I go to many events, interviews and functions every week, criss-crossing Jo'burg between the usual venues at the leading hotels, conference sites, coffee shops, hotel lobbies, nightclubs etc. Most press conferences or launches, lunches and breakfasts or cocktails, take on a similar format: drinks, welcome, first course/snacky things, main speech, main food/more snacky things, a token present (usually branded) as a desperate 'thank you very much for coming as most of the media are no shows', and then a press release and a CD or some such branded material. Pretty standard, pretty boring. It's usually the people and the product/services being launched who make it interesting or one of the more memorable events. I think the Sappi Power of Print breakfast launch with the MFSA, at Summer Place last week, will go down as one of the most entertaining of the year. Direct marketing, let's face it, is only interesting to direct marketers, but having pseudo, or should I say psycho-postmaster-at-large, entertainer and personality, Corrie Campbell conducting the presentation on direct marketing, dressed in the safari suit, complete with props that included cardboard boxes for every member of the audience to 'to think outside of the box' was inspired. Direct marketing can be riveting and I for one will never look at a cardboard box the same way again! Well done to the organisers! Have a good one! Louise Marsland, Editor, editor@bizcommunity.com