Visibility is not authority.

distinction — attributed to Richard Attias

Being seen frequently does not make someone trusted, and being trusted does not require being seen. Conveners who confuse visibility with authority over-program celebrity and under-program substance. The most consequential figures in a room are sometimes the ones the audience does not recognize on sight.

Attias on speaker selection and the difference between brand-name presence and substantive presence.

visibility, authority, influence, celebrity, signal