My recent experience of attending The Baby Show at the Excel in London

At the beginning of March 2024 I attended The Baby Show as an exhibitor at the London Excel. It was a great opportunity to share the love of my work, showcase the different designs I offer and share with new and expectant parents what can be done with those outgrown baby clothes. Providing them with inspiration as to what can be done with them instead of hiding them away in the cupboard never to be looked at again. In this blog post I’ll share with you my experience of the event and the people I met, not just those attending the event but the other small business owners I met too.

When it came to deciding about exhibiting at The Baby Show and not letting imposter syndrome get the better of me

Making a decision to attend a large event like The Baby Show doesn’t come lightly. After all, it can be costly and I’d be lying if I said I wasn't hit by imposter syndrome at various different steps on the lead up to the event.

Will I stand out amongst the other large brands that will be there? Do I deserve to be there? Will my services be well received? Will anyone even speak to me? But I just had to remind myself that my business is a great way to keep and display those outgrown baby clothes, that most keep hold of those outgrown baby clothes but have no idea what to do with them. But I have the solution they are looking for.

Being at The Baby Show was an obvious next step to grow my brand awareness further.

My experience of the whole weekend at The Baby Show

After months of planning, sewing together examples, organising graphics, flyers, email automations; the weekend arrived so quickly. I travelled down to London (just over an hour’s drive from home) to set up my stand. I’d done a little mock-up of how I wanted the stand to look but I hadn’t had time to set everything up altogether. So, when I arrived and looked at my 3x1m space I was worried I wasn’t going to fit everything in. But I had nothing to worry about, all I had to worry about is that I hadn’t left enough time to set up before returning home to collect the girls from school (oops thank goodness for grandparents).After setting up was complete it was great to see how well it had all come together. I had attended The Baby Show back in 2020, but I was not prepared back them. I certainly felt inferior to the other brands around me, but this time was very different. I looked the part, my stand looked professional and certainly gave the wow factor. So much so that I think when I spoke to people throughout the whole weekend, they were shocked and amazed that the business was solely run by myself.

The event ran over 3 days and was full on every day, with 7am starts and not getting home until gone 8pm. But I loved every minute, if you attended The Baby Show over the weekend you may have stopped by and spoke to myself or my best friend Emma. Where we spoke about the different ideas available and provided you with some inspiration. Everyone we spoke to loved the idea and was genuinely interested in what we had to say. I hope that in the not-too-distant future that I’ll be creating you a special keepsake of your own.

The weekend was made even better because of the other small business owners I met

I was situated in the New Kids on The Block area of the exhibition meaning I was surrounded by other small business owners like me, the energy was amazing and the support for each other was incredible. I truly feel like I have made some great friendships off the back of the weekend which is just the cherry on top of the whole weekend. So, how can I not share with you the great businesses I met.

Handmade Knits by Mich

Directly opposite me on stand Q28 was the lovely Michelle which her business Handmade knits by Mich.

Michelle make the most beautiful handknitted blankets, and when I say handknitted that’s exactly what I mean, she doesn’t use needles they are all knitted with her fingers.

The blankets were so soft to the touch and were available in different sizes and colours. What amazed me about Michelle is that she had only been in business for just 3 months and was already at an event like The baby Show – that is so brave I’m not sure I would have had the confidence to attend and event of this acle so early on. But everyone loved her blankets all being drawn in to give them a feel and cuddle. What’s great about the blankets is they don’t just have to be used for a baby blanket, I have to admit I was eyeing up one of the bigger ones to snuggle under on the sofa in the evening. Why not support a small business and follow her on Instagram.

Helejellybean

Next to me on stand Q21 was Helejellybean. Helena offers personalised organic children’s accessories, from travel bags, blankets to muslins made from beautiful organic cotton. What’s more is the character designs on the items were all hand drawn by Helena herself and manufactured in the UK.

Helena like me brought her best friend along for help over the weekend. Being a solopreneur can be hard so its great when you have best friends for support.

Check out Helejellybean and drop her a follow on her instagram

Tigercub Prints

And last but not least, we have the wonderful Tigercub prints, a family run business run by Jess & her husband James. 

Tigercub Prints provide a range of beautiful, illustrated prints for the children’s bedrooms, cushions and soft toys. But what makes them stand out from others like them?

Apart from the fact they are a lovely couple to have met but James illustrates, and designs are all printed items they sell. And I have to say they are amazing, from jungle animals to woodland creatures these will make a great addition to your home.

Check out their designs on their website and/or follow them on Instagram

Were you at The Baby Show?

Did you get a chance to say hi and find out about my baby clothes keepsakes? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Let me know in the comments what was your favourite design.

If you’d like to see even more of my work why not follow me on your preferred social media platform whether it be my Facebook community group, Instagram or Tiktok it’s a great way to stay in touch and makes it easier to find me when you’re ready to have your little one’s clothes made into your own keepsake.

If you haven’t already why not subscribe to my newsletter to ensure you don't miss any future posts, and whilst you're here why not have a look at what I have available to offer. I look forward to working with you in the near future and preserving those precious memories for you and your family.

Tracy xx