Vitality Show

I went today. This year instead of handing out goody bags on your way out you need to pick up one of the exhibition maps they are giving out on the way in and fill in your name and address on a tear off slip then swap that for a goody bag near the back of the exhibition. Nothing to stop you picking up another map later and filling in your details again for another one - though only if its not obvious that you have already had one!
Also worth it is buying the Top Sante magazine for £2 instead of £2.90 as it comes with a bag of freebies including hair condition worth £7 (apparantly!), a big tube of beverley hills toothpaste, some tea samples, vitamin samples, various sachets of samples, and some oat cereal and a few other bits.

The main goody bag you get free for going to the show contained a sugar free jelly, can of appletizer, packet of quavers, dorset cereal, honey and oat bars, tampax, weightwatchers biscuits, body shop moisteruiser sachet, skinny cow hot choc sachet, some sugar and tissues plus couple of other bits and a few money off vouchers on the leaflets inside. Pretty good really!

Only other tip is if you want 1 to 1 career advice from careershifters get there early and sign up for your session later in the day. They give you 15 mins but it was quite popular. Think i was lucky i just walked straight in as was early.

I got the sanex shower gel (two as I got the one already in the goody bag) but no offer of an amazon voucher I'd disagree with the lack of carb free samples- loads of protein based flapjacks, cheese, apples and the coop had a full lunch range with loads of fruit. Was hoping Maximuscle were going to sell their bars, instead they were giving away a bar but better then nothing.

Agree though re: the premium brands- or lack of, but I can imagine that they may not get their monies worth by being at the show, it seems to be loads of "bargin hunters" and these brands tend to be on the more pricey side (though Nuxe and Kiehl's are worth it!). Also wish they had more "show special" prices- things like fitflops and MBTs and reduced prices but I guess thats alot to ask!

glowgirl wrote: »

Unfortunately I am rather strict on the carb thing and don't eat fruit because of the sugars or any kind of oats etc, I see your point on the premium brands and because I am not sporty at all quite a few of the exhibits were of no interest to me, maybe I have a warped idea of health and vitality because quite a few of the people visiting didn't look like they knew too much about weight management and we noticed quite a few people with their own sarnies etc so we are obviously novices at this;) I found it rather annoying to ask a question to a make up consultant and her not have a clue what I was talking about ditto a question on the sk:n stand, I'm no expert but these should of been basic answers for a trained professional, tbh I don't think I did us any favours taking the train and tube cos I was stressed when I arrived and even worse when leaving but hey ho live and learn:) I'm glad others that went enjoyed themselves and found the show of benefit:)

Lol- you make me smil as your actually quite similar to me- I am not as ....strictly ruled on things as you though as I have a looong history of anorexia which then developed into bulimai, became anorexia again...hopsitals and 18 months of suppored housing later, its too much work to allow myself to fall into becomming as strict on the "rules" in my head (that and my dietition) its taken years of hard work to vary things and not "do" 90% of normal foods (I literally only used to eat fresh fruit and steamed veg) I also still don't "do" carbs, (except for porridge oats) am not allowed fruit before I have been to the gym/9pm (however I left myself go on thursday, deciding if I ate nothing all day I could allow myself to sample a few chosen things) and only just started eating protein 2 yrs ago...I do alot of sport though so this is partly why I eat protein now but also, it screwed with my body not to do so.
-- I even seem to like the same beauty brands as you (Nuxe is my all time fav moisturiser and Kiehls for my body) I would also have liked to have seen Aveda, Philosophy and Liz Earle there but never mind.

I think many of the halth "professionals" there were brought in as sales people to sell the brand rahter then from the company with few exceptions. I did see one stand though with a gym who had developed Crones and designed and produced flapjacks as he was unable to sustain his weight or health on normal food. The flapjacks were OK (see how flexible I have become? I can now test flapjacks!!)

I think the thing to bare in mind is the Vitality show is basicly an advertisment show. Its trying to make money and so unfortunatly for us odd-balls, it never will cater fully for us, it will only cater for what sells and the mass market. The mass market has not much knowledge on health, so the show is aimed at quite a beginners level, as far as health goes, we are talking about people who don't have the time, don't want to eat green food or just don't walk anywhere. On top of that, this is their free time, health food and exercise is not a popular subject as it ttakes work. Most people today want an easy way out, a fast trick and to switch their health at the rate of downloading an ipod application. Being told to eat stuff that may not have the same amount of fat and sugar (and so to them may not taste as good) as what they'd otherwise eat does not always go down well, especially in their free time/day off. So you can imagine stands like these would not be as popular. (Although there was one stand/talk where the women was a bit OTT with her health "ideas", scare stories and miracle cures- no real scientific backing etc etc.)

Also, bearing in mind who were there and doing well, it was mainly the bigger companies, those with the cash to give away good deals and freebies. The glossy stands and bought in smiles went down well where as some of the more specialised companies just were not doing as well. Brand recognition and reassurance by a company who is already doing well will always win over a smaller more unknown company, its sad, but thats the way the mass makret is, few people want to take a gamble, and many are out for the best deal/freebie/tester they can get their hands on. Its all about sensory pleasures now rather then investment and learning. Again its sad, I'd have liked to see more, but you must remember this show is designed for the mass market, and those of us who already have some knowledge tend to be a different category, a minority and they just don't cater for us.

I hope they do a show one day that includes everyone, but I'd imagine the minority itself wouldn't pay the bills needed for such a show and that it would never get off the ground! I'd be good if it did happen though!