THE VENUE:
This year it was held at the Uptown Loft, a chic swanky venue in midtown Toronto. A spacious open concept room with a white bar, white curtains and chairs all backlit by blue lighting with big beautiful chandeliers. The staff was friendly and quick, the hor d'oeuvres kept flowing, and the drinks prices were reasonable compared to the previous venue. (I was able to purchase a beer for $6 as opposed to $14 the year before)
A definite upgrade from the venue last year (imo) and with a lot more room for mixing and mingling.
THE CROWD:
It was a great turnout with beautiful women and beautiful hair all across the room and a few gentlemen scattered in between. I saw some familiar faces but was also happy to meet a lot of new people who came out to support.
THE EVENT:
Bee and Anne Marie are amazing hosts! They kept the event moving along without a hitch and provided lots of laughs. Gift bags were provided for the first 50 entrants and there were constant giveaways with some really great prizes from various sponsors including ToniDaley.com :)
There were also two vendors which in my opinion was just the right amount and added to the exlusive upscale feel. Eli's body Shop which makes some of my favourite products was there with an array products for both the hair and skin and The Diana Tracy Collection had some beautiful accessories on display.
There was a panel discussion by 4 lovely ladies who are all professionals on the diversity of natural hair. I have to admit I found this part repetitive as they had the same discussion of natural hair diversity featuring 4 professionals on a panel from last year's event. In the defense of Curls Coils & Cocktails it's not just them....it seems to be a repetitive theme at all natural hair meetups/events. Looking around the room though I didn't see too many newby naturals, most in fact had been natural for years and were well established in their careers. I think it's safe to say we have already figured out that our natural hair can be rocked both in and out of the corporate world. As a suggestion I'd love to hear discussions and debates on current topics that affect and/or include the natural hair world.
Where the event did shine was performance and Q&A with Canada's top funk/soul/rock artist Saidah Baba Talibah. She rocked it out!
Overall I had a great time at the event and am looking forward to next year.
Stay tuned for my video recap on YouTube on Saturday at www.YouTube.com/ToniDaley80
-Toni
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