On September 4th, many industry professionals posted videos claiming that a brawl broke out on the scene of the 65th China International Beauty Expo (Guangzhou) (referred to as “CIBE Guangzhou” below). Today, CHAILEEDO learned from several informed sources that two exhibiting companies clashed due to “customer competition”, leading to a tense standoff involving dozens of people and resulting in intense physical conflicts. Following the incident, employees from both companies were injured and are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
It is understood that CIBE Guangzhou was founded in 1989 and is China’s earliest beauty and cosmetics exhibition. According to official data, the 65th CIBE Guangzhou covered an exhibition area of 300,000 square meters, attracting around 900,000 professional visitors. It boasted 26 exhibition halls with 3,800 exhibiting companies, covering a wide range of businesses in the cosmetics industry chain, including raw material suppliers, factories, brands, and more.
Another source disclosed, “The police have currently intervened in the matter, and the parties involved are awaiting the final outcome of the investigation.”
At the beauty expo, employees from two companies engaged in a physical altercation.
Reviewing the incident from beginning to end.
On September 4th, various videos documenting a fight at CIBE Guangzhou circulated in different industry groups. CHAILEEDO found that this incident occurred at the exhibition booth of Zhongke Huile (Guangdong) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Zhongke Huile”) and involved Zhongke Huile and Homesafe Group.
Videos shared by industry professionals showed multiple individuals involved in physical conflicts at the exhibition, with both sides engaging in a brawl, including chair-throwing, leading to a momentary loss of control. Some individuals in the conflict were observed wearing blue shirts while others were in white t-shirts.
An informed source present at the scene informed CHAILEEDO that after the fight broke out, the exhibition’s security staff promptly intervened, effectively calming the situation and bringing the physical conflict to a halt within seconds. “Over 100 people were involved on-site, and if not controlled promptly, the situation could have escalated further.”
So, why did the exhibiting parties engage in such a physical altercation at what was originally an annual industry networking event?
“The conflict stemmed from a dispute over clientele.” According to several informed sources, one party requested the other to delete a customer’s WeChat contact details, leading the verbal argument to escalate into a physical confrontation.
Regarding the cause of this conflict, there are circulating accounts within industry groups. An employee from Zhongke Huile stated, “A client from Homesafe Group visited our booth after leaving theirs, browsed our products, and added our salesperson on WeChat. Subsequently, a Homesafe Group staff member directly demanded our salesperson to delete the newly added WeChat contact, sparking the dispute.”
An employee from Homesafe Group who witnessed the incident at the exhibition shared with CHAILEEDO, “The conflict originated from Zhongke Huile distributing leaflets in the Homesafe Group’s area and attempting to attract customers, even resorting to physical actions, which led to the clash between the two sides.”
Additionally, a widely circulated screenshot of a WeChat conversation showed a Homesafe Group leader encouraging employees to take a firm stance in response. The message stated, “If the neighboring Zhongke Huile company from Hall A tries to poach our customers, employees can directly take a tough approach to handle the situation, and she will take full responsibility for any potential consequences.” However, the authenticity of this screenshot has not been verified.
CHAILEEDO noted that the brawl incident has garnered significant attention on social media platforms like Douyin, sparking searches for related topics such as “What is the relationship between Homesafe Group and Zhongke Huile,” “Fight at CIBE Guangzhou,” and “Reasons for the conflict at CIBE Guangzhou.” Many industry professionals have expressed opinions on this matter, with some stating, “Internal competition turning into internal fighting, showcasing the strength of the companies?” and “It’s okay to compete in business, but physical violence is unacceptable.”
Photos shared by on-site industry professionals show that the booths of Homesafe Group and Zhongke Huile have been sealed off. An informed source familiar with the situation also informed CHAILEEDO that “due to the inability of both parties to reach a consensus, their booths have been revoked.”
Latest Development: Meets the criteria for filing a case, investigation has been initiated.
Involved in this incident are two companies, Homesafe Group and Zhongke Huile, whose booths are located at E01 and E02 in Hall 1.1 of Zone A, respectively, adjacent to each other.
Apart from their proximity in booth locations, Homesafe Group and Zhongke Huile also share a competitive business relationship. According to public information, Homesafe Group was established in 2018 as a comprehensive enterprise integrating research and development, production, sales, and education. It has 15 subsidiaries and three large production bases. Its main business covers cosmetics processing, production of health foods (including fruit and vegetable, goji berry, and other enzyme products), as well as research and production of medical devices and disinfection and hygiene products.
On the other hand, Zhongke Huile, established in 2023, operates in a wide range of businesses including cosmetics, disinfection products, powder products, and a full range of food categories, primarily engaged in OEM processing of skincare products, weight loss, health maintenance, intimate care, and slimming foods.
An industry insider familiar with both companies told CHAILEEDO, “Facing this year’s business challenges, each company is eager to attract more customers during the three-day exhibition, which costs tens of thousands. Both companies are involved in similar OEM businesses in the field of health, personal care, and food processing, and their booths are designed back to back. When both try to attract the same customer face-to-face on-site, this tense configuration and competitive relationship naturally lead to conflicts.”
According to insiders at the scene, “Employees from both companies were injured and are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.” The aforementioned insider on-site stated, “Such conflicts could have been avoided, and efforts were made on-site to mediate. Currently, this incident has had a negative impact on the exhibition, the beauty industry, and government departments, and no one wants to see the incident further spread on the internet. The next step is to await the outcome of the handling.”
It is worth mentioning that just yesterday, Homesafe Group issued a statement expressing that it has been deeply rooted in the cosmetics industry for over twenty years, participating in the beauty expo over 40 times without ever having conflicts with peers. They deeply regret and apologize for the impact on industry colleagues and customers in this incident.
Homesafe Group stated that from leaked videos and clips, it is evident that three or more individuals wearing white clothes used steel pipes and chairs to attack Homesafe Group employees. This behavior goes against the professionalism and decorum expected of the beauty industry team. They also advised malicious slanderers to cease their attacks and noted that they will disclose the final decision of the relevant authorities.
Regarding this incident, Lawyer Deng Gang from Guangdong Fazhi Shengbang Law Firm pointed out, “The specific situation is currently unclear, making it difficult to determine responsibility.” However, according to a “Filing Notice” provided by a source close to the companies to CHAILEEDO, XXX and others have been identified as meeting the criteria for filing due to suspected mass brawling, and an investigation has been initiated. The notice has been confirmed with a stamp by the Haizhu District Branch of the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau, dated September 5th.
Beauty Expos Industry Need Strengthened Management
It is worth mentioning that an insider at the scene revealed to CHAILEEDO, “In addition to the conflict between Zhongke Huile and Homesafe Group, a brawl incident also occurred yesterday afternoon (September 4) at CIBE Guangzhou Hall 10.3 (medical aesthetics, microbiome health, high-end scalp care, etc.), involving over 10 individuals, including those participating in the brawl and those attempting to intervene.” Regarding the reasons and progress of the multiple fight incidents during this exhibition, CHAILEEDO attempted to contact the organizers of CIBE Guangzhou for details, but as of the time of reporting, no response has been received.
An industry veteran in trade shows stated, “The occurrence of fighting incidents at exhibition venues fundamentally stems from the severe market environment imposing immense pressure on companies and exhibitors in terms of attracting investment. This long-term market pressure, left unresolved, places many individuals at the brink of performance pressure. Therefore, any potential interference that could harm investment performance may trigger an emotional outburst, leading to aggressive behavior towards the surroundings or individuals.”
The individual also pointed out that such incidents reveal two main issues: firstly, companies have failed to accurately assess market conditions and set reasonable performance goals, while lacking in humane care for employees and emotional guidance; secondly, it reflects that exhibition organizers perceive exhibitions solely as platforms to compete for customer resources, neglecting the high-value service functions of promoting industry exchanges and providing guidance, making the exhibition overly competitive and lacking in symbiosis.
Some industry analysts believe that the occurrence of fighting incidents at industry trade shows reflects deficiencies in ensuring the orderly conduct of exhibitions by the organizers. In their view, in addition to ensuring the absence of safety accidents, qualifications review and crackdowns should also be implemented against the “three-no” products and the phenomenon of mixed quality at exhibitions. Otherwise, “Persisting in this manner will diminish the overall quality and professionalism of the exhibition, potentially lowering the trust of exhibitors and attendees in the exhibition, thereby affecting its long-term development.”
“A beauty exhibition is the stage to showcase the industry’s level and the embodiment of the industry’s comprehensive strength.” An unnamed brand manager expressed that the investment effect of current industry exhibitions is decreasing. If even the basic order at the scene cannot be guaranteed, how can a bridge for industry communication be established, going against the industry’s trend indicator? Therefore, this conflict incident should be taken as an opportunity to enhance exhibition management. Only through this can the healthy development of the industry be truly promoted.
