Mr Olympia Expo 2017

The Mr. Olympia Expo 2107 was so much fun!!

DAY 1:  I was so amped to meet all of my new sponsors that I had a list and timesheet ready to get business rolling.  But had I known before how massive this expo is and just exactly how much preparation it really takes to go through one of these expo and make it out alive takes a lot of organization that I had no idea!

My friend Jessica Cram and I decided to take an Uber to the Convention Hall (great idea) but when we arrived we realized the line was literally half a mile long (bad idea).  We looked at each other and just went for it thinking that we can do this together not even realizing that we should have probably bought the tickets online and printed them before arriving.

We stood in line for about an hour but before long we both started to get a little agitated by everyone pushing and being rude that we decided to call it quits and start walking back to my place.  Hey we were getting cardio instead.

We were both in awe of how much dis-organization there was when we were both getting there early to beat the crowd and they didn't let anyone in till around 1pm anyways.  So if you're attending in 2018, make sure you already have you passes before you arrive and that you arrive a little late so that you don't have to stand in line.  I also would advise not to carry a heavy purse and be sure to bring lots of water, sunblock and patience.

Day 2:

I went with my Boyfriend for Day 2 and was sure to bring a backpack instead of my purse.  I bought plenty of water, food, snacks, lip gloss and my camera gear.  This time I came more prepared and thanks to Mack the President of Egg Whites International they let us use their passes to get in.  They were gracious enough to give us VIP Passes so we got there early to beat the loud noise and regular crowd and thank goodness we did!  It was like a super roided Zoo in there.  I got to try out my portable mic for the first time so I was pretty excited and I didn't realize how strong this microphone was to picking up sound so I was nearly screaming in the mic not realizing that my voice was being picked up crystal clear. LOL!

So I got an interview with Mack from Egg Whites International and also got to meet JD the Vice President as well and ran into Expo model Timea who I haven't seen in years.  I also was given a pair of their cute white Egg Whites Int. shorts with rhinestones that say "Bad Ass Chick" on it and a black T-Shirt for my Boyfriend to wear also that says "Chick Approved" on the back.  Egg Whites International is a new sponsor of mine and I've never met a more friendlier and customer service say business before in my entire life.  Love their products and be sure to use promo code MDFit to save $ and get a FREE T-Shirt on your next order also!

I also got an interview with Teresa from MetRx who just released their new Apple Pie Crisp and Cookies n Cream Protein Bars and Drinks (Thanks to model Chris) and then after we a=wrapped up the interview, the crowd started to roll in.  So I got a little agitated and put away the microphone which was a bad idea which I should have gotten more interviews but learned my lesson about being a tough cookie and won't ever do that again.

As Gene and I strolled along the walkways I noticed all of the Protein Drinks, Pre-Workout samples, After Workout shots, Supplements up the king yang that they were giving away literally like it was halloween candy.  And a lot of it looked like Halloween candy the way the marketing made the wrappers appear would have fooled me.  Promo models would even give you a big plastic bag as you walked in just to stuff it full of free product and people would even stroll in luggage with rollers just for this exact reason of getting all of the free products.  What could you possibly do with all of this stuff?  Anyways before I got overwhelmed, I had a list of people to go meet like SteelFit, DAS Labs, Vital Body, Lady Hammer with Pharmafreak, Enlightened, Otomix and I even ran into a future guest of mine Josh from Your Beats Headphone Covers.  That was a toal surprise.

All I have to say is you better have a lot of water, snacks and make reminders on your phone to buzz you when to eat because it is super distracting at these expo shows.  Also, make a list of all the potential sponsors or companies that you'd like to talk to because a lot of there marketing crew is at these shows and it is very important to bring enough of your business cards to give to them.  Be sure to follow up and stay in touch with everyone.  The minute I left the convention I was sending my media kits out to everyone I met just so I said Thank you and was on top of staying organized.  It looks like a big party but trust me, I was there to handle my business.

Samples, samples, samples!  And since I'm on meal prep for my competition right now it is soo hard not to dive right into all of these delicious goodies that companies have come up with.  Enlightened for example has a awesome low carb, low sugar and high protein Ice Cream in 9 or 10 different flavors and is so good but now they have Rice Krispie Protein Bars and Bean Crisps and Sweet Dusted Protein Packed Almonds as well as a savory snack.   I have so many cravings right now and I am being tested mentally big time!  GRRRRRR Thank you Serena from Enlightened for the T-Shirt, Snack To Go Pack and Ice Cream Jar with Ice Cream Scooper, so cute!

I had a blast at the Mr. Olympia 2017 and am so looking forward to next year when i will be way more prepared and have a lot more business to tend to!