(and no we’re not referring to that political “Tea Party”- it’s all about safety & babies)

Grab your cup of tea or favorite beverage and log into IBPA’s first Safety Soiree ~ where we’ll discuss
“Car Seat Safety and How to Choose One” with special guests and industry experts JPMA and Britax.
One lucky tweeting participant will win a Britax Advocate Car Seat valued at $369.99.

See below for more details on how to register for the event along with a quick Twitter party overview.

IBPA “Twitter Tea Party” Highlights:

Host:  International Baby Planner Association
Date:  Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Time:  7-8 PM PST
Location: TweetGrid.com hashtag, #IBPABabyPlanner
Topic:  “Car Seat Safety and How to Choose One”
Prize:  Britax Advocate CS Car Seat
RSVP: Please RSVP by May 16th to Melissa@InternationalBabyPlanners.com with email and Twitter ID to attend and be eligible for the prize.

Special Guest Industry Experts:

Britax has been a leader in mobile safety for more than 70 years, with a legacy of leadership in developing innovations that enhance the safety of child car seats and improve their ease of installation and use.

JPMA is a national trade organization representing 95% of the prenatal to preschool industry. JPMA represents 250 companies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico who manufacture, import and/or distribute infant products such as cribs, car seats, strollers, bedding, and a wide range of accessories and decorative items.

Twitter Party Information:

What is a Twitter Party?
A Twitter party is an online discussion that focuses on a few related topics.   It is simple and fun to join in the conversation by posting comments or asking questions via Twitter.

How Do I Participate?

You must register by emailing Melissa@InternationalBabyPlanners.com by May 16th with your Twitter ID.  If you do not have a Twitter account you can easily create one in advance by visiting www.Twitter.com.

How Do I Join In and Keep up with the Conversation?
Join the party by using TweetGrid.com and enter the hashtag  #IBPABabyPlanner to join the event.  A hashtag is simply the sign “#” with a name attached to it. Tweet Grid will automatically include the hashtag on your tweets after you have entered the party.  You will be able to follow the tweeting discussions in real-time.

When is the IBPA “Twitter Tea Party?”
The IBPA Twitter Tea Party will be held on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 from 7-8PM PST.

Why Should I Join in on the Fun?
The IBPA Twitter Tea Party will give you the opportunity to network with other parents, expecting couples and industry experts on child car seat safety. It will be a great chance to ask all of the questions you have about car seats and how to choose one.   One lucky participant will also win a Britax Car Seat!!!!!!

IBPA “Twitter Tea Party” Rules and Regulations:
1. Be nice to other tweeters in the party! We all have opinions so let’s respect our differences and share advice.
2. This a stress free environment to tweet about important issues – relax and have fun!
3. This Twitter party giveaway is for United States and Canadian residents only.
4. You must register by May 16, 2010 via email to Melissa@Internationalbabyplanners.com with your Twitter ID and actually attend the party to be eligible to win.
5. You must be 18 years or older to participate.
6. There will be one winner randomly drawn after the party is over from the list of registered participants.
7. Winner will be notified via email via the registered email address by May 21, 2010 by a member of the International Baby Planner Association.

If you live in NYC or likely in the tri-state area, you know all about Big City Moms.  For those outside this area, an introduction:  Big City Moms is the destination for moms, moms to be and families and the premiere social event group in NYC.  Big City Moms was founded by sisters Risa Goldberg and Leslie Venokur six years ago.

Big City Moms and the Bump Founders

Now with over 30,000 members, an online community and events like seminars, family fun days, mommy and me classes, expectant events held every day, BCM is the place to be all over the city.  Their “flagship” event is the twice- annual Biggest Baby Shower where moms-to-be can meet and greet roughly one hundred national vendors and local service providers in a couple of hours and which boasts of new mommy seminars and most talked about, highly coveted gift bags.  It’s become so popular that it outgrew its original location at the American Girl Place and this was the first time it was held at the Park East Ballroom.

The event draws lots of moms, press and, this year, baby planners!  Several International Baby Planner Association members were there:   Premier Baby Concierge, Sweet Pea Baby Planners, Jamie the Baby Guy, and Bottles to Britches.   While we speak often on conference calls and via emails, it was great to meet face-to-face, an opportunity that is usually reserved for IBPA’s annual meeting at the ABC Kids Show in Vegas!

The seminars were well-attended, the food was great, the gift bags were bursting!  All in all, Big City Moms “delivered!”   It was a pleasure for me to sit in on the “New York City Mom Survival Guide” seminar by the Knot and the Bump founder, Carley Roney, and to meet her afterwards.   There was an excitement in the air; and it was a success for both moms and vendors.  I would definitely suggest this event to all moms-to-be, as well as baby planners and vendors, who are in NYC or can make the trip.

Want to see more? Click here to check out the Big City Moms Biggest Baby Shower April 2010 Video!

Ah, the gift bags!

Sweet Pea NYC and Premier Baby Concierge at BCM

Bump Founder Carely Roney and Shannon Choe (PBC)

• What is a Baby Planner?
  

• History of Baby Planning and the projected future of the industry.

• What is the IBPA/NBPA and how can they support my baby planning business?

• What specific benefits can IBPA/NBPA give me if I become a member?
  

• IBPA requirements for baby planning businesses
  

• IBPA’s industry leading affiliates and partners
  

• IBPA Baby Planner Certification Program

• IBPA Manufacturer Relations Program

• IBPA Member On-line Forum
  

• How to get started
  

When: THURSDAY, JANUARY 14th 6:30 pm PST/9:30 pm EST

If you would like to be a part of this call, please email us.

Melissa Moog & April Beach

• What is a Baby Planner?
  

• History of Baby Planning and the projected future of the industry.

• What is the NBPA and how can they support my baby planning business?

• What specific benefits can NBPA give me if I become a member?
  

• NBPA requirements for baby planning businesses
  

• NBPA’s industry leading affiliates and partners
  

• NBPA Baby Planner Certification Program

• NBPA Manufacturer Relations Program

• NBPA Member On-line Forum
  

• How to get started
  

When: WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 2nd 6:00 PST/9:00 EST

If you would like to be a part of this call, please email us.

Melissa Moog & April Beach

LizzieBtv Interviews Nat’l Baby Planners Association from LizzieBtv on Vimeo.

By Melissa Moog, President & Founder of NBPA

It was an exciting time for our NBPA Baby Planners this year at ABC Kids Expo since we were able to attend all four days of the event. Not to mention the category “baby planners” is now an officially recognized profession by ABC which NBPA helped to get approved with ABC’s board. This was a huge step for the baby planning industry because we are now recognized as true professionals by the largest baby product tradeshow in the nation, hooray! With over 30+ credible baby planners in the USA and abroad NBPA continues to grow the baby planning industry as a whole and has set THE  standards for our profession since 2007.

While at ABC our Baby Planners blanketed the show floor and met with exhibitors who gave us a personalized demo of their latest products. We also got a peek of new product lines launching in 2010. There was definitely a dominant theme focusing on “child safety” from Brenda Berg’s (Vice Chair of JPMA) safety seminar to Dr. Greene speaking on Raising Baby Green – safety and non-toxic living were top of mind! NBPA Baby Planners were proud to be part of another fantastic ABC Kids Expo and we look forward to 2010!