Under the “Formulations Arcade” theme, a technical symposium will kick off Teamworks 2026 on April 7 at 8am. This year’s slate of speakers will cover unique topics before the exhibit floor opens at 11:30 am.

Here is an early look at the presenters who are scheduled to speak during the technical symposium:

Kristen Mauch of Univar Solutions: As beauty care brands continue to expand into the homecare space, cross-functional formulations will be key to capturing a wellness-driven consumer base.  Elevated ingredients like specialty fragrances, skin-care additives, and enzymes are bridging the gap between personal care and household cleaning.  This presentation will showcase three products that cross the beauty-homecare divide and discuss formulation tips, market trends, and product concepts for brands looking to innovate into the cleaning space

Evellyn Juriaans of Chemyunion: Texture can transform a simple formulation into a memorable sensory experience. In this interactive session inspired by the Formulation Arcade theme, Juriaans will explore how playful textures can bring creativity and engagement to body care products. Attendees will discover how different formulation strategies can be used to design unique sensorial experiences, highlighting the role of texture in elevating product interaction and creating moments of surprise and delight during application.

Sophia Bull of Lucas Meyer Cosmetics by Clariant: Everyone is looking for ways to feel good. At surface level cosmetics can be seen as simply designed for enhancing physical appearance, however increasingly, consumers are discovering the ways they have positive effects on mental well-being too. First, how the skin and brain are linked will be introduced, including discussion of the areas of the brain that are activated, or inactivated, during touch processing and during enjoyable activities. Then a dual approach harnessing a quinoa-derived Pickering emulsification system and an extract of dormant hyacinth bulb to improve different parameters of emotional well-being will be explored and presented. (can shorten depending on timing!)

Steven Puleo of Koster Keunen Inc.: Discussing the role of plasticizers in shaping texture, sensorial performance, and long-term stability of personal care formulations. Within the spirit of Formulation Arcade, we can explore how different plasticizers act like ‘power-ups’ by improving spread ability, enhancing creaminess, while boosting stability and preventing cracking or syneresis over time. The goal is to optimize the perfect balance between flexibility, sensory delight, and shelf-life robustness for next-level product experiences.

Kylie Sahloff of Gattefosse: Fashion trends rarely move in isolation. They compete. Today’s runways may express similar ideas of comfort and generosity, yet do so through sharply contrasting textures. From the understated reassurance of cotton to the indulgent depth of velvet, each material delivers a distinct aesthetic and emotional register. As these fashion textures move beyond the runway, they increasingly inform how beauty products are designed and experienced. This session brings that translation into focus through a texture face-off, cotton vs.velvet. Using fashion-inspired skincare prototypes, we explore how these contrasting material codes shape formulation choices, sensorial experience, and product expression. When it comes time to choose a texture direction, which one makes the cut?

Keynote Address

The last speaker of the half-day technical symposium will be Adam Olenn, CEO of Rustle & Spark. He will share why stories are the preeminent form of human communication; the transformative effects they have on business; and how to achieve these results time after time, according to organizers at the Midwest Society of Cosmetic Chemists.

For more information on Teamworks, or to register, click here.