Turnover welcome at baby fair

Unlike most annual trade shows and expos, there's virtually a brand-new audience every year for the American Baby Faire.

Touted as the nation's largest infant and parenting expo, the show will return to the Chicago area for the 11th time Saturday and Sunday.

This will be its second at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center at 1551 N. Thoreau Drive.

Before that the show was held in Rosemont, but the free parking and easier access from more suburbs prompted the move to Schaumburg.

"The last place you get people out to during the weekend is back to where they work," show Director Aija Erglis said.

The target audience is expectant parents, parents of children up to preschool age and in particular first-time parents. Though a big part of the show is highlighting new products and services, most parents feel they have those things figured out by the second or third child, Erglis said.

"Eighty to 85 percent of our attendees each year are first-time visitors," she added.

Not only does the target audience for the show turn over quickly but the introduction of new products for infants and toddlers also comes at a rapid pace.

One general trend is baby products that cater to the expectation that babies can be taken anywhere. The old belief that one doesn't travel with a baby doesn't apply to today's world, Erglis said.

There's also an aim to be more economical with new products. A single stroller is now designed to be adjustable from infancy to 3 or 4 years old. Previously, strollers would have to be discarded like clothes as a child grew.

One of the best reasons for coming to the show and not waiting to simply buy these products in a store is the chance to engage in one-on-one discussions with experts.

The fair is not only about babies but also is baby-friendly as well. Wide aisles make it easy for strollers and pregnant women to make their way around the 100 exhibitors filling the 80,000-square-foot space, Erglis said.

There will be continuous stage entertainment for children, including dancing and musical storytelling productions of Pocahontas, Aladdin and Cinderella.

One of the most popular events is the Babies "R" Us Baby Derby, in which crawling babies race hourly for the title of Chicago's Fastest Crawlers and win gift cards.

If you go

What: American Baby Faire

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Where: Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive

Admission: $8 for adults, free for children under 12 and grandparents

Information: (877) 959-2229 or americanbabyfaire.com