Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: I have never been to a conference before? What should I expect?

A: Professional Conferences are a great way to learn new things, recharge your batteries, and network with others in your profession. Our workshops are designed to give you information on real life issues you face with your charges. You will be able to choose the workshops that you are most interested in. Also, there will be plenty of time for chatting with other nannies and agency owners from all over the country. You can share ideas, funny stories and even a few complaints. It is great to feel part of a community, which isn’t always easy for nannies.

You will arrive on Saturday morning and get your goody bag and conference schedule. Just choose the workshops you want to attend and participate as you feel comfortable. Everyone at Nannypalooza is welcoming and friendly.

Q: What do I wear to Nannypalooza?

A: We believe in fun and festive learning. You should be dressed in casual, yet appropriate clothes. Jeans are fine! Have a great nanny t shirt? Wear it!

Q: What should I bring to Nannypalooza?

A: You should bring your enthusiasm and excitement and that is about all. You may want to bring business cards, a camera, a notebook and pen and any great ideas you want to share.

Q: Can I register for only one day?

A: Unfortunately no. Because we believe that quality training should be affordable for all nannies, we keep conference fees to an all time low! Because it costs us the same whether you are there for Sat only or for both days- we can not allow Saturday only registrations. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Q: How do you keep your fees so low? Does the quality of the conference suffer?

A: The mission of Nannypalooza from its inception has been to offer quality training at an affordable price for all nannies and all businesses. This means that we do everything we can to keep quality high and costs low. We do not employ an office staff. We do all the conference planning ourselves. We do not hold our conference in tourist destinations. We print our own materials. We have some of the most generous supportive sponsors ever! WE DO NOT skimp on quality presentations. WE DO NOT offer less, in fact in comparison with many professional conferences in our industry and others we offer more.

Q: Why do you offer so many good choices at the same time? Can’t you arrange the schedule so that we can attend everything?

A: Wow! This is a great question. We feel that by offering choices we are better able to provide training for all the different populations within our community. If we only offered one workshop in each time period, there would be times that some nannies or businesses would not have a good choice for them. And we could not offer the array of topics that we can with our current schedule. This model is based on NAEYC and other successful conferences and we feel it meets the needs of the majority of our participants. But, we do try to offer handouts from sessions to members and also we try to bring back successful topics for more than one year.

Q: Why is Nannypalooza always held in Philly? Won’t you ever move to another city?

A: Believe me we struggle with this choice each year! The advantages of Philly are these- it is a drivable distance for a large majority of the nanny population along the eastern seaboard. This keeps costs low for these nannies. Philly has low hotel costs in relation to other East Coast cities. Sue lives in Philly and can do the ground work necessary for the conference. We certainly would like to offer the conference in another city, but we need a ground crew ready to do the work, an affordable hotel and a location many nannies can travel to for free or low cost. It is tough!

Q: Last year there was no coffee or snacks set up in between session or first thing in the morning. Can we please just get a cup of coffee!?

A: Ok did we ever learn our lesson about the coffee. This has been a problem for 2 years. We didn’t know that the Starbucks in our hotel’s lobby would not be open on the weekend. So we have scheduled breakfast for first thing in the morning on both days. Coffee will be available at those times. There are also coffee makers in your rooms if you are staying at the Hilton. However, just to put out coffee it can cost more than $600 and to offer a snack is even more expensive. Due to our cost cutting nature, you should know that coffee and snacks during breaks will probably not happen this year. Please bring with you a snack or drink if you need one to get you through the sessions.

Q: I work with older kids. Are there really workshops for me at this conference?

A: This year we will make a better effort to offer workshops with a great age range than ever.

Q: Should I ask my employer to pay for this conference?

A: YES! Professional development costs are often paid for by employers and it is very reasonable to ask your employer to pay for some or all of your costs. The techniques you learn will directly benefit their children. We have an informative brochure that will explain this and help you start the conversation. Download this here!

Q: I am a business owner. Why should I attend a conference for nannies?

A: While it is true that a majority of our participants are nannies, we had over 20% attendees from agencies and other businesses last year! We offer workshops on relevant topics such as marketing and recruiting. And by attending a conference where 80% of the attendees are nannies, you put a face on your business name that will help nannies choose you next time they are searching for a job or a tax service or whatever! Personal connections are so important. Feel free to pass out business cards and let nannies know what you can do for them!

Q: I have been a nanny for many years and have a degree. Why should I attend a conference?

A: While it is true that you may be well past some of our beginner workshops, there are sessions that will be of interest to you. The field of childhood education is constantly evolving and new ideas will put a spark back into your work. Also, as a professional in your field it is wise to keep connected to your peers. Attending conferences like ours can inspire you and help you make important connections that will help you further your career.