Why You Should Sit Upfront at a Conference

A couple of presenters from past world conferences of the International Association of Business Communicators have said that they missed my presence in the front row of their sessions at IABC19. For the past 18 years or so, I attended every world conference and always made it a point to try to sit in the front row or as close to the front as possible if the first row or two were reserved at a presentation. That included the general sessions in which the daily keynoters addressed all the attendees.

Having retired earlier this year, I decided it was time for me to leave actual attendance to younger people. At this year’s conference, I participated remotely via Twitter (see my previous blog) as a way to keep my presence felt and to learn from fellow tweeters some of the key points made by presenters.

Few attendees at IABC World Conferences miss a presentation by Shel Holtz, ABC, IABC Fellow, so it’s difficult to get a front seat at one of his sessions. Here Shel reacts to a comment from an audience member at his IABC16 presentation in New Orleans.

Where Top Sellers Congregate

My front-row habit started because I was out of a job. In the 1990s I was laid off from an editing position at a major utility company. I decided to strike out on my own as a freelancer. I read several books on consulting and freelance writing to prepare myself, but the book that influenced me most was one on how to sell. (Unfortunately, I can no longer find that book on my shelves, and I don’t remember the author.) If you are going to consult, you need to sell your services, and this book provided tips on how to be an effective seller.

The author recounted that he frequently did sales training for car dealerships, insurance firms and other companies. After a while he noticed a pattern. A company’s top salespeople always sat closest to the podium. New salespeople or those that had not been doing too well congregated in the back rows.

Crisis communication expert Gerard Braud, after donning appropriate gear as in this IABC09 session in San Francisco, advised attendees to expect the unexpected, such as a Silly String attack. You can’t get a shot like this from the back of the room.

What’s going on here? he wondered. The very people who could use his assistance the most were farthest away from him while those who needed his advice the least were closest. So he asked the top sellers why they sat in the front. Consistently they answered that they wanted to keep their selling skills sharp. Sitting upfront forced them to focus on the speaker and to pick up tips that they might have forgotten or never used.

From the time I read that story forward, I have always strived to sit in the front row of any conference or meeting. Not because I regard myself as an expert or most knowledgeable person in the room outside of the presenter. But I do want to be perceived by the presenter and the others in the room as someone who seeks to be among the best in the profession. That’s the impression front-row sitters give.

I’m always front row for communication sessions conducted by Cyrus Mavalwala like this one at IABC17 in Washington, DC.

Reasons to Get Close to Speaker

My previous blog on photographing a conference discusses the importance of sitting as close as possible to the front of a room to get good shots of the presenter. Even if you are not taking photos, here are several other reasons why front-row seating is best:

• You are more likely to be called upon by the speaker. This has its good and bad aspects. The speaker may ask you a question for which you don’t know the answer or may ask you to help him illustrate a situation. A good presenter does not want to embarrass anyone in her audience, however. Don’t worry if you are asked to step up. Your speaker will be grateful, and you’ll get a chance to shine in front of your peers.
• You are forced to focus on what the speaker says simply because the speaker likely will look at you more than others in the room. You don’t want to be playing a game on your mobile phone or dozing off. That really would be embarrassing.
• If the speaker is giving away a limited number of promotional items (book, CD, etc.), you have a greater likelihood of getting one.
• The speaker is more likely to remember you should you contact her by email later or he sees you at another conference session.
• You probably will dress more professionally. Front-row sitters should appear their best if they figure they’ll get called upon by the speaker. Proper dress makes a good impression on both the speaker and other members of the audience. You never know if a future employer is out there.

Ann Wylie usually attracts a full house eager to get her writing tips such as those she provided at IABC18 in Montreal. Get a seat up front as early as possible for one of her talks.

What If You’re Bored?

The big disadvantage of sitting in the front is that you may find yourself in the presence of a boring speaker or at a session that isn’t delivering the goods you thought it would. Should you endure it or walk out? Tough choice. If you feel you must leave, try to find a way to exit without calling too much attention to yourself. You might do so during a group exercise, when the speaker is having problems with his presentation slides or at a rest-room break in the session.

As a retiree, I probably will not attend any more conferences. That’s an advantage for you. You can take my seat in the front row. Enjoy.

Bill Spaniel, ABC, is a writer, editor and podcaster who is willing to give up his seat to anyone younger than he.Why You Should Sit Upfront at a Conference