Can you believe it? I had the incredible honour of being an influencer co-host for the What She Said Event in Toronto this past weekend! This experience brought together so many incredible women, from influencers to celebrities, to connect, empower, and learn from each other.
As this is their first event in Toronto, I’m so excited to share my takeaways with you. If you’re considering attending an event like this or just curious about what goes on at one, here’s everything you need to know from my firsthand experience.
Back Story of this Event
The What She Said events have become known across the States and Canada and were created by Founders of Modern Day Wife Meagan Elieff & Meghan Fialkoff. These events were started to create spaces where women can network, gain industry insights, and most importantly, feel empowered.
One of the reasons I love events like this is the way they bring together women from different fields to share, learn, and lift each other up. The beauty of these gatherings lies in each woman bringing a unique story, skill, product or piece of advice to the table.
Brand Activations, Experiences & Photo Opportunities
What She Said Event Toronto brought a variety of brand activations and displays that I may have not even known of if it wasn’t for this event. I got to discover natural product brands that matched my life and talked to the owners hearing their stories. Many of the owners were very inviting and took notice of you when you walked into the room. Here are a few I enjoyed:
And, of course, the photo opportunities were everywhere! With beautifully designed backdrops and influencer-ready spaces, I found myself snapping photos with my best friend left and right, capturing memories to take home and share.
Fashion Show
So the fashion show was what I was most excited about since I have never been to a fashion show before (the most I’ve seen is a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or America’s Next Top Model on TV lol). Since we were in the Living Room of the W Hotel, the runway was really a pathway through the crowd and around the bar area. Featuring an array of brands such as:
- Dria Dair by Kendria Godair
- My Generation
- La Coutts
- Ricki’s
- Heather Lynn
- Judith & Charles and more.
What made the fashion show unique was that some of the influencer co-hosts were the models in the show. There were some instances where we couldn’t see the surprise performances or additional surprises before the show since the layout was not meant for a fashion show. Overall, the experience was very cool!
Celebrity Panel & Industry Panelists
Snagging a seat or entering the room for the celebrity and industry panels was tough for the large turnout due to the small area that was set up. However, the lineup of celebrity panellists was impressive, featuring:
- Abbey Sharp, President of Abbey’s Kitchen and Neue Theory.
- Dominique Baker, an award-winning skincare and hair expert.
- Brittany Ostofe from The Laughing Couple Podcast.
- Ariel Niu is a thought leader, creator, and coach.
Although I wasn’t able to get inside, I am sure each brought a unique perspective, sharing stories, challenges, and insights from their journeys. There were even industry topic panels covering key topics in Business and Entrepreneurship, Fashion and Lifestyle, and Beauty and Wellness.
Swag Bag
At the end of the night, VIP attendees were able to snag themselves a swag bag. This swag bag was filled with goodies from a variety of brands that were at the event and many did not have a booth or display set up. What a great way to end the night!
Pros & Cons of What She Said Event Toronto
- Variety of brand displays to discover.
- Beautiful location (W Hotel)
- Location close to the subway station
- Panel topics/ categories were great.
- Photo opportunities were everywhere.
- Drink stations were a nice touch.
- Guests were very friendly and offered to take photos at the photo opportunities areas.
- Swag bag goodies were a great event gift!
Cons:
- As an influencer co-host, I got no emailed ticket to the event or instructions for the night.
- The event is very long (3PM to 9PM). Many don’t get off work until 5PM so it would have been nice to start later in the evening instead.
- No food was passed around.
- The room where the panellists were was too small, and many couldn’t get in or sit.
- Swag bags could only be picked up at the end of the event.
- Elevator waits were a little long since we were competing with event guests and hotel guests. Plus there are only 4 elevators too and the event space is on the 6th floor.
- It was unorganized with a few things like the fashion show and signs to say where to go.
- Expected more brands to be there and some brands didn’t acknowledge those who were waiting at their booths.
Final Thoughts
The What She Said Toronto event was the ultimate way to kick off the weekend! If you get the chance next year, grab a friend and make it a night out—you won’t regret it. There’s something so empowering about hearing creators and industry leaders openly sharing their journeys and advice but also relating with other moms or women. You never know who you might meet or what amazing products you’ll discover! I even walked out with some fun goodies and found a brand I’m excited to support.
Have you been to any events lately? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear about it and add it to my list for next time!
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