 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, Ithos Global will host a session on accelerating growth with compliance. This workshop is designed for retailers and mid-stage brands looking to scale and enter retail. Topics will include strategies for expanding into new markets and understanding global regulations.
The day will conclude with a welcome drinks reception at 5:00 pm, hosted by Beauty Barrage, providing an opportunity for attendees to network and form new connections. A VIP dinner will follow at 7:00 pm, hosted by QuickBox, marking the end of the pre-day agenda and setting the stage for the main event.
Day 1: Tuesday November 7, 2023
Day 2 of Beauty Connect LA, scheduled for November 7, 2023, packed with insightful sessions led by industry-leading speakers. The day will kick off with a panel discussion on scaling strategies for brands, featuring insights from top executives at Pacifica Beauty, Amika, The Lip Bar, and Luminize. This will be followed by a session on implementing growth strategies, with Zach Thomann, President & COO of PFS, and representatives from L’Oréal sharing their expertise.
The morning will also include a panel on navigating the new direct-to-consumer era, featuring insights from Ulta Beauty, Beekman 1802, Glossier, Obsess, and BigCommerce. The afternoon sessions will delve into exit strategies, investment trends in the beauty industry, and the role of biotechnology in driving innovation.
A key highlight of the event will be a session on sustainability and transparency, featuring insights from The Detox Market, dsm-firmenich, T H E U N S E E N, and Cheekbone Beauty. The day will wrap up with a discussion on marketing ROI, featuring insights from CreatorIQ, PATTERN, L’Oréal, e.l.f. Beauty, and TikTok, and a panel on raising outside capital, moderated by Mimi Gosh from Bank of America.
In addition to these sessions, the event will offer multiple brand workshops, private and public pitching opportunities, intimate roundtables focused on industry challenges, and pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings. One of the key workshops at the event will be "Innovation in action: From product concept to best-seller," led by Ron Robinson, Founder & CEO of BeautyStat, and Akshay Talati, Vice President Product Development, Research & Innovation at Goop. This workshop will offer insider insights into the creation of a beauty product from brand to shelf.
Another important workshop is "Beyond the binary: Pushing the needle on gender-inclusive beauty," led by David Yi, Co-Founder of Very Good Light. This session aims to ensure that every consumer feels seen by brands with authentic, thoughtful product offerings that uplift and champion all. The third workshop, "Financing options to support brand growth to the next level," will be led by Maria Contino, Executive Vice President & Western Region Sales Manager at Rosenthal & Rosenthal. This session aims to help brands understand all their financing options and create a sustainable growth plan.
Day 2: Tuesday November 8, 2023
Day 2 of Beauty Connect LA, scheduled for November 8, 2023, promises to be an exciting and informative day for all attendees. The day will kick off at 9:20 am with the Indie Brand Spotlight, where ten handpicked beauty and personal care brands will showcase their products through quick-fire pitching, accompanied by immersive sounds and visuals.
At 11:05 am, a panel discussion titled "Bracing for the Macroenvironment Impact: Beauty from the Bird's Eye View" will take place. This session, moderated by Jana Wright from Moss Adams, will feature industry experts like Richard Kestenbaum from Triangle Capital LLC, Luc-Henry Rousselle from DC Advisory, Brandon Ford from The Lubrizol Corporation, and Ron Robinson from BeautyStat. They will discuss trends in the beauty M&A landscape and forecast success within beauty categories in the current economic climate.
Following this, at 11:40 am, there will be a session on "Blurring Beauty into Wellness," moderated by Joel Palix, founder of Palix Unlimited. Panelists including David Gaylord from Bushbalm, Akshay Talati from Goop, and Beatrice Dixon from The Honey Pot Company will explore how brands can capitalize on the increasing consumer demand for holistic, lifestyle-centric brands.
After lunch, at 1:25 pm, a session titled "Navigating Retail: Climbing to Top Shelf" will provide insights on optimizing chances of receiving priority treatment at leading beauty retailers. Moderated by Sonia Summers from Beauty Barrage, the panel will include Nyakio Greico from Thirteen Lune, Noah Rosenblatt from SpaceNK, and Muffy Clince from Emerging Brands.
The next session, "Exploring and Entering New Distribution Channels," will discuss opportunities in professional beauty, ecommerce, healthcare, and more. The panel will include Tara Lamont from Walmart.com, Celeste Hilling from Skin Authority, Angela Caglia from Angela Caglia Skincare, and Aurelian Lis from Dermalogica.
At 3:15 pm, a case study on "Collaboration to Drive Scale: The Key to Finding Trusted Business Partners" will provide insights on securing partners and collaborators who truly care about your brand.
The day will conclude with an "Investor Meet and Greet" at 3:50 pm, providing an opportunity for attendees to build connections with investors in a casual and interactive environment. The session will feature Rich Gersten from True Beauty Ventures, Chisom Amaechi from New Voices Fund, Alisa Williams from VMG Partners, Jordan Friedlander from Yellow Wood Partners, LLC, and Presca Ahn from BOLD.
Should you attend Beauty Connect LA?
Final verdict: Beauty Connect LA 2023 promises to be an invaluable opportunity for brands to build connections, formulate partnerships, and develop lasting relationships with industry players from across the supply chain. In addition to the sessions, workshops will be available throughout the day, there will be several roundtable discussions on the new beauty bill, biotech-led beauty, in-store operations, retail strategy, influencer marketing and more.
Whether you're an established brand looking to expand your network, an emerging brand seeking exposure, or an industry professional keen to stay abreast of the latest trends, Beauty Connect 2023 is the place to be.
