[QUOTE=jedimaster;13436]Do you mind, when available, giving more details?..I will go from Vancouver BC and it would be my first time!.
Thank you for doing this!!![/QUOTE]
The Expo is a trade show for folks with kidney disease. There are exhibitors who have booths with products (like Baxter or NxStage or Fresenius), and exhibitors who have booths with information–Northwest Kidney Centers had dozens of booths on things like cooking with herbs, sexuality, travel on dialysis, and lots of others. We did the MEI booth, with info about Life Options, Kidney School, and Home Dialysis Central… Plus, there is a whole schedule of speakers, prizes and giveaways, kids activities, Lori Hartwell did her radio show live from there, and, as Bill mentioned, they do free kidney screenings. The “vibe” is very high energy and fun.
OMG - it’s almost Expo time - three weeks! So much to do, so little time.
We’re back in the same space as the first year - the west side of the Club Level at Qwest Field. Somehow I have to come up with a floor plan that shoe horns in 80 booths, a bookstore, an expanded Kidz Zone, and a full screening area, complete with five consultation areas (everyone who goes through screening gets a free consultation with a nephrologist).
We are also offering a free lunch to every NKC dialyzor who attends so there is an expanded eating area. I am very hopeful that free food will get dialyzors in the door. Each year our goal has been 200 dialyzors and each year we’ve come up short. Third time’s the charm?
Hereis the NKC website with more information. I don’t think there is a bigger dialyzor focused event in the world. Can the Expo claim the crown of the World’s Biggest Kidney Event? We’re expecting 1,700 attendees. And it’s all free - don’t miss the Expo. Knowledge is Power.
[quote=Bill Peckham;14679]OMG - it’s almost Expo time - three weeks! So much to do, so little time.
We’re back in the same space as the first year - the west side of the Club Level at Qwest Field. Somehow I have to come up with a floor plan that shoe horns in 80 booths, a bookstore, an expanded Kidz Zone, and a full screening area, complete with five consultation areas (everyone who goes through screening gets a free consultation with a nephrologist).
We are also offering a free lunch to every NKC dialyzor who attends so there is an expanded eating area. I am very hopeful that free food will get dialyzors in the door. Each year our goal has been 200 dialyzors and each year we’ve come up short. Third time’s the charm?
Hereis the NKC website with more information. I don’t think there is a bigger dialyzor focused event in the world. Can the Expo claim the crown of the World’s Biggest Kidney Event? We’re expecting 1,700 attendees. And it’s all free - don’t miss the Expo. Knowledge is Power.[/quote]
Impressive Bill! NKC is non-stoppable! 
Hey Bill,
I want to post info about the Kidney Expo to social workers on the CNSW listserv. They may have patients who would want to attend. The link you provided has information about exhibiting at the Expo, but I didn’t see much that told people on dialysis or their families what they’ll get out of attending except this statement: “The Expo offers free kidney screenings, nutritious treats and informative presentations about the kidney.”
Is there a flyer or an explanation that you’d want me to post that says what it costs for patients, what topics will be presented, what vendors are displaying, and that tells patients there is such a thing as a free lunch? I doubt that nutritious treats would get most people to an Expo. Of course, I live in Kansas City where people don’t eat nutritiously and not Seattle where people do.
[LEFT]Thanks Beth for helping to get out the word (and creating this summary from a 2mb flier)
What: 3rd Annual Family Health Kidney Expo sponsored by Northwest Kidney Centers[/LEFT]
[LEFT]When: Saturday, October 27 from 9 a.m - 3 p.m.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Where: Qwest Field, Club Level, Seattle, WA[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Admission: FREE – Everyone’s invited[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Parking: $3 at Qwest Field lot (a $7 discount)[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Why should you, and your family and friends attend?:[/LEFT]
[ul]
[li] [LEFT]Free health screenings (blood relatives of dialyzors are at increased risk for kidney disease - bring your family and get them tested!) [/li][/LEFT]
[li] [LEFT]Booths & exhibits[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Cooking demonstrations and free food samples (and a free lunch!)[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Lots of give aways, including iPod Shuffles, George Foreman Grills, and Northwest Kidney Centers gift baskets, plus much more[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Celebrity guests (Seattle sports teams’ mascots, KIRO radio personalities)[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Kids’ Corner (bring your kids, save money on a sitter)[/LEFT][/li][/ul] [LEFT]Choose from more than 70 booths, including over twenty NKC educational booths, to help you and your family live healthier and feel better. Topics including:[/LEFT]
[ul]
[li] [LEFT]How to avoid or delay kidney disease[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]The diabetes and kidney disease connection[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Taking care of your skin and feet[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]How to find a living kidney donor or become one yourself[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]What’s involved in getting a kidney transplant[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]The positive effects of massage therapy[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Exercise and activity – better fitness, better life[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Services for seniors [/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Ask the nutritionist[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Samples of delicious food that’s good for your body[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]The kidney – the window to the heart[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Protecting yourself and your loved ones from kidney disease[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]How to reduce neck and back pain[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]High blood pressure – preventing and treating it[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Fitness made easy[/LEFT][/li][li] [LEFT]Choosing a treatment option that fits your lifestyle[/LEFT][/li]
[li] [LEFT]Traveling on dialysis[/LEFT][/li][/ul] [LEFT]Don’t miss this terrific opportunity to have some fun and learn at the same time.[/LEFT]
I need to clarify my previous post - the free lunch is for those who volunteer and for NKC dialyzors. (There’s always a catch. Sorry Dori exhibitors are not counted as volunteers but you will be given morning coffee).
Here is the blurb I submitted for the NKC employee newsletter:
Join Me At The Expo
What: 3rd Annual Family Health Kidney Expo sponsored by NKC
[LEFT]When: Saturday, October 27 from 9 a.m - 3 p.m.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Where: Qwest Field, Club Level, Seattle, WA[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Admission: FREE – Everyone’s invited[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Parking: $3 (a $7 discount) in Qwest Field lot off Royal Brougham [/LEFT]
[SIZE=4]Top 5 Reasons You Should Do the Expo (and bring a friend)
[/SIZE]
-
Money. Donors will make a cash donation on behalf of each person who attends.
-
Friends. Bring a friend and make friends. Share all that NKC does with your circle and spend all or part of the day with all the other community supporters that allow NKC to be the model.
[SIZE=3]3) Love. You might save a loved ones life by sending them through our free CKD health screening. Do you know your number? See the whole NKC CKD team for answers.[/SIZE]
-
Community. Help out at the Expo! This is our biggest community event of the year, and we need everyone who is willing to lend a hand. All volunteers will [SIZE=3]have lunch on NKC and get a free Expo t-shirt (to be an Expo helper contact Syrenka).[/SIZE]
-
Fun! There will be hundreds and hundreds of people. Former patients, staff from other shifts and units - people you never get to see. Talk to the hundreds of NKC community leaders and volunteers who will be staffing the more than 70 booths and exhibits, every attendee gets entered to win prizes (including iPods!). Bring the kids to play in the Kids Corner while you meet our celebrity guests.
Join me and do the Expo! Family Health & Kidney Expo, Saturday, October 27, at Qwest Field. It’s free.
Damn! (I don’t drink coffee. >;-)).
Bill, good luck with the Expo. If it was in Chicago, I’d be the first to volunteer.