Staying true to DNA doesn't mean you can never surprise. It means the surprise has to fit.
A formal, traditional company doesn't need to be stuck with a dull dinner. But the surprise has to land right: an unexpected home-grown speaker rather than a stand-up comedian nobody knows.
Work in layers: 70 per cent recognition, 20 per cent challenge, 10 per cent pure surprise. The recognition makes people feel safe. The challenge nudges them a little further than they'd pick themselves. The surprise is what they're still talking about years later.
Surprising without DNA is a party trick. Surprising within DNA is a message.