Just for the Girls

Healthy Living — Womens Health
Humera Sayeed

It was a fun-filled weekend full of style tips, contests and loads of goodies – and it was just for the girls! The Sixth Annual National Women’s show took place on November 2- 4, 2007 at the Metro Convention Centre, attracting more than 32000 people.

There were 450 exhibits including seminar talks on PMS, fashion shows for all ages and of course, a sampling of some of the best and healthiest food products on the market.National Event Management spokesperson Tanya Williams says the show is a great way for people to get together and have fun.

“A lot of women come in just for the weekend – it’s an all women’s show, so come have fun, have a fantastic weekend and get pampered!” she says. “We cover every single aspect of life at the show and we have high quality vendors, great people and great staff.”

Vendors Show Off

The show allowed new and old businesses to showcase their products. Companies such as L’Oreal and Garnier provided free mini makeovers and tips for women, while Flirty Girl Fitness, Felinity and various Belly Dancing schools highlighted a sexier way to stay in shape. There was an abundance of information booths including various sexual health exhibits highlighting new forms of contraceptives and information on the HPV virus. Women had one-on-one opportunities to talk to consult with the Diabetes Society, the Arthritis society, the Breast Cancer Society and perhaps try something new at Whispering Song, the school of energy medicine.

Shirley Gene from Aurora has attended the show for three years and continues to enjoy the variety the show offers. “I like the free samples, you know you fill out the (information) forms and they do get in touch with you,” she says. “You get in touch with the best doctors and the best beauticians, in fact, my girlfriend is here with me and she got permanent eyeliner done today – I think you get a deal when you get it done here.”

This year the show introduced a 3 400 square feet display of Ontario’s Distinctive Getaways, in partnership with Ontario’s tourism markets. Women were exposed to a variety of spas and inns from Canada and across the border including Hockley Valley Resort, The Old Mill Spa and the Elmwood Spa to give women the ‘ultimate girls’ day out.’

The show is divided into different sections including business and career, travel and leisure, beauty and wellness, fashion and style and food and drink. Centre Stage presented Bob Greene (known for his work with Oprah Winfrey) and Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman, TV home and décor personalities. The workshop stage invited the audience to learn belly dancing, hip-hop dancing, yoga and tips on dating over 40, among others.

Karyn Friedman from Toronto attended the show for the first time and feels its great to have a show just for the girls. “I think the variety of booths is great,” she says. “There are a lot of health information booths which I found interesting, discussing issues that aren’t usually discussed.”

“I’ve seen people from all ages here – I spoke with an 85-year-old woman all the way down to a 6-week-old baby,” Williams says. “I would say 95 per cent (of people here) are women, but I have seen a few men here, most likely with their wives/girlfriends – there isn’t a gender gap, all are welcome.”

Planning Stages

National Event Management runs the women’s show in Ottawa (both in the spring and fall season) Montreal and Toronto. They begin planning for next year’s show one week after the current show finishes. The team gather customer cards and review comments. They discuss what ideas worked in the show and others that did not to improve the quality of future shows. Williams says all the shows done by National Event Management are consumer based. “We look at the markets, do research and think about what’s missing,”

Next years show will take place in Ottawa on March 8 to 9, 2008 and likewise in Montreal on April 4 to 6, 2008.