Cosmoprof North America, the annual trade show and conference for beauty professionals, saw growth across all categories at its 2014 event that took place July 13-15 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

The show featured 992 exhibitors (up 11 percent) spread out on 221, 532 square feet (up 5 percent) and attracted 27,040 attendees (up 4 percent, compared with 2013).

“This is our largest show ever. Our challenge is that we’re maxed out,” said Daniela Ciocan, marketing director of Cosmoprof North America.

When asked about whether the show will expand into the upper level of Mandalay Bay, she added, “We’re exploring. This year we had to put our unique projects (on the showfloor) in the corner because we didn’t have any space left.”

International continent is back in spades this year, with 10 country pavilions and several of them being first-time exhibitors. “Manufacturers are looking for new pockets of distribution, and the US is a great market,” Ciocan said.

One of the unique projects that Ciocan refers to is the new Interactive Technology Area, a collective of companies that can help beauty brands with their online presence.

“YouTube and other online platforms are very important for the beauty industry, and we’re here to help them maximize their efforts,” said exhibitor Jenny Thomas with digital services provider Springbox. From contagiousness score of the videos to a social engagement platform, it seemed like the possibilities are vast.

For the show, it also can mean a larger area of technology providers that serve the beauty industry in the future.

From glittering body art to probiotic mascara, beauty products from around the world excited attendees with colors and therapeutic benefits.

At the highly successful Beautique, they could put together a box of samples and make a donation to the City of Hope.

This year, the show took the B-to-C connection a step further and partnered with Glossy Box, a subscription beauty samples service, to create and distribute a limited edition Cosmpoprof Box with products launched at the show.

“We wanted our exhibitors, especially smaller companies, to get a chance to connect directly with their consumers and also to test the subscription box model that is getting very popular now,” Ciocan said. “Normally, it takes 30,000 pieces to participate, and it’s a huge investment. Here they only have to contribute 3,000 pieces. We’re hoping it will be a successful partnership with a B-to-C platform.”

For Germany-based buyer Isabelle Busse with Home Shopping Europe, Cosmoprof North America is a must-attend event to connect with brands.

“We’re looking for skin-care lines with great stories for our TV shopping channel,” she said, noting the importance of brand stories to TV audiences. “We found some clever gadgets here and had some great conversations. People here are very open.”

The show is organized by North American Beauty Events, a joint venture between BolognaFiere Group, an Italian-based organizer of international trade shows such as Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, and the Professional Beauty Association, North America’s largest trade association representing all sectors of the professional beauty industry. It’s also ranked in the 25 fastest growing trade shows by TSNN.