Should Mumsnet be going to Baby Show ? We need your views

[carriemumsnet]

Hi all

Reposting this here from the Baby Show volunteers thread to make sure we get widest response....

Basically we've had a great response to our appeal for help running a stall at the Baby Show. But now something has come up and, as usual, we want you to contribute to our decision. We've had an email from a mumsnetter saying that Clarion, the Baby Show organisers, also organise arms fairs and questioning whether, in that case, Mumsnet should be associated with them.

I don't think any of us are pro arms, but you could argue that Clarion aren't manufacturing or selling arms, they're just the organisers of a fair.

If we attend the Baby Show we have the chance to introduce Mumsnet (a good thing we hope you'll agree ) to several thousand mums-to-be who will then find out, for example, why lots of Mumsnetters boycott Nestle as well as the truth about fruit shoots and Greggs sausage rolls.

Or we pull out now. It's another one of those 'where do you draw the line?' discussions and we're torn. What do you think?

MNHQ

[vonsudenfed]

Agree with policywonk - there is a big difference between the two.

Definitely don't think that Mumsnet should be there, particularly with the history of recent campaigning against these events forcing previous owners to sell. It's not as though you can pretend lack of knowledge.

Also, is it possible to maintain a Nestle boycott while implictly approving of arms fairs. Cluster bombs vs formula milk...

[vonsudenfed]

DaddyJ - at first I read your posts as asking whether the baby show is inherently evil... evil's a bit of a strong word in my book, but I don't think all that consumerism is very good.

[ClosedForCleaning]

vonsudenfed - yes, I agree that's just it. Your last point in particular.

[Szyslak]

They don't organise illegal arms fairs do they?

I think if we want to change the legal way that arms are traded because we disagree with that, then there are better ways of doing it, through awareness raising and lobbying.

I think MN avioding a baby show because it is organised by a comapny which organises legal arms fairs amongst many other things, is all getting quite tenuous to the point of being meaningless.

Still, rather you than me at the baby show.

(Although I do think new mums are just the sort that benefit the most form MN, unlike jaded oldies like me on style threads!)

[VictorianSqualor]

MN would be better off producing pens with the web address on and sending them to every health visitor/midwife in the country.

[Ceolas]

Well it would probably be cheaper, VS!

[Bubbaluv]

Maybe Mumsnet should go and turn some of thier space into disabled changing facilities!!??

[Swedes]

[Bubbaluv]

Did you get you gun at an arms show Swedes?

[Swedes]

[Threadworrm]

[bundle]

when does the decision have to be taken by?

[Ewe]

I don't think any of the big venues have disabled changing facilities, do many places? I agree that it's not right but I would imagine it is a widespread problem and not baby show/earls court/olympia specific.

I still think it's silly to not exhibit because they also own defence event if MN otherwise wanted to exhibit, which they did.

[combustiblelemon]

A fair number do

[Swedes]

[Swedes]

MNHQ - Why don't you get Mark Thatcher in for one of your Live Webchats? It would be a real coup.

[onebatmother]

ba-boom.

[moondog]

an 'arms fair'
What a sickening juxtaposition of words

[Swedes]

Arms Race - Qualifying Heats would be better.

[Jux]

When are they going to make the decision - does anyone know? I'm not at all comfortable with this and am waiting with bated breath.

[solidgoldskullonastick]

I think MN should go. I think people squealing for a boycott tare being childish, precious and stupid.

[3kids1cat]

I'd say don't go, for all the well informed, intellegent, mature reasons posted above.

Have been to the Birmingham Baby show, was totally commercial, and can't say that any of the stalls there left me wanting to look them up.

Why don't we all agree to do a Jamie Oliver style 'pass it on' thing instead, where we all tell 3 mums about MN, who then tell another 3 etc etc.

[vonsudenfed]

Jux - agreed, would love to know the decision.

[Jux]

So why are we childish precious and stupid? Please explain.

[JustineMumsnet]

Thanks for all the many responses so far - they've been very helpful.

Just to answer a few questions that have come up more than once:

Why do we want to go? - mainly to spread the word to potential users rather than advertisers.

Are babyshow goers the type of people we want on MN? - well yes, as they are mostly prospective and new mums and mums are squarely in our target market (we try not to distinguish too much between tasteful mums/ pushchair obsessed mums etc as it strikes us as that would be a bit of a generalisation. And in any case folks discover pretty quickly if MN's a place they're comfortable with or not.

How essential is it for us to be there? - Not particularly essential but one of our aims is to reach as many mums as we can and there are quite a few of them at the Babyshow so we think so it's an obvious place to market the site.

How are we paying/ would the money be better spent elsewhere? - we would offer reciprocal advertising so in fact no or little cash would need to be handed over.

Couldn't we get some press and therefore attract an equal number users from a boycott? - possibly (though quite unlikely I'd say) (Though we love the pass it on idea 3kids1cat )

Having said all that we'd like to think we will come to a decision on whether to attend this event based on a reasoned moral, rather than just a pragmatic, perspective.

We are keen to be consistent and I suppose one reservation we have about this is where do you draw the line? It's nigh on impossible to be completely moral and to pay all the bills - and there's an argument which goes along the lines of all advertising is essentially misleading/overly commercial/ultimately wasteful so we shouldn't really have any at all but tbh I don't think there's an alternative way of generating the cash we need to run the site.

We hope this gives a bit more flesh to our dilemma. Please do post your thoughts if you haven't already - we'll be taking a decision in the next few days.

Many thanks!