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Fit Expo Review by Juan Carlos Lopez Once again the Fit Expo brought a good number of people to the Pasadena Convention Center. Of course having the Ironman Pro in conjunction made things even more interesting. Year after year the Fit Expo features all kinds of events on the main stage such as bench press, squat, dance and of course the women's NPC Figure prejudging. Vendors from LA and Orange county are the ones that mostly fill out the expo but there are also others from close by states that make the trip to Pasadena. Among other things besides the expo there are seminars in several rooms in the other wing of the convention center. Ranging from yoga, diet, training, dance and other subjects this only adds to the interesting events the expo has to offer. Friday as usual is a very calm day and one can stroll around without much problems, unlike the Arnold Classic where every day is packed with lots of people. Saturday has much more activity due to the figure and bodybuilding events taking place around the venue. Sunday is also very calm but still is worth checking out as vendors will start giving away or selling things for a low price. The host hotel the Sheraton Pasadena is located right behind the convention center so this makes access easy if you stay at the hotel. Some of the most visited booths were those that had free samples, Labrada this time takes the credit with their protein bars "Rockin' Roll", another great booth was GNC with their S'mores bars and APEX with their low calories chips and cookie protein bars. There were other booths that had supplement samples such as fat burners and muscle enhancers and also had them for sale. Many of the people who attended the expo were people who had an interest in being fit or were already fit bought these products. There were two massage booths that booked people by appointments. Clothing lines made a lot of money during the weekend as several competitors shopped and shopped after their show. There was at least one DVD booth and some skin scare and lotion booths. In general it was very well varied and almost everyone could find something they would like at the expo. The hotel at $139 per night plus 16.25% tax is rather expensive but is worth the price given the proximity to the convention center. Restaurant is located also inside the hotel and has a varied menu, the chef was nice enough to cook boiled chicken for me during my stay. On the second floor there is a fitness center with dumbbells, benches and around 5 cardio machines. Also the area is very nice and has a good amount of off-site restaurants. Now the seminars are usually informative and a good way to talk to some of the exponents in a more relaxed manner. Marketing is basically the tool of the trade here, a guy like Ronnie Coleman will pull lots of people for his seminar but rarely anyone going will end up reaching his level. You learn something for sure and it is mainly the experience of being there. The PTA (Private Trainer's Association) was heavily involved in this Fit Expo, bringing lots of their trainers such as Charles Glass. It was a good idea for them to cooperate with the Fit Expo as it is good marketing for them and good for the people attending the seminars. Their party on Saturday night for $25 per person wasn't as fun as expected. It had a small dinner after the show and then people basically sat down and relaxed. The club was right by downtown Pasadena and had sectioned off a part of the club for this party. The other end of the club had "regular" people dancing and having fun. But keeping the BB people on one side was the correct thing to do. But let's say that 2005 Team U Tara Scotti Party hosted by Tara and Dom was the best this industry has ever had. Those who went to that party remember how fun and small it was, and that was the real trick, almost everyone knew each other. Hopefully Tara will repeat the dose in 2006. Thanks Tara!
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