Corporate Events

Corporate Events

Greeting & Receiving

A significant part of developing business relationships includes the social element. These are the activities undertaken outside of the corporate atmosphere, and include cocktail receptions, business meals, and corporate events, amongst many others. Mind you, because they may occur outside of the boardrooms or traditional corporate space, certainly does not mean they should be treated with any less measure of respect. One must always remember that even though the invitation may be tempting to ‘cut loose’, there is always the day after, when you are expected to come face to face with those who may have been in attendance the evening before.

Attending the corporate event begins with understanding the invitation. Carefully review the invitation to appreciate the dress code and what it means. In Trinidad and Tobago, because we are such a creative people, we have developed our very own concept of a dress code called ‘elegantly casual’. Though we have seen this so often it has become part of our own cultural understanding of ‘what to wear’, for the sake of this piece, I shall utilize the European tradition. The invitation would usually advise of the following forms of dress, business formal, lounge suit, National dress, Informal, Formal / Formal Evening, Casual, or Sportswear. Codes of dress will be elaborated upon in a later article. However, it is very important to understand the style of dress for the business event. If you are not certain, it is better to call ahead to confirm.

If you are a guest at a more formal corporate event, upon arrival you should be met at the entrance and escorted to a formal receiving line. For a less formal corporate event, as a guest, it is your duty to mingle and introduce yourself to other event guests. Even though we tend to remain within our comfort zones, and choose to interact with those whom we may already have a relationship, it is advisable to introduce yourself as widely as you can to persons you many not already know, as this practice strengthens your networking skills. It is perfectly acceptable to introduce yourself, if there is no one to introduce you to others. In an earlier article I spoke about the art of introduction, remember it is an art and to approach with a smile, eye contact, and the handshake, whilst clearly and articulately stating your name.

If you are with your significant other, please make sure to introduce him or her to the person or group with whom you have just established an interaction.

If you are the host of a more formal styled corporate event, it is advisable to attempt as best as you can, to meet and greet all of your guests to make them feel that their presence is appreciated. If however, many of the guests may not know the host personally, it is also a good idea to appoint other company representatives to also act as greeters when the guests arrive. Their role will be to greet guests as they arrive, then escort the guests to the host, make the introductions, and then escort them to the primary event area.

For events with fifty [50] or more guests, a receiving line is preferable to ensure that the guests, as they arrive, will meet the host. The receiving line remains as is, until all of the guests have arrived. Of course, if the guest list is very exhaustive, it is acceptable to appoint other senior officials as co-hosts. A short receiving line is preferable as it allows for faster and more efficient movement. The receiving line is usually set up to the left of the reception room, if the space and layout permits.