Mum’s Day Out 5.0: More than just a fair

For four years, Baby Bliss, a leading baby shop in Ghana has held Mum’s Day Out, a free-to-attend event that brings families out to have fun and also provides a platform for mothers to network and promote their businesses.

Since its inception in 2019, the event, which has grown in number of vendors and attendees year after year, has become a much-anticipated event by businesses looking to connect with buyers and patrons looking for the best deals in a relaxed environment.

This year’s event, dubbed ‘The Grand Edition’, comes off at the Palm Convention Centre, La Palm Royal Beach Hotel on Saturday, August 2. Being the fifth edition, organisers have moved the event to a bigger location, promising more fun activities, discounted sales, product demos, exciting competitions and giveaways.

In an interview with the founder of Baby Bliss, Ms. Alexis Ntsiakoh, she said aside from the fun and shopping experiences, there will be conversations on mental health for mothers and other issues that affect mothers and families.

Seminars and hands-on sessions

“There are many mothers going through postpartum depression and sometimes separation while dealing with the challenge of raising kids alone. We have two counsellors who will speak on how to deal with such difficult circumstances. We also have seminar sessions with professionals who will talk about grooming and how to style your body after birth. These are issues that many mothers can relate to,” she explained.

Also part of the line-up she mentioned are hands-on sessions on how to handle emergencies such as fire at home and providing first aid. “The Ghana Ambulance Service does first aid training for us and they are going to be at this year’s event. Usually, women do the cooking and take care of the house; the Ghana Fire Service will also take us through safety tips to prevent fire at home. So, we’re trying to mix and blend the whole event in a way that you’ll be having fun, being entertained and  learning,” she added.

Strategic vendor sessions

For the businesses who book stands to exhibit their products and services, Mum’s Day Out not only offer them a platform to sell but also gives them the opportunity to learn ways of growing their businesses.

Ahead of the event, Ms. Ntsiakoh, who also runs Little London – a UK and US grocery shop, and Fays Gifts – a luxury gifts and treats shop, will lead vendors in a strategic session. She will guide them on how to scale and sustain growth, structures for long-term success, marketing that converts and builds loyalty and smart pricing to maximise profits.

Other subjects are selling strategies for fairs and trade shows, event preparation and follow-ups, and managing costs and overheads. These sessions, she believes, will help vendors make good use of the platform during and after the fair.

She explained that the event goes beyond just making sales on the day, saying: “Over 90 percent of the vendors who come are women-owned businesses. A lot of these people actually started with us from the first edition and I have watched their businesses grow along with me. I try to give them a lot of guidance and training, and this event is the only time in the year when I make myself available to other business owners to ask questions, ideas and guidance. For these businesses, my focus is on helping them grow their business long term”.

Entertainment

Parents are encouraged to come along with their children as there will be specially designed play areas for children and vendors who provide fun activities for children.

There are also plans to set up a lounge area for men to hang out and network or play video games. “The idea is to ensure that everyone has a good time while shopping or networking. So there is a food court that has different vendors, music playing in the background and lots of giveaways,” she said.

Over the years, one of the highlights of the event is the runway contest among pregnant women where the winner receives gifts from sponsors. “Our competitions are fun activities that young people do when they go out; but this time, we let the mothers compete and win exciting prizes. It could be a makeover from our sponsor. Mothers go through a lot and the whole idea is to give them a day off to let their hair down,” Ms. Ntsiakoh said.

Giving back to society

Each year Baby Bliss also raises funds to support the activities of a local non-profit organisation or donates to the less privileged. This year, however, they will give a number of non-profits the opportunity to speak to guests on their activities, raise awareness of the causes they champion and also raise funds to support their projects. The fair opens at 8 am.

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