The Conkle Firm Attends Mayor Garcetti’s Export Program

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On May 24, 2017 Conkle, Kremer & Engel attorneys Mark Kremer, John Conkle and Eric Engel attended a conference to promote export development in the health and beauty industry.  The program was jointly presented by Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti’s Export Program and Beauty Industry Market Access (BIMA).  The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development was represented at the program by Eric Eide, Director of International Trade, who spoke of the Los Angeles City government’s interest in helping Los Angeles businesses develop exports as a means of economic growth.

This conference focused on the export opportunities that are available to Los Angeles area health and beauty businesses.  Mr. Eide and other speakers such as Patty Schmucker of American Made Beauty emphasized that international opportunities abound, because 96% of the world consumers, representing 72% of worldwide buying power, reside outside the United States, yet less than 2% of U.S. companies engage in export to those consumers.  The “Made in the USA” labeling is a way to leverage the natural advantage that U.S. beauty and cosmetics manufacturers have from being constantly promoted worldwide through Hollywood movies, celebrities and culture in media.  Harlan Kirschner, President of The Kirschner Group, Inc., a preeminent global sales representative organization for the beauty industry, spoke about the importance of thinking about export from the very inception of launching new product lines so that the products are globally compliant and export-ready when the time comes.  Mr. Kirschner offered tips such as hiring local college professors of languages for quick and inexpensive translations of product labels and marketing materials.

Emilio Smeke of Daily Concepts, himself a highly successful graduate of the BIMA program, encouraged entrepreneurs to do their homework and choose well the product lines and marketing most likely to succeed in the particular foreign markets they want to develop.  Mr. Smeke offered, for example, that in the U.S. people shower or bathe on  average less than once per day, but in Mexico people shower or bathe up to twice per day.  Mr. Smeke expressed the importance of carefully listening and observing the markets that you want to develop, offering the sage advice that people were given two eyes, two ears and one mouth, and should use them all proportionately.

CK&E attorneys regularly participate in programs to advance their clients’ interests, including leveraging government and private initiatives to promote business growth through international sales.

Emilio Smeke at Mayor Garcetti’s Export Program

Harlan Kirschner at Mayor Garcetti’s Export Program

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The Conkle Firm Advises BIMA Participants on IP and Regulatory Issues

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Once again, Conkle, Kremer & Engel attorneys Mark Kremer and Kim Sim have been honored to participate in and contribute to the revolutionary Beauty Industry Market Access (BIMA) program, led by beauty industry guru Patty Schmucker of American Made Beauty.  BIMA is a multi-day intensive domestic and international trade and business education program taught by leading health and beauty industry experts. BIMA participants focus on key principles essential to expand their personal care products businesses both in the U.S. and overseas.

Mark contributes to the BIMA educational program by teaching modules on domestic and foreign intellectual property protection and international distribution agreements.   Participants are particularly advised about cost-effective methods of protecting their intellectual property internationally, such as international trademark registrations through the Madrid System, which can offer a centralized application process for trademark registration in over 90 countries based on a brand owner’s domestic application or registration.  Kim adds her expertise in domestic regulatory compliance, including Prop 65, California Organic Products Act (COPA), Safe Cosmetics Act, California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations and survey requirements, and federal and state Made in the USA regulations.

BIMA is sponsored by Universal Companies, which has been in the beauty industry for over 18 years and is an important distributor of more than 300 brands in the spa, salon, esthetics and massage market, as well as their own proprietary brands.

In partnership with the California Trade Alliance (CTA), access to international trade shows are available to companies that participate in the BIMA programs. BIMA participants can exhibit in the popular California Pavilion regularly sponsored by CTA at Cosmoprof Bologna and Cosmoprof Hong Kong, among the world’s largest and most important beauty industry trade shows.

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The Conkle Firm recognized in BIR for BIMA International Trade Program

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Industry insider publication Beauty Industry Report recently profiled the Center for International Trade Development (CITD) and its comprehensive international training and trade mission program for beauty companies seeking to expand export sales.  The intensive training program is known as the Beauty Industry Market Access (BIMA) Program.

Conkle, Kremer & Engel attorneys Mark Kremer and Kim Sim were recognized in the BIR Article about CITD for their contributions to the BIMA Program. Mark Kremer teaches instructional modules about domestic and international intellectual property protection, including trademarks, and international distribution agreements and relationship management.  Kim Sim provides an overview of state and federal regulatory compliance, such as California’s Proposition 65 and organic claims under the California Organic Products Act, and state and federal advertising and substantiation laws, among other laws and regulations.

CK&E attorneys are subject matter experts in the personal care products industry, and bring a wealth of experience to guide industry clients in both the U.S. and international markets.

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BIR Article Features the Conkle Firm at Cosmoprof Bologna’s California Pavilion

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Tireless reporter Mike Nave attended Cosmoprof Bologna in April 2014, and this month published the Beauty Industry Report (BIR) article detailing his observations.  BIR featured Conkle, Kremer & Engel’s participation in the California Pavilion.  As previously posted in this blog, Cosmoprof Bologna is a preeminent global conference for the personal care products industry, with over 207,000 visitors and 2,450 exhibitors from 69 countries, and participation by manufacturers, distributors and industry organizations.  CK&E was proud to be able to assist The California Pavilion, orchestrated by the California Trade Alliance.  CK&E joined Beauty Industry Market Access (BIMA) directors Patty Schmucker and Cesar Arellanes, and several graduates of the BIMA program, and was pleased to offer immediate assistance in international distribution and brand protection issues.

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The Conkle Firm Participates in California Pavilion at Cosmoprof Bologna

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CK&E attended Cosmoprof Worldwide in Bologna, Italy, the international professional beauty industry trade show, in April 2014.  Cosmoprof Bologna is a preeminent global conference for the personal care products industry, with over 207,000 visitors and 2,450 exhibitors from 69 countries, and participation by manufacturers, distributors and industry organizations.  Highlights included the dynamic USA Pavilion and California Pavilion, orchestrated by the California Trade Alliance.  CK&E joined Beauty Industry Market Access (BIMA) directors Patty Schmucker and Cesar Arellanes, and several graduates of the BIMA program, as they put into practice the concepts taught at the intense educational program designed for entrepreneurs entering international markets.  To learn more about the BIMA program in which CK&E attorneys participated, click here.

As developed in discussions at Cosmoprof, a critical issue for many U.S. exhibitors entering the EU market is the July 2013 Cosmetics Regulation (EU Reg. 1223/2009) that overhauled the European Union’s regulatory landscape for personal care products.  The Regulations introduced a number of new requirements, including labeling for nanomaterials such as titanium dioxide, claim verification standards and an EU-wide ban on animal testing.  As a brief introduction to the new requirements, the EU distilled the July 2013 Cosmetics Regulation into the simplified infographic shown here.

Under the new Regulation, each manufacturer selling cosmetic products into the EU must designate a person or business entity physically located in the EU that will serve as the manufacturer’s designated “responsible person” for compliance with the Regulation.   CK&E has strong working relationships and regularly works with such “responsible persons” who can be engaged to assist businesses seeking to expand into the EU.  CK&E is pleased to participate in industry events such as Cosmoprof Bologna and programs such as BIMA, to help U.S. entrepreneurs expand into the EU and to assist foreign manufacturers develop and secure markets for their products in California and throughout the United States.

Cosmoprof Blogna

 

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The Conkle Firm Teaches International Entrepreneurs in BIMA Program

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Conkle, Kremer & Engel attorney Mark Kremer has been honored to participate in and contribute to the revolutionary Beauty Industry Market Access (BIMA) program through the Center for International Trade Development (CITD).  The BIMA program was developed and is led by beauty industry guru Patty Schmucker and international trade expert Cesar Arellanes, the Director of CITD in Long Beach.   BIMA is a five week intensive international trade and business education program taught by leading health and beauty industry experts. BIMA participants focus on key program principles distinct to conducting business overseas, receive bi-monthly objectives for assessing their business, and ultimately produce an export growth plan exclusive to their business. Participants also have access to upcoming trade missions to the world’s largest emerging market beauty trade shows – effective venues for executing learned principles and business plans.

Mark contributes to the BIMA educational program by teaching modules on domestic and foreign intellectual property protection, domestic regulatory compliance, and international distribution agreements.   Participants are particularly interested in cost-effective methods of protecting their intellectual property internationally, such as international trademark registrations through the Madrid System.  The Madrid System offers a centralized application process for trademark registration in over 90 countries based on a brand owner’s domestic application or registration.  Participants are also interested in CK&E’s practical approach to domestic regulatory compliance, including California’s evolving green chemistry initiative, Safe Cosmetics Act and Proposition 65.  Participants have also benefited from CK&E’s tips for forging fruitful business relationships with distributors, based on decades of experience representing clients in the personal care products industry.

CK&E will join Patty Schmucker and several graduates of the BIMA educational program to Cosmoprof Worldwide in Bologna in April 2014.  Mark looks forward to the next BIMA session, which begins on June 26, 2014.  Click for further information about joining the BIMA program: BIMA_Summer-Fall_2014

 

 

 

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