In 1976 the first "international event" in Scientology was held. Diana Hubbard played the piano and people delivered speeches. The event was a flop because stats went down. LRH investigated and found that the event preparations cut across normal production by knocking people off the routine but vital functions of their posts. For example, instead of routing in bodies, body routers were calling in people for the event. Instead of getting in new people, Div Six executives were renting auditoriums, arranging for food, getting handouts printed, etc.
As a result of this obvious BAD IDEA, LRH wrote a Central Bureau Order in 1977 where he explained what happened, what he found on his investigation, and then it also included a full paragraph all in CAPS where he forever outlawed all "International events."
This issue was suppressed by David Miscavige but several people have seen it. The Admin Dictionary lists all CBOs, but only goes up to 1976, the year it was published.
When David Miscavige took out David Mayo and others standing in his way to totalitarian control of the Church of Scientology, he convinced LRH government plants ("bird dogs") had attempted a takeover of the Church. LRH tried to help by suggesting a temporary program of events whereby Scientologists and staff could beet their new executive structure. Three decades later this pattern of relentless international events is still ongoing, having been converted by David Miscavige into a highly remunerative propaganda/cash machine with no less than six major events throughout the year which sometimes increased up to eight: New Years, LRH's Birthday, May 9th, Celebrity Centre Anniversary event, Freewinds Maiden Voyage Anniversary, Auditor's Day, IAS Event. With such a hectic schedule, ALL of marketing and ALL of top management became little more than cogs in a mighty propaganda machine. People clapped and people cheered but no one was moving up the Bridge at events.
It works like this: marketing people were all captured and moved under one roof and put to work on relentless schedule of "releases" and "re-releases" of basic LRH materials and services. This has nothing to do with honest marketing, since that would primarily be concerned with driving new people in on orgs. Who cares if another extension course has gotten a new cover for the third time and was issued with a 2-fold flier? That is not marketing.
All the glitz, all the glamor, the speeches, the videos, the tuxedoes — it all had one purpose, "Cash or check?" Through the late 1990s the "event sales drill" was refined by David Miscavige. Staff were ordered to block the exits preventing public from leaving without their copy of the new release whatever it was. Sales patters were developed which consisted of asking the sales prospect various questions to show him why needed the new lectures or whatever. But in 2000 all this was cut short the first time David Miscavige ordered the sales patter to consist of three words: "Cash or check?" Somehow sales rose even higher and then people stopped coming back to events altogether.
