For the third consecutive year, the Central New York Women’s Expo, now rebranded as La Femme Syracuse [12], returned to the Oncenter Convention Center [13] for a day of celebrating the uniqueness of the female experience on Sunday, Nov. 22.
Created by Agathi Georgiou, president of the Rochester-based event planning and fashion consulting company Agathi & Company [14], the event provides access to products and services aimed at supporting the livelihoods of women.
In the Oncenter’s ballroom, topics covered by the 10 rows of vendors’ booths ranged from food and wine to pampering and health. Local enterprises, such as St. Joseph’s Hospital [15], attended alongside independent consultants looking to expand their clientele, such as Chalky & Company [16]. Throughout the day, the runway stage showcased several performances, including a dance from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio [17]. In a corner of the large ballroom, eight students from the Onondaga School of Therapeutic Massage [18] provided free, 10-minute chair massages.
Some of the vendors came for the mostly female turnout. At her table, Evelyn Mariani provided information on weight loss surgical procedures such as gastric bypass and distributed handouts on body mass index. A registered dietician with William A. Graber, MD, PC- Weight Loss Surgery [19] said she has attended multiple health expos. She finds that a women’s expo feels different. “When you think about us [women] as a population, we are more weight-conscious,” Mariani said.
Other vendors, like Brandie Rankin, emphasized products’ signature features to woo prospective clientele. “We follow European Union standards when it comes to formulating our products,” Rankin said about the company Arbonne [20]. Founded 35 years ago by a Norwegian woman, Arbonne, with its line of botanically based skincare and nutritional products, avoids 1,300 chemicals outlined by the European Union, compared to 10 in the United States.
Women of all ages attended the event, including three generations of the Correia family. For Georgeanna McBee of Baldwinsville, and her daughter Chris Correia, 50, and her granddaughter Antoinette Correia, 18, both of Cicero, the expo became a great way to spend time together as a family.
“I think it’s great to get out and take care of yourself,” Chris said.
