Why You Should Be a Seat Filler
Would you believe me if I told you that you can go to major award shows for free???
Well, it's true. Back in September, I traveled to Atlantic City to attend the 2019 Miss America Pageant. FOR FREE. How? A handy organization called Seatfillers and More.
Seatfillers and More has provided volunteers to fill seats at events like The Grammys, The Emmys, The BET Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Miss America Pageant, The Latin Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and so many more.
What Is a Seat Filler?
A seat filler is a person who fills an empty seat during events. Producers of major televised events don't like empty seats. It makes it look like the venue is empty. The first ten rows where nominees sit is where the camera pans the most. So, it looks really bad if those seats are empty.
During most televised events, seat fillers are kept at the sides and near the rear of the room while the ceremony takes place. Anytime a celebrity and/or their guest gets out of their seat (to visit the restroom, claim their award, talk to other celebs, etc) or if a guest is late to arrive, the producers quickly fill that empty seat with a seat filler. As a seat filler, all you have to do is sit in the seat until the celebrity and/or their guest returns. Then, you go back and wait for another opening.
Pros of Being a Seat Filler
- You can get into a major awards show for FREE!
- You could possibly end up sitting next to a major celebrity.
- You can be seen on TV as the camera pans the crowd (I made sure to tell my mom to set the DVR and to look for us in the audience.)
- The person whose seat you're holding may not show up at all. If this happens, you get to keep the same seat for the entire show. Sometimes seat fillers get to stay for the entire event because they didn't sell all of the tickets to the event. This was the case with the Miss America Pageant.
Cons of Being a Seat Filler
- Waits can be long.
- Depending on the event, you are not guaranteed a seat.
- You don't get paid.
- You are responsible for your own transportation (airfare, parking, hotels) and meet their dress code for each event.
- You must be over 18 unless the show allows for people of all ages (like the Miss America Pageant.)
- You can't ask stars for autographs. I don't really see this as a con. No one wants to be haggled while they're trying to enjoy the show. Plus, you're there to do a job.
- You can't take photos at the events unless given explicit permission (at Miss America, we were encouraged to take lots of pictures).
- You're not allowed to speak to a celebrity unless they speak to you first. Which again, isn't really a bad thing.
- If you apply for an event (with Seatfillers and More) and decline to show without prior notice, your account is deleted and you are not allowed to apply for events ever again.
My Experience As a Seat Filler for Miss America
Before I went to Los Angeles in June 2018, I signed up for an account on Seatfillers & More just in case there was an event going on while I was there. Turns out the BET Awards was happening the same weekend I was in LA. Unfortunately I missed the sign up window. Every time there is an event available, they send out an email to their distribution list. Since June 2018, the majority of the events that I received in my email were for events in California or Las Vegas. Eventually, the 2019 Miss America Pageant email popped up. For that specific event, everyone who applied was accepted as a seat filler. Each applicant was allowed to bring up to 3 guests so I brought my bestfriend Tiffani and my cousin Brittany.
About a week later I was sent an email with check-in instructions, dress code, rules, and my tickets.
On the day of the event, we checked in and received white cards with numbers on it. We were then given green ribbons and wristbands signifying that we were seat fillers. Once inside, we were ushered to a holding room until it was time to go into the main room. With our luck, while we were waiting, we were spotted by one of the producers. She gave us special purple tickets to fill any empty seats that were in camera range. SO COOL!
Being a seat filler was a fun experience. It's like a well dressed game of musical chairs. You can only move during commercial breaks since it's a live event. So, when a commercial break comes it's like a mad scramble to get from the seat to seat. If you're lucky, you're able to sit in the same seat for the duration of the event.
Based off of my experience, I'm staying glued to my email for the next event. And I encourage you to sign up for an account. THERE ARE FREE TICKETS AT STAKE!!
If you would like to see a vlog of my experience in Atlantic City and the Miss America Pageant, check out my YouTube Channel.
