ABOVE PHOTO: “Hip Hop 45” Seminar from l to r: Grandmaster Caz, Chuck Creekmur, Doug E. Fresh, Roxanne Shanté. (Photo courtesy: Kharisma McIlwaine)
By Kharisma McIlwaine
The Fourth Annual BeExpo, hosted by Radio One, took place last Saturday at The Pennsylvania Convention Center . The event featured a variety of local businesses, panel discussions, interactive activities and performances.
The BeExpo floor experiences were separated into three categories; the Be Her & Man Cave Experience, the “Hello Beautiful Pavilion, and the Literary Café.
The Be Her Man Cave Experience held panel discussions on a number of topics and featured special guests actress Erika Alexander (“Living Single”) and Cynthia Bailey (The Real Housewives of Atlanta).
The Hello Beautiful Pavilion offered free makeup sessions and featured an “Ask The Editor” segment, and the Literary Café held “Author Spotlights” featuring as many as 10 authors. The BeExpo also held a number of seminars covering the topics of marriage, health and wellness, entrepreneurship, beauty and much more. Among some of the highlights were the “Hip Hop 45” seminar with three members of hip hop royalty,Doug E. Fresh, Grandmaster Caz, Roxanne Shanté, and the CEO and co-founder of www.allhiphop.com, Chuck Creekmur.
Moderated by Colby Colb, the seminar began with the question, “How has hip hop effected your life?” Each member shared fond memories of their introduction to hip hop and acknowledged the impact the art form still maintains today. As we celebrate its 45th year, hip hop is currently the most consumed music in America.
Another heavily attended seminar was the WEEN’s “Black Girl Magic In The Workplace.”WEEN, which stands for Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network, inspired many with the dynamic women selected to lead the discussion. Moderated by 100.3 WRNB’s K Foxx, the women featured on this panel included; Midwin Charles, attorney/TV personality/radio host; Paris Nicole, radio personality Boom 103.9); Rhonda Kinard, speaker/empowerment coach), rapper Remy Ma; Yannize Joshua, managing partner at The Teknique Group/Vice President of WEEN, and Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Skype co-founder and CEO of WEEN. The women discussed the challenges of balancing their careers and personal lives, and how to maintain their “Black girl magic” in the face of diversity.
Additional BeExpo 2018 highlights included a meet and greet with NBC-10 anchors Dray Clark, Jacqueline London, and meteorologist Brittney Shipp. People in attendance also enjoyed musical performances from Al B. Sure, Christopher Williams, Kindred the Family Soul, and Remy Ma. Children played basketball, women and men received haircuts, people visited the Keystone Health tent for health questions and screenings, sampled treats from the vendors and interacted with some of their favorite celebrities. Smiles were abundant, making for a truly pleasant experience filled with Philadelphians thriving and supporting one another.
To see more highlights on BeExpo 2018 visit https://rnbphilly.com/ and the SUN’s All Around Philly page.
Leave a Comment