The schedule for the Health and Beauty America (HBA) Spring Conference has been unveiled with the focus being on packaging design and the well-being trend.

Two conference programs entitled 'Achieving Well-Being: The New Paradigm' and 'International Prestige Packaging & Design' will run in tandem at the Javits Center in New York on March 4-5 next year.

The well-being conference will explore the consumer driven trend for personal care products that improve health as well as enhance appearance.

The talks will look into new concepts, ingredients and technologies for products targeted at the well-being market including anti-aging tools, animal testing alternatives, novel delivery systems and dermatologist-generated approaches.

Other topics to be covered include renewable botanicals and organic resources, nutraceuticals, ayurvedic and Chinese botanical extracts, fragrance, DNA technology and environmently friendly packaging.

Keynote speeches are planned from Laurent Gilbert, the global director of raw materials and advanced research at L'Oreal, and Jim Chastain, the founder of RealityCheck Consulting Network.

Meanwhile, the prestige packaging conference will focus on the role of packaging design on the positioning of a brand and the impact of design on consumer loyalty.

Sessions planned for the conference include 'Have it your way: why prestige packaging can be sustainable', 'Technology transfer in packaging innovation' and 'attention: the visual language of emotion at shelf and in life'.

Trendlab founder Ellen Dideri will open the conference with a speech on the 'prism principle' and how to reach consumers and identity with their needs in an increasingly complex world.

The keynote speaker for the second day of the conference will be the head of Desgrippes Gobe, Marc Gobe, who will give a talk on how design can create a profound emotional response with corporations and consumers alike.

Another feature of the conference is an interactive roundtable led by top beauty editors and creative designers on what is required to get leading publications to cover product releases.