After 17 years of existence, the Girlfriends Expo experience continues to be a mainstay on calendar of events for women, families and people of all ages.
The annual weekend event launched last Saturday from the Wyndham Grand Barbados, Sam Lord’s Castle in St Philip, concluded recently with a “Monte Carlo” inspired theme that evoked the vintage feel and high stakes aura of the namesake casino from Monaco.
The line of cars queuing on the outskirts of the hotel on the opening day offered a glimpse of the overwhelming response to the popular two-day event.
While pre-sale ticket numbers were not available, founder and director of the Girlfriends Expo Kimtara Clarke revealed that the event was sold out of its 300 all-inclusive spots as early as November, with roughly 200 exhibitors booked up.
“I would say our all-inclusive sold out pretty early. We normally start in August but by November we were pretty much full in terms of exhibitors. Our exhibitors are roughly 200 which is about the same as we would have had last year,” the founder said.
While traditionally held at the Wildey Gymnasium, Clarke explained that the St Michael venue was unavailable due to renovations, leading them to seek a replacement at Wyndham Hotel.
“They did notify us that they were going to be going under some renovations, but they thought it would have been finished in time for us to host the expo this year.
“When they realised that they were a bit delayed and they let us know that they were not going to be ready, we realised we needed to look for another location to figure out how we were going to host it this year. We looked around and we found Wyndham was the best fit for what we did,” she said.
Though the new location called for some adjustment, Clarke expressed relief that their vision was still fulfilled thanks to the accommodation of the Wyndham staff. The venue also provided a fitting backdrop for the Monte Carlo theme which was accentuated by a white stretch limo that patrons could tour, as well as games and activities for all ages.
The founder said that even as the name draws an idea of a women-centred experienced, the 17 years since its inception has seen it evolve into a space for both men, women and the family on a whole.
“When we started this, it was all about small businesses and making sure that they had an outlet to of course market themselves and get in front of their clientèle. That is what we have tried to maintain over all the years.
“Yes, it is called Girlfriends Expo and I will be honest to tell you that when we started, the name was more centred around the fact that women are said to control the spending all around the world. And that is where we have kept it. But there is something for children, babies, husbands, there is something for everyone.
“We have cars, we have houses, we have make-up, we have everything for you here. So it is for everyone to come out and enjoy,” she said.
