The laptop starts to give off smoke, so they call the IT department ?! Well ok, they are marketing people so they can't be expected to know much.

The IT guy, having been told that the laptop (powered by a lithium battery) has been giving off smoke, then 'gives it a once-over' and puts it back on the desk (presumably turning it on to see if it works). Maybe it's because he's an Apple-IT guy, does that explain it?

What happened to common sense and the instinct for self preservation? These things are known to be a fire/explosion risk. Admittedly this risk is small but it is well documented and you can even watch examples of them going up in smoke and flames on You Tube.