THE CONCEPT MEETING — The committee requested something fresh, surprising and interactive. A vendor suggested serving mashed potatoes in martini glasses. Three members remembered loving the idea. None remembered cleaning it up.

The planner opened the previous event's debrief: unstable glasses, a bottleneck at toppings and guests attempting to hold dinner, a drink and a conversation with two hands.

The chair called these execution issues. The planner called them the same issues from the event before that. Someone proposed adding a second topping station, thereby doubling the footprint of the problem.

The concept returned to the approved deck under 'Reimagined Classics.' In the Event Hall of Shame, an empty pedestal waited for its familiar visitor. The industry had learned a valuable lesson, misplaced the document and booked it again.