Organisers of Ignite! Illawarra Perimenopause and Menopause Expo Dr Charlotte Middleton, Emma Magill and Tiana Zapoc. Photo: Supplied.
Illawarra women are being invited to reclaim their midlife health at a first-of-its-kind Ignite! Illawarra Perimenopause and Menopause Expo at Kiama Pavilion on 15 March.
Organised by integrative GP Dr Charlotte Middleton, women’s health advocate Emma Magill and Tigress Events’ Tiana Zakoc, the expo aims to cut through confusion and stigma and normalise the conversation through a one-stop day of education, support and connection with like-minded women and their partners.
What began as a “little idea in the back of my head” for Dr Middleton has quickly grown into a major regional event expected to attract more than 500 women and their partners.
Dr Middleton said there was a lot of negativity spoken about the transition and a lot of misinformation being shared.
“I’ve been working in the menopause space for a while, running workshops,” Dr Middleton said.
“In doing these workshops, what I realised was the absolute hunger for knowledge.”
She said that hunger came into sharp focus when Emma organised a screening last March of the US documentary The M Factor – Shredding the Silence on Menopause, including a panel discussion she sat on.
“She managed to get 400 women into the Gala Cinema in Warrawong and could have filled more seats if we’d had the space,” she said.
“Women were desperate to get there.”
Emma said in Huskisson The M Factor sold out again, with women who had bought extra tickets sharing them with strangers, including men seeking to understand their partner’s experience.
“What I love about it is the warmth and connection that is coming out of these events to provide support for women and men around this experience,” Emma said.
After the event, the pair connected, leading them to the expo idea and the catchphrase “heating up the Illawarra”.
“It’s really evident that women aren’t educated and are time poor, so often are just getting things on the run via Instagram reels,” Emma said.
“That’s what grabbed people with the film – it was one night they could have with their girlfriends, watch it, and have that shared feeling in the cinema of ‘I am not alone in this.’”
She said the expo aimed to achieve the same outcome.
“Women, particularly in that sandwich era of looking after teenagers and their parents, can go, ‘Well, I’m going to have this day to myself and for $15 you’re getting so much from it’,” she said.
Kiama Pavilion will be transformed into a hub of menopause-focused services and support, with 30 exhibitor stands already booked out, ranging from medical practices and allied health, nutrition, fitness, sex therapists, vitamins and supplements, and resources.
Among the exhibitors will also be PhD researchers from Western Sydney University, showcasing their work on issues such as brain fog and anxiety in menopause.
Two rooms of expert-led talks will cover ‘Debunking the myths’, ‘Managing weight, metabolism, stress, and fatigue’, ‘Optimising vitamins & supplement use’ and even a talk for men to help them better understand and support the women in their lives.
A third space, dubbed ‘The Menopause Circles’, will function as a walk-in, walk-out counselling-style room where women can experience guided group support and sharing led by experts.
“It’s about sharing your experience in a really safe, guided environment,” Emma said.
“You just can’t take a magic pill. You need fitness, connection and community, otherwise it’s much harder.”
Dr Middleton said the event aimed to empower women and their partners with evidence-based information, practical tools and expert guidance so they felt informed, validated and supported.
“One hundred per cent of women are going to experience this in their lives to one degree or another,” she said.
“We want them to know they’re not alone, what they’re experiencing is normal, and that there are enormous amounts of resources, products and services out there to support them through this transition.”
She said the expo was not just for women already in the thick of hot flushes and night sweats, with many often not realising how young they could be when it started.
“Naomi Watts is a big proponent of this, because she started going through it at 35 or 36,” she said.
“It could be an unusual tiredness that’s crept up or just not feeling themselves.”
The also hear from women who say they’re “past it”, unaware of the many invisible or silent symptoms that follow.
“Midlife can feel so overwhelming – you know you’re supposed to be eating better, you’re supposed to be exercising or moving, doing weight-bearing work, and looking after your brain,” she said.
“It’s like, where do you start?
“We want to simplify it and break it down so women walk away knowing what their next step is.”
The expo is not-for-profit, with proceeds going to the Monash University HER Centre Australia and a local women’s charity, and is supported by media partner i98FM and event marketing partner Skin Correctives.
Tickets are now on sale for Ignite! The Perimenopause & Menopause Expo on 15 March from 10 am to 3 pm at the Kiama Pavilion. Pre-purchased tickets online are $15 plus booking fee or $25 at the door on the day.
