Confessions of an Event Planner: Case Studies From the Real World of Events--How to Handle the Unexpected and How to Be a Master of Discretion by Judy Allen

ground level along the pathways. Hearing Dee Dee—she had deliberately made a sound to let them know she was there—they quickly stopped their clandestine activity, scrambled back into their clothes and said their good-byes, all the while receiving the full impact of Dee Dee’s disapproving stare. But better her stare than that of the company execs, who would soon be headed down this same path.
    Catching a married man carrying on in this manner, literally out in the open, without imposing consequences or at least a serious reprimand could carry company repercussions. I’m sure there’s no need to remind the corporate execs of that. They know that if the man’s wife were to find out what had transpired during a business meeting under their professional direction and sued for divorce, they could get tangled up in unpleasant court proceedings if it came out they had encouraged their employees to act out and provided the means to overindulge. This has happened before but not to their company, and they undoubtedly want to keep it that way. Their company image is built around family values and the media would have a field day if something like this got out. The company execs can close their eyes to the goings-on as long as they don’t see it take place right in front of them, which is why they’re retiring early each night. They want their guys to have fun, but as they had very clearly and often told us, they wanted to be able to claim plausible deniability.
    The corporate execs want to be seen as guys embracing guy-ness up to the point where it will affect their company’s bottom line and their jobs. They know that their company’s growth isn’t built by a sales force that embodies metrosexual sensibilities and embraces grande lattes, no-carb beer, facials, pedicures, chest waxing, fake-and-bake tans and designer wear. That’s not who they—or their customer base—are. Their sales team likes to get down and party, drink beer, make crude jokes and sexual innuendoes, compete with one another to lead the way in bad-boy antics and one-up one another while they’re away with their peers. And the corporate execs have been happy to design a program that enables said behavior if it translates into higher sales when the group returns back to the office. The couple Dee Dee’s path crossed probably had assumed that no one would be up and about that early except the hotel security guard making his rounds and they could pay him no mind. No doubt there have been more trysts going on around the property, being justified as “innocent fun” while out of town. It’s generally a given on these types of trips.
    As Dee Dee and I chatted, other indiscretions were brought to our attention. This morning’s planned activity meant that the program directors, hotel bellmen and local staff were all up and about much earlier than the guys had anticipated. Room service made surprise early morning room deliveries of continental breakfast trays with lots of hot steaming coffee in large thermos containers, fresh Florida orange juice, baskets of warm breakfast rolls and pastries, curls of creamy butter and assorted pots of peanut butter and jam to our guestrooms. Attendees were advised when they received their wake-up call that morning coffee was waiting for them outside their door. We figured that after a night of revelry it would be advisable to have food and coffee available first thing. A few bellmen received their own surprises as they encountered several amorous couples making out in the hallways with their assigned bodyguards—oops! I meant roommates—either mumble-grumble-mumble occupied, or likewise inside the room or hopefully sound asleep—and alone—unaware of what was taking place outside their guest room doors. Guess we hadn’t successfully dispatched all of the female party attendees, or they made their way back on property somehow, avoiding the now very watchful eye of the hotel night staff.
    This morning everyone moved