Do Babies Belong at Conferences?

A conference focused on female founders would seem like an accepting place for babies, wouldn’t it? 

Elena Brandt, the founder of a market research startup called Besample, was excited to attend the Y Combinator Female Founders Conference 2024, in August. She flew from Tallahassee to Miami and on to San Francisco with her six-month-old son Darwin in tow.

“The conference featured successful female speakers that I wanted to hear from. I couldn’t leave Darwin home as I am breastfeeding but didn’t want to miss out,” says Brandt, who has four children.  

During the conference, she stayed in the back of the room with him. According to Brandt, at one point, he started quietly cooing in his stroller. Brandt says she was then approached by YC partner Surbhi Sarna, who suggested she move outside.

What Brandt finds ironic is this happened as Tracy Young, CEO and co-founder of TigerEye, was sharing with the group what it was like to navigate raising funds for her company while pregnant.

Brandt refused to leave the room. “At that moment I had a choice whether to comply or not. I chose not to comply and YC was unhappy with me,” she said.

In a LinkedIn post, Sarna defends her position saying she never asked her to leave the conference, just the room.

No Consensus on Whether Babies Belong

Brandt also shared her experience on LinkedIn and her posts have gone viral. “I now realize this is bigger than just what happened to me. There is no consensus on the issue of whether it is OK to bring kids along to conferences,” says Brandt. “If I can’t bring my kids and don’t attend these conferences then I am missing out on opportunities. Is that OK?”

Skift Meetings reached out to Sarna, but hasn’t received a response. Sarna emailed Brandt an apology and posted her account of what happened on LinkedIn.

“It was a small venue, and during our keynote solo talk, a baby started making noise, and it was apparent that people across the room could hear the noise,” she writes. 

A lack of childcare at meetings creates a barrier for parents to attend and that can hinder career advancement; women are most likely to be impacted.

Brandt attended the Web Summit in Lisbon with her oldest daughter while pregnant with Darwin. Not only was there a conference badge for her daughter, but they had an indoor playground set up as well. “Although she enjoyed the playground, she was with me most of the time as I wanted her to experience what her mom does,” says Brandt.

Childcare Inspires

What many saw as a step forward was the very first nursery for Olympic and Paralympic parent athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Allyson Felix, a U.S. track star, was a strong advocate for the facility that was sponsored by Pampers. There were private spaces for breastfeeding and a family lounge for athletes to spend time with their babies and young children.

Adding childcare services as well as lactation rooms for nursing mothers, to a conference can help create more of an inclusive space. Plus, these areas can be sponsored. 

Just having childcare available can put a company in a favorable light. “We only had four children at a recent show in Austin. The company felt it was money well spent as those families who took advantage of it said they wouldn’t have been able to attend without us,” said Lisa Bower, CEO and founder of Plus One Meetings, a company that offers event childcare. “The company publicized the fact they were offering this, and it gave employees a good feeling about their workplace.”

Event Childcare Providers

An increasing number of large conferences and trade shows will not allow anyone under the age of 18 to enter. In these instances, childcare is even more necessary. If a conference isn’t going to provide childcare service, it should at least provide a list of vetted babysitting services demonstrating the company’s consideration for the needs of families.

After years of navigating meetings and conferences as a mom of four and director of marketing at Ernst & Young, Bower left to create Plus One Meetings. The company uses an app to send parents pictures and updates about their kids. “This allows them to relax and focus on the meeting,” said Bower.

“There are some who have the misconception that if your child joins you at a conference, you will be distracted. That is not the case. Knowing they are in a happy environment down the hall puts one’s mind at ease,” she said.

Corporate Kids Events is another company offering conference childcare services. It is more than a babysitting service. “Kids didn’t need to be sitting in a hotel room watching movies with a babysitter. When there are games and meaningful activities parents are more likely to bring them along,” said Mike Whittle, general manager and lead planner of Corporate Kids Events.

Mom and Daughter Bond at Industry Conference

Devon Montgomery Pasha, CMP, CED, the Event Design Collective’s director of North America, was excited to attend her first Cvent Connect in San Antonio in June. Then childcare for her six-and-a-half-year-old daughter Shireen fell through. Pasha thought she would have to stay home, but then she spoke with Rachel Andrews, Cvent’s head of global meetings and events, who said, “Bring her.”

“They made us feel very welcome,” said Pasha. “Attendees stopped us and were happy to experience the conference through the eyes of a child.”

One activation during the conference held at the Henry B. González Convention Center included interactive games like Jenga. Pasha’s daughter got in on the action and engaged others to join in. “She added wonder, awe, and joy to the experience,” said Pasha.