Entertaining lessons from the Movies: "As Ellen Griswold famously said [in 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'], 'I don't know what to say, except it's Christmas and we're all in misery.' Make it your goal not to repeat the lessons of the Griswold family.".

• Author: Kingham, Trace
• Position: EVENT PLANNING

ONE OF MY EARLIEST and fondest memories was of my mom hosting Christmas dinner for the entire family. She was a detail-oriented woman--so, well in advance of the event, menus were planned; guests were invited; and days were spent preparing for the festivities. That evening, though, just as guests began to arrive, the electricity went out. Our multicourse meal was sitting in our all-electric oven with more than an hour to go before it was safe to eat. With great calm and without hesitation, my mother cheerfully filled the house with dozens of candles, served beverages, and encouraged everyone to play cards and board games, holding out hope that the lights would come on soon--but they didn't.

Luckily, Mom knew instinctively that the meal was not about the roast; it was about bringing the family together, connecting with each other in the spirit of the season, and creating lasting memories. That was her purpose, and lights or no lights, she was sticking to it.

With no other options available in rural Ohio, my mother took out a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and her favorite grape preserves. Then she made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into shapes of Christmas trees and cherubs from her vast cookie cutter collection. We were delighted.

In the end, through commitment and great flexibility, Mom achieved her purpose, even when everything seemed out of her control. Familial bonds were made that evening; children giggled in the candlelight; adults happily ate their PB&Js served with sides of cranberry salad and grandma's infamous Jell-O mold--lasting memories.

That evening--without realizing it--I was being schooled in the fundamental lessons of event management: the importance of having a purpose, developing a plan, keeping it simple, and remaining flexible and agile enough to adjust when presented with circumstances beyond my control. My mom instilled in me these guiding principles that became the foundation of my career as a strategic event designer.

I reflect on that fateful Christmas night often, and marvel at my mother's innate talent in event planning and execution, but I also find inspiration for my work in unlikely places. Recently, I sat down to introduce my two sons to another family tradition: the 1989 movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." As the movie and its disastrous and unstoppable plot unfolded, I realized there were wonderful lessons in entertaining to be gleaned from studying the dysfunctional Griswold...