As the vast political circus of the G8 and G20 summits wound up in Canada, it emerged yesterday that Britain may scale back the event when its turn to host the G8 comes round in 2013.
Self-styled "new kid on the block" in the group of world leaders David Cameron has already warned that the get-togethers risk becoming no more than elaborate talking shops, which cost huge sums and cause disruption to thousands but deliver little of lasting substance.
This weekend's gatherings in Muskoka and Toronto - staged at a reported cost of £645 million - have already attracted criticism for the minimal nature of their outcome.
And the spectacle of rioters setting fire to police cars in the streets of normally tranquil Toronto will have made city authorities around the globe think twice about the merits of hosting the political jamborees.
It is understood that Mr Cameron is interested in the possibility of returning to the "fireside chat" model originally adopted when the first meeting of what was then the G7 was convened by former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing in the 1970s.
Such an approach could spell the end for the lengthy communiques covering every conceivable subject which are now thrashed out over a period of months by teams of "sherpas" before being given the leaders' seal of approval at the summit.
The Prime Minister is thought to favour a tighter, more strategic approach, focusing on issues of foreign affairs, security and aid, and allowing the leaders the freedom to engage in genuine discussion as a small group, rather than reading out pre-prepared statements.
Scaling back the vast retinue of aides and advisers who currently attend each of the leaders could allow them more opportunity to get to know one another as individuals and develop a personal rapport.
Serious consideration is understood to be underway in Downing Street to trialling this approach in 2013.
To save costs, the G8 could be linked to other international events already attended by the leaders of the countries involved - Britain, the US, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia.
And the new G20 grouping - which came to prominence in the financial crisis and includes major economic powers China, India and Brazil and representatives of all continents, including South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Australia - could take on the more formal role of developing and coordinating specific international action on issues like the economy and climate change.
The idea has even been floated of Britain hosting its G8 in another country if that is more practical than selecting and preparing a venue in the UK.