Childcare Fair-Anyone Done This To Advertise?

[beachgrl]

There is an education and a childcare fair next week in the bigger city near me that is held at the local university and Im thinking of doing a booth there but idk if it is worth it bc idk if there will be people from our smaller town going there for it that i could posssibly gain clients from doing it to make it worth the costs. They are advertising in our local parent magazine and on cbs here and its like the 9th year they have done it even though i dont rember hearing about it before but then i wasnt doing child care either .

Its $180 for the spot there, they provide a table and electric hookupmif you need it i think plus they have done the advertising for the even which they supposedly get a good turn out from. I will need to get more cards printed and flyers done which wont cost alot. It will be located in a room close to the ed fair but the child care fair snd ed fair sre in seperate rooms. She said there is about 10-15 child care centers doing it but idk how many are in home and there msy not be sny from my area represented so i think it could be a good way to get my name and center out there but idk if its worth the cost...has anyone done anything similar or would you do it?

Im waiting on one parent still to see if they can pickup early thst day so i know if i can even do it since neither of my subs are available due to a training they have that afternoon but id have to get off a couple hours early to get setup for it so we will see.:confused::confused:

[beachgrl]

Good googly moogly at the typos, gotta love fast typing on my ipad while the littles are having lunch

[melskids]

I would say go for it. Even if you dont get any clients directly from it, you can network with the centers that are there. Maybe they will refer you when/if they are full.

It never hurts to get your name out there....even if it is the next town/city over.

I have parents who drive 45 minutes to get to me, just to turn around and drive back to work.

[beachgrl]

Yah, we are basically a country suburb of the bigger city and are only about 5 mi from it but due to it being across the river from us andnwith traffic it is about ten min drive but where we live used to be nothing. This citynis slowly expanding outwasd in all directions so many parents may actually work in the main town but live in our town.

I think i have a sub lined up in the event my other parent cant pickup early so thats good, i just have to wait for her to get back from picking her child up at school so will leave between 3:20-3:30 instead of 3. The fair doesnt start until 4:30 so i figure if i get there by 4 ill be fine. I did a booth at another place. Couple months back soalready have my stuff from where i did that and being inside there will be no tent setup or anything for it.

[beachgrl]

Anyone have any ideas/suggestions for doing a table at something like this other than doing flyers? I have a tri board with info and pics of the center/kids on it as well as a binder to put out with more pics in it. I have a couple large crayons I anchor to each table leg, as well as some other couple decorations I can hang from the table and my sign I plan to put in front of it somehow.

[Michelle]

have an easy craft for kids to do, some cookies or fruit slices, and some educational toys sitting on the table..have some current families write some reference letters and hang them on your board

[beachgrl]

Good ideas!happyface

[DaisyMamma]

Do a simple craft, but one that kids will want to do! Maybe offer an inexpensive keepsake that has your company name, phone, web address. For example, get small things of bubbles in bulk and put stickers on them with your infohappyface

[beachgrl]

Do a simple craft, but one that kids will want to do! Maybe offer an inexpensive keepsake that has your company name, phone, web address. For example, get small things of bubbles in bulk and put stickers on them with your infohappyface

That is such a cute idea but not sure I will get time to implement much other than getting some pics put on a slideshow to display at the table and maybe have some simple toys out on the table along with my info/cards/flyers between tonight and Thursday.

I am having a time getting the info straight with the company putting it on, they gave me one price then sent me a contract with a different price and it has to be faxed to them which I can't do until after work...I just found out I have to get some internship hours in this week for my graduate class when I though I wouldn't have to start those until next week so now I am rethinking it all together! I had a family visit today with two kids, and if I got them I would be full so wouldn't necessarily need to do the fair but I still want to if I can swing it with all I have going on!

Just not much time left to get things ready for it, especially if I wont have my nights free before then to do it...AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[beachgrl]

Decided that I am in fact going to do it and things just fell into place that I found a sub to fill in for me to attend this evening! I am so excited about this bc it seems to be a fairly big event locally and being at the college, advertising on tv and our locsl parent magazine they are anticipating 400+ people!

I have my board done with basic info, testemonials, schedule, my experience and some other info, working today on a slideshow for my ipad with pics of center and kids...whooot!

I am also making labels and putting them on $ store small bubbles to give out. I have cards and flyers with discount coupins attached made, should I do a small giveaway bowl for the kids with some candy and stickers (if i get to that with all the other stuff I must do first ) or is what I have enough?

I plan to take a couple wooden puzzles to put out, a wooden manipulative bead cube at the corner of my table for the kids to play with as they go by and maybe a couple dr seus stuffed characters on the table for display as well