Conference Confidential

I typed the word ‘cookbook’ on a subject line and 3.6 million suggestions were returned in 0.29 seconds, but when I asked e-Jeeves which conference planner lays on the best buffet, he tosses up his hands. A fly on the wall at an Avalon Room lunch is spellbound as a dozen tablet-bound analysts scribble furiously while the CEO makes his case via PowerPoint, and during Q&A when advisors save his skin, but one person alone critiques the heirloom tomatoes, roast spring chicken with parsnip puree and chocolate fondant with honeydew melon sorbet. Solely Manhattan can have a P.J. Moran’s, but every big city needs a Belleville and that’s where I enter stage left. The world is littered with review sites for every manner of food, drink and delivery mechanism imaginable. Moreover, independent and not so independent analysts have been poring over executive summaries and strategic development plans since the onset of the term business model. However, not until now has someone thought to combine them all. Meanwhile over at the Budget counter ...