Update from where I am in the Western USA… suited and booted before some 2,000 people.
Yep, this is what it looked like from the back of the room:I am waaaaaaay up front on stage. From the stage, I couldn’t see most of the people in the audience due to the glare of bright lights.
Thankfully, my presentation went well. I got a lot of positive comments and feedback anecdotally. I will see the results of written surveys after I return.
What did I wear for my big presentation? A suit, dress shirt, tie, and Lucchese black cherry caiman cowboy boots.
I didn’t think much about the boots that morning until I walked onto the stage. The stage floor is made of dark grey metal squares which are placed on a riser. I could hear the boots making a very distinctive cowboy boot “clunk” as I walked across the floor. So much so that I worked it into my opening remarks, “man, you can hear me comin’ in my boots, can’t you?” To which everyone chuckled.
As I gave my presentation, which I had mostly committed to memory, and grateful for a wireless lavalier microphone, I walked across the stage and emphasized points with gestures. I’m not the kind of guy to remain glued behind a podium. I noticed as I was moving throughout my presentation that you could hear that “clunk – clunk – clunk” of my boots. I closed with a comment about the boots as well.
Later that day and on subsequent days, when other men came on stage, they said things like, “I am wearing boots like (BHD). Can you hear me?” (audience chuckle) or “My boots aren’t quite like (BHD’s). I gotta get myself some real boots like his.” The boot noise and wearing boots with suits became quite the topic of conversation throughout the event. Everywhere I would go, others would glance at my feet and say, “yep, those are great boots” or “I see you have those boots on again,” and other comments like that.
Well, that’s quite okay. If I can influence more professional men to wear boots with a suit in a professional setting, more power to it!
Life is short: wear boots with a suit!
Glad all went well!