What Not to Do: 25 Event Ideas That Should Never Be Repeated

From 50 years of watching what works—and what definitely doesn’t

After five decades in the event world, I’ve seen the standing ovations—and the long, painful silences. This list isn’t a takedown. It’s a field report. A deeply lived record of ideas that sounded great in a brainstorm and fell flat in the ballroom.

Some are rooted in ego. Others in budget panic. Most are about not reading the room.