Fashions, freebies, television celebrities and smokin’ hot firefighters will all be part of the fun waiting at this weekend’s She: An Expo for Women.
More than 160 vendors will be on hand for the annual women’s expo sponsored by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, which will be held Saturday and Sunday in the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Angela Doggett, events manager for the newspaper, said that vendors will offer surprises ranging from free samples and giveaways to drawings for trips or a TV.
As if that weren’t enough to entertain visitors, each afternoon’s programming includes a fashion show, health presentation by Memorial Health Care System, celebrity book signings and talks.
Saturday’s featured guest is “The Biggest Loser’s” tough trainer Jillian Michaels.
“I like to open it up right away as a Q&A, and then take it from there,” Michaels said in an e-mail interview with the Times Free Press last week. “People don’t want to be ‘talked at’; I like to have a conversation with the audience.”
On Sunday, Food Network stars Pat and Gina Neely will entertain guests with a cooking demonstration.
Each afternoon’s finale will be the Firemen’s Fashion Show.
The firefighters debuted their three-alarm runway show last year as a fundraiser for the Chattanooga chapter of the American Red Cross. It was wildly popular with females of all ages in the audience. Little girls to Red Hat Society members were tossing dollar bills into the firemen’s helmets like they had money to burn.
Capt. Rusty Rymer said 11 members of the Chattanooga Firefighters Association are volunteering for the Red Cross fundraiser this weekend.
After an introduction by moderator Tonya Lively, each man will strut the catwalk twice, once in a a tuxedo from Eaves Formalwear and the second time in his turnout gear.
Firefighters will be Greg Smith, Jonathan Lehman, David Brooks, Keith Liles, Damien Vinson, Eric Stone, Mark Coffmen, Vernon Horn, Larry Olivier, Jakob Gann and Dusty Rose.
Every guy picks his own music to turn up the heat. Rymer said selections this year range from “Harder To Breathe” by Maroon 5 to Lil Wayne’s “Fireman.” The more their audience gets into the act, so do the firefighters — Keith Liles jumped into the audience to demonstrate the fireman’s carry on a young lady last year.
While the guys do strip off their shirts to display six-pack abs, it’s not a Chippendales show by any means. The guys know how to stoke the fire but leave more to their audience’s imagination than they reveal.
“We really had fun with it last year,” said Rymer. “It gives us an opportunity to show our fun side. You can’t get cops to do what we do.”
CELEBRITY SCHEDULE
Saturday
1 p.m. Jillian Michaels book signing
2:30 p.m. Jillian Michaels on Memorial Stage
Sunday
12:30 p.m. Pat and Gina Neely book signing
2 p.m. Neelys’ cooking demonstration on Memorial Stage
GIVEAWAYS AND MORE
Guests will find enticements at every booth they visit at the She expo, including giveaways, samples of products and services or the chance to enter drawings for great prizes.
Here’s a sample of what’s waiting at the 164 vendor booths:
* Bath Junkie: Drawing for $100 in bath products.
* Chattanooga Allergy: Drawing for a free visit with asthma and allergy screening ($700 value).
* Chattanooga Medical Research/OB-GYN Centre of Excellence: Drawing for a 42-inch flat-screen TV.
* Earth Fare: Reusable tote bags, $5 discount coupons and drink samples.
* Fit U: Drawing for two free weeks in any fitness class.
* Hair Benders Internationale: 500 gift bags with shampoo and conditioner, one free cut and color makeover each hour.
* Macon, Ga.: Drawing for a girlfriends getaway to historic Macon.
* McDonald’s: Samples of McCafe Iced Mocha and coupons.
* Shire Facial Plastic Surgery: Drawings for a syringe of Juvederm Dermal Filler ($600 value) or a gift certificate toward Botox ($400).
* The Rush Fitness Center: Drawings for two six-month memberships with “Rush Hour” workout with a trainer ($414 value each).
* YMCA: Drawing for a six-month family membership ($575 value).
IF YOU GO
* What: She: An Expo for Women.
* When: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday.
* Where: Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter Plaza.
* Admission: $20 adults, $10 children 12 and younger in advance; $25 adults, $15 children at the door. Free for ages 6 and younger. VIP packages (with guaranteed seating and autograph) $100 or $170.
* Website: www.timesfreepress.com