SEOUL, July 24 (AJU PRESS) - Dozens of Korean beauty companies faced a major setback at Cosmoprof North America, a prominent industry fair in Las Vegas, after a container carrying their exhibition items was stolen en route to the event.
The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) said Wednesday a container holding products from 70 Korean firms was taken while being transported from the Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles to the exhibition venue in Las Vegas.
The theft occurred just days before the event opened Tuesday (local time) for a three-day run.
"It is said the truck driver fell victim to a voice phishing scam, receiving instructions to leave the items elsewhere because they could not be brought into the exhibition venue," a KITA official said.
Cosmoprof North America, now in its 21st year, is considered one of the world's top three beauty trade shows.
About 120 Korean companies are participating in the event through the national pavilion organized by the Korea Federation of SMEs (KBIZ).
Many booths in the Korean pavilion remained empty due to the missing items as of Monday evening.
The affected companies had used a logistics company designated by the Korean agent, K. Of them, 35 companies are supported by KBIZ, six by KITA and the Gangnam district office in Seoul, and six by Hwaseong in Gyeonggi Province, with the remaining companies participating individually.
They scrambled to find alternatives. Among the KBIZ-backed companies, four had employees carry items in suitcases before the opening. The other 31 companies quickly dispatched replacement items by air, expecting to have their booths operational by the expo's second day. Of the six companies supported by KITA, four sourced items locally from a warehouse in the U.S., while the remaining two sent items by air.
