The first ten minutes and the last ten minutes mean everything

principle — attributed to Philip Dufour

Of all the time guests spend at an event, two windows do almost all the emotional work: the first ten minutes, when they decide how to feel, and the last ten minutes, when memory gets fixed. Most producers over-invest in the middle and forget the end of the show.

This is Philip Dufour's most quoted maxim, drawn from decades of orchestrating gatherings for the Office of the Vice President, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, the DVF Awards at the Library of Congress, and the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop for NMAAHC.

arrival, closing, guest-experience, memory