If your boss can't attend an event or meeting and taps you to go in his or her stead, consider it a huge compliment. If you're not being selected for these plum opportunities, ask a trusted colleague or your boss how you're perceived and to suggest ways to improve your professional image. Before you can be promoted in a large company, managers in other departments or divisions must recognize your talents before you can be promoted. One way your manager can accomplish this is to include you in high level meetings or on task forces with members from many different departments. Once your face and your work become familiar to upper management, the way's been paved for you to be promoted.
Managers surround themselves with people they trust.
When you're asked to take on new projects, especially in a new area, you're being given the opportunity to prove yourself. It may require a lot of hard work and some substantial overtime, but if you pull it off, you'll have proved you can excel at a higher level and are ready for more responsibility. Be careful with this information, though. Betraying your boss's trust is one of the quickest ways to derail your career. It's aggravating when a colleague does it, but when your boss does it, it means you're a player.