71–76 of 76 posts
From my experience, "booth babes" are often just the girls from the marketing department. They're usually not clueless, but you do get handed off quickly to sales or tech.
It wasn't a big deal. I mean, I'd seen this my whole life. And that's just the thing. It's every job, every conference, every meetup, every event, and every single conversation. It's constantly having to prove that you're technical.
And even once you've offered up a bunch of credentials, you still aren't perceived as being as technical as a man with the same credentials.
It's exhausting. And I'm so, so tired of it.
Changing how people think is hard; changing company policy is much easier. Ending "booth babes" is one of many steps to ending sexism, but every step counts.
Learned this the hard way. Back when LinuxCon was still called LinuxCon, I made the mistake of making a beeline to the first "booth" I saw that was manned by a fellow female. I studied the setup, ascertained what kind of hardware being shown off by this particular vendor, and proceeded to inquire along the line of shop talk. Although I don't remember exactly what I asked her, this was the gist of our exchange. BB: "I…
Please get rid of the recruiter "babes" too! I'd rather hold a conversation with a knowledgeable technical person than yet another clueless plastic barbie doll!
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They're not for you. They're for the huge majority of bozos, who, unlike you, are only at the conference because it's a junket and some free time away from work. Eye candy is a huge plus.
By that logic, aren't the booth babes just as pointless? If the idea is to drive sales, and those people aren't there to make purchasing decisions, then it's a lost cause.
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Apart from the brain-dead flirting efforts, that heels-and-skirt-suit effect doesn't sound any different than my reaction to men in suits. If I want to find a clue, I look past the guy whose job involves showing up in a costume chosen in hopes I'm easily manipulated. But then I don't frequent trade shows, so I don't know how many nerds have enough clout to show up dressed normally but not enough to just stay home.
Look who you'd miss out on talking to: The three-piece suit has become sort of my trademark. You don't see them much anymore. It has several benefits: You may be overdressed on some occasions, but you can manage to fit into a huge range of circumstances. http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/vint-cerf-0...