Nanjing, China，September 17 – The 2026 CAFFCI Annual Meeting & Expo officially opened at the Yangtze River International Conference Center in Nanjing. Legacy, Innovation, Beyond was adopted as the overarching theme of this’s event, hosted by the China Association of Fragrance Flavour and Cosmetic Industries (CAFFCI), co-hosted by Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions Co., Ltd., and supported by China General Merchandise Association (www.ccagm.org.cn). Upholding the standards of “High quality, High-profile caliber, High-end expertise” and adhering to the core positioning of “Specialization, Premium Quality, Internationalization”, the expo serves as a multi-functional interactive platform for industry exchanges and technical seminars, new-product showcases and business matchmaking, authoritative releases and high-level networking, as well as fashion trend insights and aesthetic experience.

Setting new records in scale, the event features more than 30 conference sessions, over 200 keynote speakers, 141 participating exhibitors, nearly 500 exhibiting brands across an exhibition area of 15,000 square metres. The high-calibre delegate roster includes members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, macro-economic researchers, leading life-science scholars, chief executives of leading enterprises spanning the full fragrance-flavour-cosmetic value chain, corporate R&D and business leaders, multinational executives, industry specialists and representatives of international industry organizations. Bringing together top-tier resources from academy, research institutes, industry players, upstream-downstream partners and global stakeholders, the gathering explores the transformation and future of the fragrance-flavour and cosmetic sector from multi-dimensional perspectives.

 

During the opening ceremony, Dr. Yan Jiangying, Chair of CAFFCI; Mr. Li Chao, Chairman & General Manager of Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions Co., Ltd.; Sven Ballschmiede, Executive Director of IOFI; Yeon Jae-ho, Vice-President of Korea Cosmetics Association; and Stephane Dhalluin, Board Chair of ICCS delivered opening remarks.

In her keynote address, Dr. Yan Jiangying outlined the “Strategy of Offence-Defence-Sustainability” for China’s fragrance flavour and cosmetic industry under the 15th Five-Year Plan: “Attack with science and technology to build robust moats through genuine R&D; Defend positive development to foster industrial prosperity via shared value; Pursue enduring growth to become stronger, longer-lived and more responsible.” Quoting the ancient Chinese adage “Renew thyself daily, and again each day”, she called on the whole industry to embrace change and pursue long-term growth rooted in authentic science and genuine research.

The opening session also witnessed the launch of the Entrepreneurs’ Initiative for High-Quality Development of China’s fragrance flavour and cosmetic industries for the 15th Five-Year Plan, consolidating cross-industry consensus and setting the course for future industrial advancement. Two landmark industry scientific documents were released: the Chinese translated version of Best Practice Guidance on Skin Sensitisation Assessment, and the Industry Guideline for ECM–based Scientific Skincare (Extracellular Matrix).

Immediately following the opening ceremony, the flagship main forum themed “Insight into Frontiers, Lead the Future” commenced. It decoded the underlying logic of industrial development from interdisciplinary angles and stood as the intellectual highlight of the event.

Dr. Yin Ye, CEO and Executive Director of BGI Group, shared insights on empowering beauty with science-technology, interpreting integration pathways between life sciences (genomics and multi-omics) and the beauty industry. Qian Xuhong, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering drew upon Laozi’s philosophical thinking to inspire the industry to revisit the dialectics between scientific innovation and industrial advancement. Member Chen Jian of the Chinese Academy of Engineering delivered an in-depth analysis of transformation opportunities brought by bio-manufacturing and synthetic biology for cosmetic raw material sectors, pointing out priority directions for domestic raw material innovation.

Renowned economist Ma Guangyuan analysed shifts in consumption patterns against macro-economic cycles, dissecting core capabilities cosmetic enterprises need to navigate market volatility. Dr. Wang Wei, Former Director and Second-Class Research Fellow of the Market Economy Research Institute under the Development Research Center of the State Council, interpreted policy dividends under the 15th Five-Year Plan and realistic opportunities for the fragrance-flavour and cosmetics sector amid expanding demand for fashion consumption. Marisa A. Plescia, President of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC, US), shared perspectives on the future of American beauty products and how Asian innovation fuels its evolution, facilitating mutual learning between Chinese and global fragrance flavour cosmetic stakeholders.

2026 CAFFCI Annual Meeting & Expo builds a complete industrial ecosystem covering policy interpretation, frontier-achievement exchanges, international partnership matching and authoritative report releases. From the Legacy of oriental herbal wisdom and traditional Chinese fragrance culture, through technological Innovation driven by synthetic biology, artificial intelligence and green manufacturing, to Beyond in technological barriers, brand equity and global industry discourse power, the three pillars sketch a clear roadmap for China’s fragrance-flavour and cosmetics industry in the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Over 30 parallel forums will be held throughout the event, addressing full-value-chain topics including fragrance-flavour development, Chinese herbal science-technology, brand internationalization, ESG sustainable development, cosmetics retail and talent cultivation, continuously generating industrial wisdom and supporting sustained, sound growth of China’s fragrance flavour and cosmetic industries.

About CAFFCI

China Association of Fragrance Flavour and Cosmetic Industries (CAFFCI)was founded on August 21, 1984, approved by the Ministry of Civil Affairs ofthe People’s Republic of China. CAFFCl is a state-level industrial associationwith the status of legal person as a social organization. The Association is anationwide, industrial, non-profit social organization voluntarily composedof fragrance, flavour, cosmetic production enterprises, as well as their rawmaterial, equipment, packaging enterprises, together with industry-relatedscientific research, design, education enterprises and institutions, andindividuals. Currently, it has over 1,000 member units. The association conductsactivities in accordance with its charter, and its highest authority is the memberrepresentative assembly.

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