Organizers of Time Inc.’s (NYSE:TIME) 2017 Essence Festival® Presented by Coca-Cola today announced its daytime experience featuring new, interactive consumer activations, hosted by Coca-Cola, AT&T, Ford, McDonald’s, State Farm and Wal-Mart, taking place in New Orleans June 30-July 2 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

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The festival’s daytime programming connects culture and community with a rich and diverse slate of curated content across five programming tracks: the return of the Beauty & Style Expo; first-ever Path to Power: Entrepreneurship & Business Conference; Entertainment All-Access; Centerstage and Essence Eats. In addition, the festival’s daytime experience offers an array of celebrity meet and greets, musical performances, interactive panel discussions and over 50 engaging activations.

Download the 2017 ESSENCE Festival® app for updates and to customize a schedule of festival highlights, which include:

  • ESSENCE Beauty & Style. Tutorials and seminars with celebrity beauty experts and icons, and fashion presentations with style trendsetters, complimentary style consultations, mini makeovers, giveaways and more with partners, Walmart, the Official Beauty Expo Retailer, My Black Is Beautiful, Creme of Nature, Sally Hansen, Clairol, Palmers Cantu, Strength of Nature, and Olay
  • ESSENCE Path to Power Conference. Free and open to the public, the first-ever Path To Power conference will offer daily general sessions, 40+ workshop style intensives, and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and business professionals at all career levels. Programming partners include Time Inc., the Minority Business Development Association, National Minority Supplier Development Council, National Urban League, United States Black Chamber, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and #YesWeCode. Sponsors include State Farm Bank.
  • ESSENCE Entertainment All Access. An exclusive first look at the hottest movies and TV shows and participation in cast talk-backs and appearances at Center Stage, the Fan Zone and the Screening Room with partners Disney, Universal, OWN, FOX, TNT, HBO, Netflix, ABC ,FX , Starz, Annapurna, Macro, Apple, Bentonville Film Festival, as well as the second installment of the latest episode of ESSENCE’s Black Girl Magic, sponsored by Walmart.
  • ESSENCE Empowerment Experience. Keynotes and panels featuring today’s most prominent leaders, influencers and authors, such as Soledad O’Brien, Mary. J. Blige, Mara Brock-Akil, Iyanla Vanzant, Rev. Al Sharpton and many more, covering topics including Post-Obama: Our New Political Agenda; The Millennial Message; We Are the Human Race; #WokeWonderland and more with partners MBIB.
  • ESSENCE Lifestyle Experience. ESSENCE’s lifestyle editors and industry experts showcase the best in health and wellness and encourage living a healthier and happier life with partners AARP, Durban, South Africa; and the State of Louisiana.
  • ESSENCE Inspiration (All-Star Gospel Tribute). Inspirational performances by top gospel artists, including CeCe Winans, J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise, Jekalyn Carr and more in tribute to Dr. Cissy Houston sponsored by Walmart.
  • ESSENCE Eats. A taste of local cuisine, fellowship and celebrity chefs preparing their specialty dishes with partners Durban, South Africa; Walmart, Smirnoff and Gold Peak.
  • ESSENCE Career Connections. Workplace skills and insights from career experts in partnership with the National Urban League, Time Inc. and the U.S. Army.
  • ESSENCE Day/After Parties. Party series featuring the hottest DJs and special celebrity guests with partners Smirnoff and McDonald’s.

In addition, the Shops at ESSENCE Marketplace and ESSENCE Community Corner will host more than 200 fine art exhibits and nonprofit organizations. Also taking place throughout the weekend will be brand-sponsored events and engagements that include:

  • Coca-Cola: Share an Ice Cold Coke at Essence Festival

Coca-Cola invites you to celebrate the hottest moments of summer at the 2017 ESSENCE Festival! Stop by the Coca-Cola experience to share an ice cold Coke with your friends, and create unforgettable memories with dance, music, photo experiences and more! ShareACoke.com

Click here for full schedule.

  • Ford: Live it up at the Ford Block Party!

Hey Summer Friends! Come and relive a true block party at the Ford booth. Enjoy live celebrity appearances, street performers, fun-filled activities and test drive the Ford Family of vehicles. Stop by to register for a chance to win the 2018 Ford Mustang*.

*No purchase necessary. Must be 21 years of age or older. Sweepstakes ends 7/2/17.

Click here for full schedule.

  • McDonald’s: Your Black Is Inspiring

Ladies, the McDonalds'(r) booth will bring out the Goddess in you! Enjoy fabulous giveaways, free concerts, celebrity appearances, and more. You won't want to miss out on the action at the TEMPLE OF FLAVOR. Download the McDonald's(r) App today!www.365black.com

Click here for full schedule.

  • State Farm: State Farm® Color Full Lives

What is your true hue? Join State Farm at the Color Full Lives booth to discover your Color Full personality and start living a more Color Full Life! www.statefarm.com

Click here for full schedule.

  • AT&T: Be the Glow with AT&T

AT&T invites you to Be the Glow at the festival! Join us to meet celebrities, enjoy musical guests and see the future through virtual reality experiences. Do entertainment your way with the chance to win prizes from AT&T. #BeTheGlow http://thebridge.att.net

Click here for full schedule.

  • Walmart More Power to Your Spirit

Lift your spirits with the Next Gospel Superstar at the Walmart Convention Center booth. Enjoy live performances and get a glimpse at Walmart's tech services such as Free 2-Day Shipping, Pickup and Free Grocery Pickup. Walmart.com

Click here for full schedule.

Join the ESSENCE Festival community: Follow us on Twitter @essencefest #EssenceFest and become a fan of the festival on Facebook.

The 2017 ESSENCE Festival® presented by Coca-Cola® is executive produced by ESSENCE Festivals LLC, a division of ESSENCE Communications Inc., and produced by Solomon Group. GeChar is the executive producer of the 2017 ESSENCE Empowerment Experience.

Exclusive Sponsors of the 2017 ESSENCE Festival® include presenting sponsor Coca-Cola® and major sponsors Ford, McDonald’s, State Farm, AT&T and Walmart. Superlounge sponsors include Coca-Cola, Ford and Walmart. The All-Star Gospel Tribute is sponsored by Walmart.

About Essence Communications Inc.

Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the number one media company dedicated to African-American women, with a brand reach of 21.2 million. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events and online, ECI is comprised of Essence magazine, the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; the ESSENCE Festival®; Black Women in Hollywood and Black Women in Music events; Window on Our Women and Smart Beauty consumer insights series; Essence.com; and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD).

About Time Inc.

Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is a leading multi-platform consumer media company, with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 150 million visitors each month, including over 60 websites. Our influential brands include People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Time, Real Simple, and Southern Living, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom.