The Personal Care Products industry met in Budapest for Outlook 2010 with renewed confidence. In the midst of a still modest recovery, the 380 delegates were told by various speakers that business would never be the same as before, with new markets, a new way of looking at products, and a renewed focus on the customer – all critical elements of how business continues to evolve.

In his highly praised Keynote paper on Global Economic Perspectives, Robert Ward, Director of Global Forecasting for the Economist Intelligence Unit indicated that for many businesses, emerging markets would become the primary source of revenue growth and profit, and that for all; doing more with less, becoming permanently leaner as low cost competition increases, would be a condition of survival.

Feedback from participants repeatedly indicated that the mix and quality of papers, with one delegate likening the event to a ‘great vintage’ of wine, improving with age, and worth the investment.

Speakers addressing topics such as the Brazil and Russian and global hygiene markets, winning company sustainability practices, a Life Cycle Assessment for wipes, latest product developments, and the value proposition of Bio-polymers to hygiene products, or the role of science in law were all highly appreciated, and directly addressed the needs and interests of business.

EDANA General Manager Pierre Wiertz, opening the 9th edition of the conference thanked all attendees, recognising that “Your enthusiastic participation, time and time again, is our motivation to put together, each year, a programme of the most attractive, diversified and relevant to our business sector”. Summarising the objectives of OUTLOOK, Wiertz reminded the audience that it is intended to offer some of the ingredients for the recipe of business success: market intelligence and new insights, new opportunities coming from the exchange of ideas