Cosmoprof_Asia_Q_A.pdf

2027 Cosmoprof Asia Trade Mission RFP

Questions and Answers

1. Timing and Cost Accuracy Since COSMOPROF 2027 is over a year away and the dates aren’t finalized yet, getting accurate booth costs, transportation, and dinner and networking venue is likely not accurate.

This also includes hotel costs. How should we think about this reality when planning the budget proposal, especially when it comes to Booth pricing?

Hotel accommodation should be arranged and paid for directly by California delegates and should not be included in the bidder’s budget. Regarding booth costs, please use the 2026 Cosmoprof booth rates as a reference and incorporate an estimated 5% potential increase for the 2027 trade show. For other event logistics expenses, please provide reasonable estimates based on your professional experience.

2. What is the expected length of time the Know Before You Go brief should cover? Are there any topics that should be highlighted? Are there any underlying goals for the State of California we should tie in?

The call typically lasts approximately 45 minutes and will cover trade mission logistics, the proposed itinerary, travel arrangements, an overview of the industry and local market, and a Q&A session with delegates.

3. Can you share an anticipated/ideal profile of the California company we should be targeting recruitment? Any specific subsector, revenue requirement, # of employees, time in business, location of HQ, etc.? Is there a cost to the delegate, and if so, what is the anticipated range or expense the delegate should plan to cover?

California beauty businesses must meet the following criteria to participate in the state-funded trade mission:

• Be a for-profit entity

• Be a U.S.-incorporated business with the majority of operations located in California

• Meet U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards for small businesses

• Have been in operation for at least one (1) year

• Be a U.S. company offering goods or services of U.S. origin, or products with at least 51% U.S.

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• Be registered in California and in good standing with the California Secretary of State

There will be a delegation fee for participating California businesses, ranging is estimated from $2,500 - $3,500. GO-Biz will discuss the fee structure with the selected consultant during the contracting stage.

4. Can this pitch event be held during the conference days? Given the requirement for an intro dinner and 3-4 site visits plus 1-2 cultural visits, the likely one to two free days before the conference does not leave enough time to plan a larger networking event without cannibalizing one of the other requirements? Can we offer 1-2 cultural visits on the last day of the conference or the day after? (i.e. Saturday/Sunday)

Activities may overlap as appropriate. However, if the pitching event is scheduled during the Cosmoprof trade show period, the consultant must demonstrate how the event will enhance, rather than disrupt, the https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-121/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFRf12a11421b08a31/section-121.201 https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business regular trade show activities and B2B meeting schedule. The trade mission activities are preferred to be conducted on weekdays; however, cultural activities may be scheduled on weekends as an optional component if needed.

5. With each company receiving 5-8 B2B meetings, how should we think about prioritizing meetings, given limited consultants for possibly interpretation? Especially since many companies visiting will be from mainland China. Can we hold all meetings at the conference booth?

Most B2B meetings are preferred to be held at the California Pavilion or other exhibitor booths during the Cosmoprof trade show. It is the consultant’s responsibility to ensure effective communication between California delegates and local businesses. This may include confirming that both parties can communicate in English/Chinese or arranging for interpreters or Chinese-speaking staff to support the meetings as needed.

6. Related to vendor booth payment, if the payment is required in HKD, will GO-Biz reimburse any foreign exchange, bank, and processing fees of payment facilitation? USD to HKD could be as high as 2% plus bank fees to facilitate a payment.

Yes. Please include any potential wire transfer fees, bank charges, or other transaction costs in the budget proposal.

7. How are booth costs controlled? Since it may be too soon to get accurate booth costs, how can the consultant minimize cost and scope of risk without impacting the operational components of the rest of the deliverables? If there is a material increase over estimated costs and expectations for booth layout and design due to GoBiz’s acceptance, how will cost overruns be addressed? Can you provide more specifics on what type of design will be appropriate/approved so we can budget and get quotes as best we can.

For the purpose of this proposal, please provide a custom-designed booth cost estimate for eight (8) California businesses. The estimate should include both raw space rental, booth build-out costs and any trade show mandatory registration fee. The recommended booth size range is 45–54 SQM for eight businesses to share, and should include individual kiosk or display table for each California delegate, as well as a shared open area for B2B meetings.

GO-Biz will collaborate with the consultant on booth design and will provide previous trade mission booth renderings for reference. However, the consultant is expected to include staff with demonstrated experience in trade show exhibition participation, booth booking and cost estimation, as well as on-site representation of California businesses during the trade show to support lead generation activities.

8. Given the pre-event time needed to facilitate and prepare B2B meetings as well as costs and deposits to secure transportation (potentially), and time incurred to coordinate planning with GO-Biz, and how will payment for three different milestones listed in on pages 10 of the RFP, be structured? Should we include our projected costs broken down per milestone, or will this be a 33% per milestone structure?

It is anticipated that the contract execution payment and mid-project milestone payment will each account for approximately 30% of the total contract value, with the completion of the trade mission milestone accounting for 40%, subject to any final adjustments. However, the final payment structure will be further discussed and confirmed with the selected consultant during the contracting period.

9. Event Since the consultant is responsible for hosting and paying event costs for 150 people, can we invite and arrange for local co-sponsors that are aligned with the business mission? This will allow more flexibility to upscale the event and maximize the available budgets to focus.

Yes, sponsorship is permitted, subject to prior approval by GO-Biz before any commitments are confirmed.

10. What is the maximum size delegation we can plan for? You mentioned “at least” 8 businesses with two people each. Can you provide a breakdown of who may also join up to the maximum number of people?

The maximum delegation size is 17 participants, consisting of 16 California business delegates (with two representatives per each of the eight participating businesses) and one GO-Biz official.

11. Beauty Gift Bag How many gift bags should we plan on building? Can you determine maximum amount so we can accurately plan costs and logistics, as well as the types of events, and even key people we would provide the bags to?

The gift bags are intended for distribution during business site visits, group meetings, as well as for trade show VIP guests and buyer groups. For the purpose of this proposal, please plan for 50 gift bags.

As trade mission recruitment and itinerary development progress, the consultant should further refine and propose the estimated quantity required to support these activities. The consultant should also coordinate with California delegates to assess whether they can contribute product samples or other materials for inclusion in the gift bags.