SoundOff

Networking with Earplugs After airing meeting planners' gripes for the past several issues, I decided, as the news editor, to take my turn. At a recent industry meeting, I attended a luncheon billed as a networking event--where, as at too many of these events-- there was live music playing through the entire meal, forcing attendees to shout to introduce themselves, while stifling the feeling that they were being rude to the performer. Any attempt at networking was impossible. At another