Use Apple remote control?

It depends on the age of the Macbook Pro .

Per the MacTracker database (free in the Mac App store) the last Macbook Pros that could use the regular Apple IR remotes† were the non-Retina 2012 models. No Retina models have IR capability.

† — models A1156 and A 1294

If you use Keynote instead of a pdf viewer, you have this option:

Use Keynote Remote to control your Keynote presentation - Apple Support

Keynote is probably a better choice for a presentation anyway.

chowgirl wrote:

I'll be making a presentation with a PDF on a MacBook Pro laptop connected to a projector. Can I use an Apple Remote Control to advance the pages?

What remote control..?

I thought Apple did a way with the built in infrared remote a decade ago(?)...

try third party iphone app

one example— never tried it.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/remote-for-mac/id1086962925

IdrisSeabright wrote:

If you use Keynote instead of a pdf viewer, you have this option:

Use Keynote Remote to control your Keynote presentation - Apple Support

Keynote is probably a better choice for a presentation anyway.

Brillant !

Why, thank you!

It won't help if the OP has already committed a lot of effort to the PDF but, who knows, there's always next time.