We attended MommyCon Chicago earlier this month. It was really fun but felt different than last year. One major difference for me was that my daughter wasn’t an infant, so it was a little more challenging to keep her occupied. Luckily MommyCon understands that challenge, so they had me covered. Another change is that I went with a friend who doesn’t have her own kiddo. She was incredibly helpful managing my daughter so I could get the most out of the sessions. Here are what I felt were the pros and cons of the event, itself, this year.

To check out all the reasons I love MommyCon and why you shouldn’t miss it, read 10 Reasons You Can’t Miss MommyCon.

Pros:

Wide variety of exhibitors

Photo printer

Sessions were good with a lot of variety

Dad’s were included this year (DaddyCon)

Excellent MommyCon staff

Awesome gift bags & room drops

Hotel access to skybridge = no need to go outside (if you didn’t want to)

Play areas and toys in session rooms

Free snacks!

Miss Jamie’s Farm Show – a wonderful musical show for kids! Piper got her energy out and it was super fun!

Didn’t have to stay late for giveaways

Cons:

Less intimate environment

Warehouse feel to exhibitor hall

Session “competition” – toddler related sessions were all in the same hour (potty training, sleep consultation, picky eating)

Didn’t feel as “village”-like

Final Thoughts on MommyCon

Overall, I felt like MommyCon was great! I think the reason it felt less intimate is that we didn’t have the big giveaways at the end of the day. While that was crazy and hectic, I felt like it brought everyone together and really liked that Xza (creator of MommyCon) addressed everyone as a group. Without that aspect, it was different. The plus side of not having the giant giveaways was that we could leave whenever we wanted during the day and not fear missing out. The play areas were a HUGE plus. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to sit through any of the sessions. I love this event and I’m sure I’ll be back in the future! They’ve even announced that in the near future there will be an event geared toward parents with children 3+.

For more information, check out https://mommycon.com/, use code LIVELOVEMESS18 for 10% off of your ticket price.