SRQ Women's Expo headed to The Grove

It was 2023 and Sarasota's Carina Dawson had just moved to the area from Atlanta.

Being in a new home, she was searching for the best way to launch her business, Carina Dawson Photography.

Then she found the the first SRQ Women's Expo at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota.

She said it was the perfect way to connect with the community.

"(At the Expo), you have locals stopping by, and the vendors are also shopping around."

Perhaps a local businesswoman will launch her own business soon. The SRQ Women's Exp is headed to the Grove in Lakewood Ranch July 26-27.

The expo is billed as a place to "connect with inspiring women, shop from amazing vendors, attend powerful workshops, and enjoy a day of learning, networking, and self-care."

Since the event is geared towards women, free childcare is included with the $10 general admission ticket price on July 27. Tickets for the White Lotus Cocktail Party on July 26 are $50.

Expo founder Julianna Strout said self-care was something she needed when she had a newborn, so she views complementary childcare as a necessity for each event. 

The expo started out as a gathering of entrepreneurial women in Strout’s living room, but it quickly outgrew the space.  

The first expo in September 2023 welcomed 47 vendors, which ballooned to over 200 vendors at later expos held at the Ritz-Carlton. The Grove is sold out with 80 vendors, which Strout said is a nice balance between the variety of services on display and plenty of space for guests to navigate the room. 

Courtesy image

Some of the expo’s offerings have evolved, as well. While Dawson started as the event’s photographer, Strout asked her to offer mini photo sessions at the last expo. The expos are held twice a year. 

Dawson said so many moms don’t have photos with their children that it was hugely popular with attendees. She’ll have a booth set up again at The Grove. It takes a week or two to process all the photos, but the downloads are complimentary for guests. 

While many of the vendors focus on beauty and fashion, there are additional services, like Dawson’s, featured, too. The Grazing Pony is a mobile charcuterie bar out of St. Petersburg, and Crafted by Rachel is a Sarasota company that offers epoxy art pieces, such as clocks and towel racks. 

New to this year’s lineup and local to Lakewood Ranch is Jazzercise, a boutique fitness studio on Lake Osprey Drive. 

“As both a new Florida resident and business owner in Lakewood Ranch, building strong connections in the community has been a mission from the very start.,” Jazzercise owner Shari Nastri said. “We’re honored to collaborate with other local businesses and help lift up the incredible small business community here in the Lakewood Ranch/Sarasota area.”

The expo has become a way for local businesses to introduce themselves to the community. Crystal Castleberry is the clinic manager at SkinSpirit in Sarasota and a guest speaker at the upcoming expo. 

The medical aesthetics company is in 18 states, but it’s opening its first location in Sarasota this month. Castleberry will be speaking at the upcoming expo to share what services SkinSpirit offers, how the company has grown and what the culture is like. 

While there will be several speakers throughout the day, Jason Phillips is the keynote speaker. Phillips is the founder of the Nutritional Coaching Institute. 

“He’s had a great deal of experience in getting companies off the ground from being a startup,” Strout said. “A lot of these businesses, run by men and women, want to be able to understand how to take their businesses to the next level.” 

Strout also noted that Phillips is a single dad raising a little girl, who is the next generation of women in business. While it’s a women’s expo, dads of daughters might also pick up some valuable information by attending. 

There are two events within the expo’s lineup — the cocktail reception Saturday night, which is a white party. and the expo from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

About half the vendors will be set up for the cocktail party along with a DJ, casino tables, an all white runway show, guest speakers and salsa performances. 

Guests are asked to dress in their finest white attire.  The theme comes from the HBO drama “The White Lotus,” which takes place at a luxury resort in Hawaii.