The Women's Lifestyle Expo will take place at Mount Maunganui’s Mercury Baypark on September 21 and 22.
The Women's Lifestyle Expo will take place at Mount Maunganui’s Mercury Baypark on September 21 and 22.
Returning to Tauranga this September, the Women’s Lifestyle Expo is bringing together 130 lifestyle brands.
At Mount Maunganui’s Mercury Baypark, the expo will feature fashion and beauty, health and fitness, artisan goods, gourmet food, beverages, and more.
The line-up of exhibitors includes newcomers such as Solo Kiwi Ventures, a company run by founder and owner Sharon McLean that centres on solo travel for women over 40 and offers escapes to Rarotonga, Bali, and the Gili Islands.
McLean said she would be using the expo to offer advice for keen solo female travellers who had no one to travel with and lacked some confidence.
“I’ve done a lot of travel myself, I’ve been to 28 countries solo, and as I got older I found that it was harder to meet people,” said McLean.
She expressed awareness that women want safety and security while travelling but also want independence and flexibility.
Sharon McLean, founder and owner of Solo Kiwi Ventures, on an adventure in the Gili Islands.
“So that’s why I created my business, so we can have both and I offer two different types of trips.
“One that’s organised and planned out in detail and the other where activities are available but you can do as little or as much as you want,” she said.
McLean was looking forward to meeting women at the upcoming expo, is keen to provide lots of travel advice for solo female travellers and aims to build confidence to better indicate what to do when travelling.
The Women’s Lifestyle Expo is the only event of its kind and will be visiting six regions across New Zealand including Christchurch, Hamilton, Wellington, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, and Tauranga.
Emily Travers, head of events at NZME, has outlined how the expo “provides a welcoming and supportive platform for women in business to promote their products and services to a highly engaged audience”.
Aiming to connect companies to women of all stages in life, Travers said the event had welcomed thousands of visitors over the years and 2024 is looking no different.
“These events have cemented themselves as being a fantastic day out for women of all ages,” said Travers.
Past exhibitors have suggested how the Women’s Lifestyle Expo is a critical revenue stream for them, and expo sales are their main source of income.
A large number of these businesses are online only so the expo is an opportunity to form direct relationships with customers, test new products and gain feedback on the spot.
“It’s a thrill to be part of their success journey,” Travers said.
The Tauranga expo on Saturday, September 21, from 10am-5pm, and Sunday, September 22, from 10am-4pm, will allow attendees to meet the people behind the businesses.
Save by purchasing tickets early through iTICKET or purchase at the door. For more information, check out the Women’s Lifestyle Expo website.
