OFF THE VINE: Only chief whips welcomed at this meet

<p>A company, which shall remain nameless, recently held a big </p><p>conference at the Excelsior Hotel in Hong Kong. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>That gathering was announced for all and sundry on a bulletin board at </p><p>the lobby. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>And it attracted a great deal more of attention than it really should </p><p>have. Why? Because the conference, which focused on strategy and </p><p>marketing, was unwittingly billed as an "S&M meeting". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Vine has just one question: "Was this gathering opened only to company </p><p>chief whips?" </p><p><BR><BR> </p>