in-cosmetics Formulation Summit review

Formulating in the Climate Change Age

Addressing the personal care formulation challenges and opportunities around creating products for the Climate Change Age

The in-cosmetics Formulation Summit returned for yet another three-days of expert insights and solutions, with the 2020 theme "Formulating in the Climate Change Age" taking the "Virtual Centre Stage" for the first time this year.

From 17 - 19 November 2020, expert speakers shone an intense spotlight on the much-debated topic that has been polarising the world. The Summit focused on products that are fantastic for both consumers and the planet well beyond such stereotyped concepts as sustainable, natural and organic. It delved into the various aspects of “good” science that can enable formulators to create products.

See official event photos of the Summit through our show Flickr album.

View the event photos

Key Statistics

The Formulation Summit continues to be a truly international conference. Even when run online in 2020 following the GMT timezone, delegates from far and wide tuned in at unsavoury hours to join the Summit. For 2020, of the total delegates that attended the conference, 18% were from the UK, whereas 82% were from overseas. Of that international audience, we saw more far-spread representation than ever before, with delegates tuning into the Summit from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the UAE, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Russia and Brazil!

The most represented countries at the conference for 2020 were the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Greece and Italy.

The Formulation Summit 2020 also made up a highly influential crowd, with 65% of delegates holding a senior position, from Manager or Laboratory Manager, all the way up to CEO, Director, President or Owner.

The Main Stage

During the first two days of the conference, the presentations took place on the 'Virtual Main Stage'. After each presentation, there was a live Q&A with the speakers, and a chat function where delegates could submit their questions.

Virtual Booths

Exhibitors had the opportunity to have booths in the Expo Area of the summit platform. Visitors could pop over, join in on video for a chat and arrange meetings. On Day 3, there was a series of live demos the visitors could watch to see the latest advancements in formulation.

Roundtable discussions

For the first time, the Summit featured 8 roundtables. This was an opportunity for delegates to join speakers for in-depth discussions on their chosen topics. Everything ranging from the safety of natural ingredients to business challenges in adapting to sustainable practices.

“We were drawn to the summit due to the plastics and vegan products sessions as this is a key focus for our consumers. Going off the previous presentations, we anticipate it to be highly informative and interesting. The summit was definitely worthwhile coming to and is very well-organised.”

Anna Williams

Technologist, Solent

“I have found the summit to be very informative and useful for my business, an indie brand. The speakers have been great and I especially enjoyed the talks on the application of AI.”

Ogochukwu Agunenye

Tusciaut

“We are patent and trademark attorneys so the summit is a great opportunity for us to keep up to date with the industry for our current clients and to network and connect with potential new clients.”

Marianna Privett

Partner, AA Thornton

“We wanted to come to the summit as we thought the theme was an important trend in the industry. We want to get a deeper understanding of what customers want and we heard some brilliant speakers speak on a broad range of topics. ”

Christina Kohlman

Senior Manager Global Projects and Scouting, BASF

“I came to the summit as I wanted to know more about personalisation as I work for a small, niche brand. I was familiar with a lot of what the speakers were saying, however, this was still valuable for me as it validated my own thoughts. It was also very useful from a networking perspective.”

Tracy Parkin

Director of Brands

“The summit provides us with the perfect opportunity to discuss new ideas and create new experiences for consumers as it gathers inspirational people from all over the world to form a great melting-pot of creativity and ideas. ”

Richard Oliver

CEO, The Unseen

Education Programme

Circadian rhythms, cannabinoid blends, artificial intelligence, the microbiome and more: the Up Close and Personalised Education Programme addressed the topic of personalised beauty extensively through a range of topics.

Infotainment

Delegates were able to experience listening to music/sounds and see the neurological impack difference sounds have on the skin. All attendees were given a mirror and listened to the various songs and were presented with the results at the end of the summit.

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