| August 2011 Hello Everyone! We only have a few more exhibit spaces available for International Fuller Woman Expo September 10!! Don't miss your opportunity to join us! Click here for more information!
The Network expanding in Nigeria! The International Fuller Woman Network was created to connect initiatives around the world that support the size acceptance and plus empowerment movement. Through our network, those positive entities are highlighted and celebrated. To strengthen our commitment connecting curves around the world, The International Fuller Woman Network has forged an exciting new partnership with Big Sister Magazine-Nigeria. Big Sister Magazine is a lifestyle magazine, the only one of its kind that is published in Nigeria and West Africa. It celebrates the worth and talent of curvy girls in this region and offers useful tips on healthy living, fitness, diet, beauty and boosting of self esteem.
Elsie Utong, Editor in Chief is working on having editions available in neighboring Ghana. We are very excited about our partnership which would entail giving insight to her readers about the challenges that face women in the US. We will bring to the network snippets of the latest edition so you can be continually be in the know about what your sisters are up to in Nigeria.
Those that attend The International Fuller Woman Expo on Detroit September 10 will be able to receive a copy of Big Sister Magazine so you have the movement at your fingertips! Check out their blog for more information. http://bigsistermagazine.blogspot.com/
We are so pleased to host a VIP reception for Kim Coles at one of the most prominent restaurants in the Downtown Detroit area. The Detroit Seafood Market is our host, offering a dining experience you will find nowhere else!
Enjoy a 4 course meal featuring some of the signature meals that they have become known for like their Maryland Lump Crab Cakes and Pan fried Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia. Want something other than seafood? Enjoy Chicken Breast with Marsala Wine & Wild Mushroom Sauce or Chef Leonardo's Pasta Primavera!
For those that want to party all night, move your curves to the dance floor at our After Glow at the beautiful Paradise Valley(PV)Lounge adjacent to the Detroit Seafood Market. If you missed the reception with Kim Coles, you are still able to experience the Detroit Seafood Market's incredible appetizers and sip on wine in our VIP area.
Also available is the "Sonsitini" created by our sponsor Sonsi, their signature martini that is not only light but refreshing!
General entry at the PV Lounge is $10 all night for Expo participants at the door, just show your wristband! Purchase your VIP passes here.
I have often been asked why we do what we do, why an expo and why is there a need. When I have the privilege to speak to someone or a group of people I always wonder if the audience understands fully the message of the Expo and the mission for the Network. I recently I had the opportunity to sit down with DailyVenusDiva.com Editor in Chief Stephanie Penn and spoke candidly about what we do. Below is the interview....
You refer to The International Fuller Woman Expo and the Fuller Woman Network as an empowerment zone. What exactly are your goals with each initiative? We hope to provide positive resources and information that will make you feel empowered. We want you to leave the initiatives that we do feeling that you have the capacity and the power to create your own destiny uninhibited by stereotype, circumstance or perception. It is our goal to let you know that your existence alone is powerful, that you are beautiful and worthy of all the good things life has in store for you. Which like minded, forward thinking women are you affiliated with that will be attending the 2011 Fuller Woman Expo? Women who are proud of who they are and are ready to celebrate it. This expo is also for those that are on their journey toward discovering the beauty of their curves. We hope to give them tools that will assist them with self love which will enable to push the conversation forward in their community. Our Keynote Speaker Kim Coles has lived by example. She has been a positive role model for millions for years on screen and off. She now tours the country speaking about how she began to embrace who she was, encouraging others to do the same. She is a remarkable spirit and we have been so honored to have her for the second year. Detroit, MI has been the home to all of the U. S. Expo's since 2009. Why Detroit? As a Detroit native, I yearned for events that catered to me and who I had grown to become. With so many beautiful curvy women in this city, there wasn't any events that spoke to their needs. The women of Detroit became my inspiration. It is also my opportunity to be able to show others around the world that Detroit is a resilient, thriving city that has everything to be proud of. That is part of the reason the expo is at the Detroit Historical Museum this year. We have been asked to take the expo to Paris, Australia and Africa and we are in talks to make that happen. For the expo in the US, Detroit will always be the backdrop. In the network, do you encourage the promotion of other plus size initiatives and how has that been successful? Yes! The goal of the International Fuller Woman Network is to connect us together, one purpose and one sisterhood. Often people are seeking to connect with people in their area and they have no clue where to start. We offer a platform for others to shine throughout the year and highlight those individuals that truly mirror the size acceptance movement in all aspects of society during the expo. What message do you want to convey with these projects in particular? That it is ok to love who you are in the moment. There are always things that we would like to change about yourself and it is ok to strive for happiness. Your happiness is not defined by the weight that you lose or what others think of you. I want women in attendance to learn the power of their dollar, to stop patronizing companies that don't recognize the needs of their consumers. Lastly, we really hope that our message of size acceptance is spread to others through others that were in attendance, that they will reach out to a sister who may not feel that she is beautiful and worthy and to help them in their journey. You write, "You are part of a community that has eyes that acknowledge you and arms that support you. We embrace who you are, right now." Tell me about this quote. You are first lured to any organization by your personal need to explore your interests. You then join that organization and you are no longer a single entity. You become part of it all, sharing the same mission and purpose. That is what the Network is. We are already connected by the fact that we are curvy women but we want to let you know that with us and in the initiatives that we do, we acknowledge your beauty and worth. We will do what is in our power to connect you to resources that will assist you in living your most fulfilling life and support you in any way we can during the process. It is amazing what just speaking positively to someone can do for the course they choose in life. By word or deed, we will be a source of encouragement and celebration while you are on your path to self discovery. Producing Events and initiatives like these are no easy feat. Why is it important to have the support of the plus size community? Our sustainability for 4 years and 2 countries is a direct result of the grass roots efforts of the plus community. The event is fully funded by me and the support from our generous sponsors, most of which have been with us from inception. We have an incredible committee that works tirelessly for months to bring to this city an event that we are proud of. We need the support of everyone in society as well, not just women size 12 and up. There are some that are a size 2 but struggle with her own perception of beauty. We are fighting for them too.
Actress, Comedian Erica Watson to Lead our "Evolution of the Revolution" Panel
"Plus positivity in a negative society" Every year we discuss ways to elevate the plus community. We have a candid conversation with in regards to health, beauty, fashion and media in an effort to help us all decipher what is really said when they speak of us. We also offer tools that will assist in changing the conversation. Now more than ever we see "curvy" the topic of conversation in all aspects of society. When they speak of us what are they really saying? Our panelist include:
Tracy McCaskill-News Director for Mix 92.3 and FM 98 WJLB
Valery Amador-Our 2011 M.A.D. Award of Excellence Winner, Publisher of Plus Model Magazine and Daily Venus Diva Magazine
Dr. Cynthia Jones, M.D., F.A.C.S.-Chief of Surgery for The Louisiana Medical Center
Princess Currence, M.S.W-Program Director, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine
Amanda Levitt-Founder of Love your Body-Detroit
The Plus Biz Connect Contest
Thousands of votes have been counted, we are near the end of the contest! Vote for your favorite Plus Biz! Click here to see who is in the lead!
Mia Amber Davis Award of Excellence Our Woman of the Year Award will now be known as The Mia Amber Davis Award of Excellence. This years recipient is Valery Amador, Publisher of Venus Diva Magazine and Plus Model Magazine, the most influential magazines for plus size women. Meet this extraordinary woman September 10! 
 Contact Urban Life Promo for all your marketing needs. Mention "The Fuller Woman Expo" to receive special savings.
Check our website often for updates on what we have in store for you!! Follow us on Facebook : International Fuller Woman Network or on Twitter @fullerwomanexpo
Cassandra Jones-McBryde U.S. Executive Producer The International Fuller Woman Expo Phone: 313.850.4507 Email: thefullerwomanexpo@gmail.com Website: www.thefullerwomanexpo. com | 
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