The Baby Faire
Morgan Kennedy
Henderson
Newton MA USA
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 38 No. 4, August-September 2002 p. 91.
The Baby Faire is currently
an annual event in seven US cities: Boston, Massachusetts; Rosemont,
Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Miami Beach, Florida; Dallas, Texas; Atlanta,
Georgia; and Edison, New Jersey. I encourage Leaders and Areas in and
around these cities to get involved in organizing a booth—there
are so many women out there with little information on or support for
breastfeeding. This is my story and some ideas on how to reach a large
number of these women!
On the last weekend in April
2002, my co-Leader, Diana Fisher Gomberg, and I organized a booth on
behalf of LLL of Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Vermont (USA) for the Boston
Baby Faire. Although the Faire has been going on for a number of years
in Boston, we didn’t have a presence there in the past because
our Area Conference was always scheduled for the same weekend.
When we arrived at the Faire,
we saw that sponsors included Carnation, Gerber and Babies-R-Us, each
with a considerable presence. In addition, there were booths offering
anything from free formula to nursing wear to an ultrasound broadcast
on a big-screen television. The atmosphere was quite different from
a typical LLL Conference!
With funding from LLLI and
our Area, we were able to get a small booth near the back of the hall
at a nonprofit rate. Working closely with Schielany Bautista, Marketing
Coordinator at LLLI, we stocked the booth with books, tear-off sheets,
Catalogues, slings, and contact information for local LLL Groups. Everything
from LLLI was shipped directly to the exhibit hall, and was in the booth
by the time of our setup the day before the Faire started.
We had a La Leche League
banner, and some colorful slings, but it became very clear that we needed
something more attention-getting, especially since our booth was next
to the "comfort station"—a place provided to nurse one’s
baby and learn all about formula at the same time! Around all the comfortable
nursing sofas, there was a huge banner, plenty of handouts, and video
"information" running constantly. We added two posters of
pregnant and nursing mothers to our own display and hoped for the best.
Baby Faire literature states
that between 20,000-25,000 people come through their doors in the course
of the Boston event. It’s a huge public relations opportunity for
LLL to provide free handouts, sell books and slings, and log a great
number of contacts. We talked to people about basic nursing concerns
as well as adoptive nursing, weaning, toddler issues, and breast reduction.
Those of us working at the booth felt positive about the number of people
we reached, although we had a general consensus that there was the potential
for reaching a lot more.
Imagine the Possibilities
There is a lot of work and
precious LLL resources that go into the organization of a booth; we
count our efforts at the Boston Baby Faire as a success on many levels.
That said, it is clear that we could have had a much bigger impact on
the attendees than we did. In general, we Leaders have contact with
people sympathetic to our message. Mothers do not seek us out unless
they want to learn about LLL, or are curious about the idea of breastfeeding.
The Faire is definitely an event where we are not preaching to the choir!
Baby Faire attendees are
people who may not know about LLL at all, or may be on the fence about
nursing their baby. They are being handed all sorts of information and
samples suggesting that breastfeeding is difficult, not always possible,
or is a decision of convenience rather than health. They can hear "information
sessions" about "infant nutrition" or "infant feeding
difficulties" or "toddler nutrition" presented by formula
companies. They currently see all these options before getting anywhere
near the LLL booth.
Now imagine a large, carpeted
booth near the front entrance of the exhibit hall. It is decorated with
pictures of nursing mothers and beautiful babies. There are comfortable
places for mothers to sit and nurse. Mothers from local Groups are there
with their own babies, offering mother-to-mother support. There are
pre-made packets of breastfeeding information with basic handouts that
can be personalized with local Group information. Leaders are present
to answer questions and hand out information. There is a circle of comfortable
chairs where, every 30 minutes, a Leader offers a discussion on some
aspect of breastfeeding. Attendees have the opportunity to purchase
items that are attractively displayed on their own table.
Such a booth would allow
LLL to be as visible as the formula companies, or those selling bottles
and infant equipment. It would counter the idea that nursing is fringe,
or should be tucked away in the back. And most importantly, it would
allow us to demonstrate in a number of ways that nursing is normal,
healthy, beautiful, and possible!
Obviously a booth like this
requires a huge commitment of resources on many levels. LLLI, Areas,
and local Leaders would need to commit funds and time to making this
a reality. At a one-time cost, a professionally designed booth set-up
could be purchased that is sent to each city along with other supplies.
With enough planning, money to cover many of these costs can be sought
through local and national grants, local sponsors, and fundraisers.
Is this worth the effort? If American Baby’s estimate of 20,000
plus attendees in each city is accurate, we could conservatively reach
140,000 people with La Leche League’s message—many of whom
would not otherwise have access to it. This is an effort worthy of consideration
on all levels of La Leche League’s leadership.
For information on organizing
a La Leche League booth, contact Schielany C. Bautista, Marketing Coordinator,
at 847-519-7730 ext. 206, or sbautista at llli.org (email).
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:31:27 UTC 2007.
