Allowing children to attend meetings has sparked much debate. Especially when parents are balancing career and family life. As inclusivity becomes a priority at business events, more and more organizers are allowing attendees to bring their children. Many event planners see this shift as a natural progression of DEI efforts.
Victoria Matey, event psychology consultant and co-founder of Matey Events, recently took her children to a conference for the first time.
What makes this possible? The organizer provides childcare services.
“I have long been an advocate for on-site child care because parents, especially mothers, are often excluded from opportunities like attending meetings,” Marty said.
The European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) demonstrates this commitment by adding a childcare component to its annual meeting. The conference, held in September at the FIRA Convention Center in Barcelona, attracted 15,000 delegates from more than 120 countries.
“Our goal is to create a supportive environment where all professionals can fully participate in our meetings. This initiative reflects our broader mission to promote diversity and inclusion in our community.
ESCRS works in partnership with specialist childcare provider Nipperbout.
“I firmly believe that kids do belong in activities. But in a structured and engaging environment,” said Nipperbout CEO Janthea Brigden. “By providing on-site child care, we ensure children are nearby, well cared for and engaged in activities that are both fun and educational.”
Parents add a unique perspective
Sammy Connell is NASUWT (teachers union) campaign director and advocates for inclusivity in campaigns. “We know that many of our members are parents. Excluding parents reduces the diversity of perspectives at the event,” Cornell said.
NASUWT used Nipperbout to look after 56 children over three days, with activities ranging from code cracking and laser challenges to mocktail making.
“Providing child care allows parents who might otherwise struggle to care for their children to attend. It broadens the audience and broadens the range of perspectives,” Brigden said.
However, despite the benefits, the cost of allowing children to attend meetings can be high. The Women in Technology Summit (WITS), which only invites female and non-binary speakers, explored this option but found it to be financially prohibitive.
Considering the cost, additional insurance, and background checks, this is not a viable option for WITS. “We continue to evaluate this issue annually,” WITS said in a statement.
An unexpected benefit was the connection the children made with the event. “Many of the kids who grew up participating in NASUWT became teachers,” Brigden said. “As the industry continues to evolve, incorporating childcare into event planning is not only a good thing to do, but essential to creating events that are truly suitable for everyone.”
Some companies get creative. For example, Plus One Meetings creates videos of kids to share during meetings. “We asked, what does your mom do for a living? The answers were really interesting. Plus, parents love seeing their kids on the screen. It adds a positive vibe,” Lisa Ball, president and CEO of Plus One Meetings (Lisa Bower) said,
What to consider
Keep these in mind when deciding whether to provide childcare at your event.
- What is the ratio of staff to children? Emergency plan?
- Does your insurance company require additional coverage?
- Get references. How long has the child care provider been in business?
- Background checks are required.
- Cybersecurity. “Child care providers are going to have a lot of sensitive information about children, such as health issues, special needs, etc.,” Ball said. That must be protected.
- How can parents stay updated on their children’s status throughout the day?
- KiddieCorp CEO and President Amber Standley said professional CPR, first aid and emergency response training is a must.
- Nurseries must be safe and clean. Tailored programming must match age groups and interests, Standley said.
- Does the child care provider have full-time employees or independent contractors? “When a provider hires W-2 workers, the company is better protected because they are directly managed and held to the company’s standards,” Standley said.
- Attorney Joshua Grimes said liability risks will increase.
“Organizers who employ nannies and day care workers to entertain children must ensure that these personnel are licensed when necessary, have no history of child abuse, and have adequate insurance. If children are in the care of day care workers employed by the conference organizer Being harmed could result in lawsuits against the organizers,” Grimes said.
By addressing these issues, organizers can create inclusive, family-friendly events that enrich the experience for all participants.
“If your child care program fails, you risk upsetting parents, tarnishing your brand, and making parent-friendly benefits look like lip service,” says Ball. “Get it right, and the benefits will be Huge.”
