One of the things I hate about going to big event meetings and press conferences is the insulting way cheap chairs are crammed together forcing you to sit hip-to-hip with your new best friend, and trying to negotiate elbow space. It’s worse than an economy seat on a no-frills airplane. And with the obesity crisis hitting the US, Europe and other parts of the world, the problem is compounded. The accommodations say, hey come to our press event, spend a few hours like a galley slave—cause we can make you do it.
Pass.
AMD just held a pre-CES analysts and press event at the Four Seasons in Las Vegas. The Four Seasons does not insult you with uncomfortable close quarters chairs. Just the opposite.
In addition to being large and comfortable, they were a polite distance apart, with arm rests—two per chair and local power socket and USB charging slots! The table, with bumper protection against accidental knock over, swings out 90-degrees to the right giving even the largest people ample space to navigate getting up and down.
These are chairs you don’t mind spending six to eight hours in. The room had about 200 seats in it, designed for journalists and others who wanted to make notes, or just rest their lunch.
Exhibitors, vendors, and PR people—think about the folks you are inviting to come hear your stories, and then hopefully carry it forward. Don’t insult them, don’t turn them into resentful sardines who are too distracted with discomfort and competition for space to hear your story. Get 10% of their bandwidth.