Preview: Discover the Meaning of 21st Century Manhood at The Gentlemen’s Expo

By: Alex Curley –

A smorgasbord of consumer goods for the discerning man is on parade at the Gentlemen’s Expo this weekend. “Designed to provide today’s modern urban man a show to call his very own”, proclaims the organizers who are donating a sizeable chunk of the proceeds from tickets to Movember Canada. The main theme for the expo is “be more interesting” and there is a major push to teach style and class to patrons.

The expo is split into ten pavilions highlighting various spheres of manhood ranging from cars to sports. The expo will feature tech demos and interactive displays for exhibitors to display their wares. Workshops and speakers are taking the stage throughout the weekend, educating guests on wide-ranging topics from mixology to vehicle restoration.

One of the most interesting aspects of the expo is the variety and quality of its speakers. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, Bruce Croxon (Dragons Den, Co-Founder of Lavalife), Chuck Hughes (Chuck’s Week Off,) four-time Stanley Cup winner and retired NHL player Mike Krushelnyski, Alan Cross (The Ongoing History of New Music, Crackle and Pop) relationship expert and PlayboyTV host Jessica O’Reilly PHD, Rob Rainford (License to Grill) and many more.

We interviewed a few of these speakers to find out what they thought of manhood in the 21^st century.

Celebrity chef Rob Rainford says that cooking has never been more manly and that the perception of chefs is rapidly changing.

“It’s the renaissance of being able to go between all the worlds.” Rainford says in a phone interview. “A real man doesn’t have to not cook. A real man does cook.”

“The way people used to think about chefs and cooks is changing,” Rainford happily proclaims. “Now they are elevated to this new level of almost celebrity, because you know you have a proficiency in a task that a lot of people want to do.”

“So for me, a 21st century man, in the kitchen is a wonderful place to be,” he says, “I can’t see another time in life where you can do what you do as a chef, as a human, as a dad, as whatever; and still get the attention you are getting.”

Prominent music nerd and “guidance counselor” for Indie88 Alan Cross, says that guys are now comfortable to explore interests that they couldn’t have decades ago and that men need to get past the macho attitude towards their health and get checked out.

“A lot of dudes are confused about where they are supposed to fit in on the planet these days,” Cross says in a phone interview. “I think we are moving along to some kind of proper gender equality. Guys are able to explore things now that they probably wouldn’t have 20 or 30 years ago. “

Rob Rainford. “A 21st century man, in the kitchen is a wonderful place to be.”

Bruce Croxon. “Providing for your family and being entrepreneurial is the key to being a man.”

Alan Cross. “Guys are able to explore things now that they probably wouldn’t have 20 or 30 years ago.”

Cross breaks down Movember into three aspects: physical participation where you actually grow facial hair as a way of showing solidarity for your fellow dude, fundraising, and building awareness.

“I don’t really look good in facial hair; my face itches and my wife doesn’t think I look very good in it, so I don’t participate on that level,” Cross explains. “However, I’m into anything that has to do with raising awareness of men’s health.”

“The problem with guys is that we tend to suck it up, we don’t complain and say we’re fine, and we think we are going to be 19-years-old forever,” Cross says.  “We have to get past this macho thing and realize with age certain body parts are going out of warranty. We have to monitor their state of disrepair, deterioration and do what we can to prevent them from harming us and interfering with a long, safe and healthy life.“

“While you won’t find me sporting a mustache: it’s just a bad idea for me, if you saw me you would understand why,” he says. “I highly support anyone who wants to show off their face that way and support Movember.”

Life-long entrepreneur, co-founder of LavaLife and Dragon’s Den personality Bruce Croxon says providing for your family and having a strong entrepreneurial spark is the key to being a man.

“I’m a husband and father and I think those are the two toughest jobs in the world. I think that it is about accepting responsibility,” Croxon says. “There is a lot of available responsibility if you want to take it on.”

“You can choose to be a father, be in business, and be an entrepreneur. I am not saying that this doesn’t apply to women as well by the way. Providing for your family and being entrepreneurial is the key to being a man,” he says. “It’s a challenge and I think to do it right and with integrity is an ambitious goal, it’s what I look for in my fellow brothers-in-arms.”

The Gentlemen’s Expo is running November 22^nd to 24^th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and in addition to all of the pavilions, organizers will attempt to break the world record for most mustaches in one location in honor of Movember. Tickets are $30 for a day pass and $60 for the weekend, and the expo will donate $5 dollars from each ticket sold to Movember Canada.