First Impressions Matter

One day, the banquet manager at a resort hotel at a very big theme park in Orlando took his crew of dishwashers to the banquet hall. Spread before them was an immense sea of tables, flowers and decorations for a lavish wedding dinner.

The manager asked his dishwashers to imagine the same scene, but only with dirty dishes. "It wouldn't matter if we spent all week on the decorations," he said. "If the bride's glass is dirty it will ruin her impression of this day forever. Imagine if this was your own daughter's wedding...?"

His point is simple: contact = impression = experience.

Sometimes almost everything can go right, and yet the most essential task taken for granted can ruin someone's impression of your service or product. (If my glass is dirty, then how clean is the kitchen...?)

The 63rd Annual Roasterium

Why? Because it's hot out there!

Date: Thursday, July 8
Time: 6:30PM
Where: The Globe Coffee Lounge, downtown St. Pete
Food and Drinks: special menu items, plus $3 specials on beer and wine
Cost: Free and open to everybody
donations to benefit the Literacy Council of St. Petersburg

The original Roasterium was a gathering of 500 outdoor writers on July 8, 1947. Attendees feasted on " roast 'possum, cracklin' bread and swamp cabbage." I ran across a report of the event during research for a book and was struck by the wild name, wilder menu and the schedule of activities that yelled "Floridana". I proposed the idea of resurrecting the event (in name only) to our little writing group, affectionately known as the Prose Posse.

The 63rd Annual Roasterium may not have any charm school graduates, but we will try to give it our own funky spin, while providing an opportunity for local writers to network with each other, swap stories and promote their work. We are inviting writers and readers of all genres to join us and celebrate the art of writing.

Besides, "Roasterium" is like Laundamat and Dine-a-rama; it's faux Latin and pop culture, quirky and strangely appealing all at the same time.

Ya'll join us, okay?