The 2012 Zoomershow in Toronto Was Fit for Fashionable Folks Over 45

[Rob Campbell]

Ten years ago, Moses Znaimer renamed the baby boomer generation into the 'Zoomers' to celebrate how they stay active in their retirement years. Five years ago someone got the bright idea to wrap a trade show around the notion and last weekend, October 27, 28 of 2012, the Zoomershow was hosted at the Direct Energy Building at Exhibition Place . The organizers use the mantra, 'If it's hot and it's important, and if it can benefit people age 45+, then it’s welcome at the Zoomershow!

The Zoomershow has now become Canada's largest consumer show! Its actually a semi-retirement lifestyle expo for men and women age 45+. The event speaks to me about getting healthy and making smart choices investing in myself, travel, relationships, and personal growth as a human being on Planet Earth.

There were over two hundred and fifty exhibitors at the show and the Direct Energy Building exhibition hall was divided into sections wherein the various live presenters had the headland and exhibitors were grouped facing each other in mini rows and on the maps and programs these sections were colour coded to make it easy to navigate the show and find someone in particular. We just drifted. We preferred to discover each attraction onto itself and take each booth as a new experience.

Dr. Natalie Archer DDS was present in the rows of the health science booths. She was handing out toothpaste, floss and dry mouth remedies. These were the goodies that she used to start conversations with people and listen to their needs and drum up business for her two locations in Toronto.

Dr Archer is famous as one of the more media savvy dentists who makes television appearances. Dr Archer was a judge at 2012 Miss Teen Canada World beauty pageant at Queen Elizabeth Theatre on July 21st 2012, and yet she is also one of Toronto's longest serving seniors dentist at Runnymede hospital where she has a special clinic equipped with wheelchair lifts and other specialized pieces of equipment necessary to assist elderly and special needs patients. She was here along with Claire Deborn the celebrity personal trainer, and Max Abraham who is a fitness instructor that makes action packed workout videos free for the web. 

At the far west side of the Direct Energy Building there was a stage and three hundred chairs accommodating tribute bands which performed hits from the 50s, 60s and 70s for nostalgic attendees who just needed to sit down and take a break for a spell. The show was spaciously laid out and you can see in the picture below there there is lots of room to just flake out away from it all.  The Spoons are on stage in the picture below. Rob Gallagher introduced them and it was quite a spectacle. You can see them in the picture below.

There was food court dispensing discount meals and we ate crepes made with a melody of fruits and covered in a delicious all natural maple syrup. I'm not a food blogger as you can probably tell. There were two dining areas and we ate in the health section. Both parlors had folks relaxing on Velago patio seating sets that were made available for use but also on sale with price tags attached to them - cool marketing and the furniture was cool too.

We visited the Bio Best yogurt booth and ate their free snacks. I sampled a banana yogurt cup while my friend chose vanilla because he is just a regular guy. He postulated that the vanilla yogurt would be the most sampled because all the men would choose that one while the women would get the banana and fruit and berry flavours and I wish we had stuck around to see if he was right because I don't think he was.. he thinks all men like Vanilla just because he does.

The annual Zoomershow is all about showing attendees how good they could have it in their golden years; it empowers attendees to make healthy choices and retire happy. 

[Donna Esposito]

I won't say if I'm a Zoomer yet, but I am sorry I didn't atend this and I will go next year.