When Melissa Marsigliano began searching for a pilates and wellness event that spoke to her passion for health and community, she couldn’t find one — so she decided to create it herself.
The Long Island mom, entrepreneur and survivor is launching the first-ever Long Island Pilates & Wellness Expo on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Melville Marriott, a full-day event blending fitness, education and charity.
The expo will feature pilates classes, wellness panels, local business vendors and expert discussions on topics ranging from the history of pilates to the mental and physical benefits of movement.
A portion of ticket sales will be donated to Hair We Share, a Long Island nonprofit that provides wigs to cancer patients and LI Against Domestic Violence, which offers lifesaving services to survivors.
“I’m so grateful,” Marsigliano said. “This is such a passion and it’s about giving back. I’m super excited to see it come to life.”
Marsigliano said the idea was born from her own experience as a student and now certified instructor of Pilates, a practice that helped her rebuild strength and confidence after becoming a mother.
“When I started, I had my two boys and I wanted to regain my core and my strength,” she said. “My workouts before kids just didn’t fit anymore and a lot of people suggested Pilates. Once I tried it, I realized how powerful and restorative it was.”
After earning her certification earlier this year, Marsigliano saw an opportunity to bring together the growing community of instructors, practitioners and wellness professionals on Long Island — and to make the event deeply personal.
“Someone very close to me is battling breast cancer right now,” she said. “When she received a wig from Hair We Share, it lifted her spirits in such a profound way. Hair is a part of your identity and seeing her joy made me want to give back.”
Marsigliano said her decision to also support Long Island Against Domestic Violence comes from her own experiences as a teenager.
“I know firsthand what their services mean for people who need them,” she said. “An organization that helped me back then no longer exists, so supporting one with a similar mission felt right.”
The Pilates & Wellness Expo will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring a packed schedule of movement classes and educational panels. Instructors and presenters from across Long Island will lead sessions on mat Pilates, reformer work, warm Pilates and more. Guests will also hear from wellness professionals, including chiropractors, Reiki practitioners and holistic doctors.
Marsigliano said the event will also spotlight dozens of local businesses — from fitness studios and jewelry brands to nonalcoholic beverage makers — creating a marketplace that celebrates Long Island’s small business scene.
“It’s been incredible seeing how many people reached out,” she said. “There are so many amazing businesses here that I didn’t even know existed and now they’ll all be in one space connecting with the community.”
For Marsigliano, the expo is as much about connection as it is about movement.
“This event isn’t just about pilates — it’s about wellness and community,” she said. “My goal was to create a space for people to come together, learn about real pilates and feel inspired and supported.”
She hopes the day will also help clear up misconceptions about pilates, which she says is often misrepresented online.
“There are so many things on social media labeled ‘pilates’ that really aren’t,” Marsigliano said with a laugh. “Once I learned the history of Joseph Pilates, I realized there’s so much depth and structure to it. I wanted this event to help people understand the movement, the benefits and why it’s so important for your body, mind and spirit.”
One of the panels, she said, will focus on the origins of the practice and how it can help people in recovery — including those healing from breast cancer, childbirth or surgery.
“There are exercises specifically designed for those going through difficult times physically,” Marsigliano said. “It’s gentle, it’s empowering and it can truly aid in recovery.”
While Marsigliano is not currently teaching, she hopes to open her own studio in the near future. “I’m taking one step at a time,” she said.
“My plan is to open a space where people can come experience Pilates in an authentic way — to move, to learn and to grow.”
For now, she’s focused on making the inaugural expo a success.
“Honestly, this all came from an idea I had in August,” Marsigliano said. “I posted a TikTok just to see what people thought and the feedback was overwhelming. So I said, why not just do it?”
The result, she said, has been an outpouring of community support — from seasoned Pilates instructors who’ve been teaching for decades to newcomers eager to learn.
“It’s been amazing watching these organic connections happen,” she said. “People are reuniting, meeting new faces and sharing their love of Pilates. That’s exactly what I hoped for.”
Tickets are $20 in advance and $40 at the door. Marsigliano said she hopes attendees leave feeling energized, educated and connected.
“I just want everyone to have fun, feel safe and walk away inspired,” she said. “This is about wellness, but it’s also about heart — about coming together for causes that matter and celebrating how strong we can be when we move together.”
Visit www.LongIslandNYPilates.com for more information.
