Banquet preparation etiquette
1. Determine the object, scope and specifications of the banquet.
The purpose of banquets is generally very clear, such as getting together on holidays, visiting VIPs, working exchanges, wedding birthdays and so on. Determine the object and scope of the banquet according to different purposes, that is, who to invite, how many people to invite, and list the guests. The relationship between guests should be taken into account when determining the invitation object to avoid unpleasant and embarrassing situations. The determination of banquet specifications generally takes into account the highest status, number, purpose and guests of the attendees. If the specification is too low, it will appear rude; Too high a specification will cause waste.
2. Determine the time and place of the banquet.
The time and place of the banquet should be determined according to the purpose of the banquet and the situation of the guests. Generally speaking, the time of the banquet should be suitable for both guests and guests. It's best to ask the guests' opinions in advance to make it as convenient as possible and avoid conflicts with work and life arrangements. It is usually arranged at 6 ~ 8 pm. In the choice of time, it is not appropriate to arrange the date and time in the other party's major festivals, important activities or taboo occasions. For example, Europeans and Americans taboo "13", Japanese taboo "4" and "9", and try to avoid the above numbers during the banquet. The location of the banquet also depends on the traffic, banquet specifications and the situation of the guests. If it is an official grand banquet, it is usually arranged in the parliament building of * * * or the hotel where the guests are staying; Banquets of enterprises and institutions can be held in the hotel or nearby hotels of the unit if conditions permit.
invite
There are two forms of invitation, one is oral and the other is written. Oral invitation is to inform the other party of the purpose, name, scope, time and place of the invitation in person or by telephone, and then wait for the other party's reply, and then arrange the activities after the other party agrees. There are also two ways of written invitation, one is to send an "invitation"; Another way is to write a "memo", which is rarely used at present. Written invitation should pay attention to the following etiquette:
1 master the transmission time. Domestic invitations are generally 3 to 7 days in advance according to the distance of the invited person. If it is too early, guests may forget it because of the long date; It was too late, which caught the guests off guard and made it difficult to be invited as scheduled.
2. How to send an invitation? The invitation should specify the purpose, name, time and place of the banquet, and then send it to the guests. After the invitation letter is issued, the attendance should be implemented in time and recorded in order to arrange and adjust the seats. Even for activities without seats, the attendance rate should be estimated.
The following points should be noted in the writing of the invitation letter:
The first is to write clearly the purpose. The purpose is very clear, that is, to explain "why do you want to hold a banquet?" The general writing is, what kind of activities will be held somewhere on a certain day of a certain year, and then invite the other party to come.
Second, there are no punctuation marks. General Chinese invitations are without punctuation. If a banquet is held for state guests, the national emblem should be printed on the invitation. Punctuation marks can also be used in more complex words.
The third is the writing format. The writing format is shown in Figure 5- 1. Of course, there are also some small banquets or gatherings of close friends, so it is not necessary to strictly follow this format. You can simply write down a banquet reception or family dinner on a certain day in a certain year.
The fourth is the wording. The words on the invitation must be concise, clear and accurate, and the time, place and names of people should be checked repeatedly to be correct and foolproof. The wording should be elegant, kind and appropriate. For example, you can't write "tea" as "tea has been served", you can't write "death" as "death", you can't write "please come to the scene on time", you can't write "hereby notify" as "hereby notify" and so on. In addition, don't write "lovers" to unmarried people, and write "lovers" to widowed people, which will make the other person feel sad. This is rude.
The above four aspects should not be disrespected, otherwise it will bring serious losses to the image of individuals or organizations. In short, no matter what kind of invitation, we should be sincere, enthusiastic and sincere. After the invitation is sent out, we should get in touch with the invitees in time so as to prepare for the guests' dinner.
4. Arrangement of recipes
The determination of banquet menu should be based on the specifications of the banquet, so-called "see the guests order." The general principle should consider the identity of the guests and the purpose of the banquet, and be frugal and decent. The whole table menu should be hot and cold, with different emphasis on meat and vegetables. It not only highlights abalone, shark's fin and other main dishes to show the grade of Lai cuisine, but also matches general dishes to adjust the taste of guests, such as special stir-fried dishes and traditional local flavor Lai, to show the richness of dishes. The specific dishes should be determined according to the tastes of most guests, especially to take care of their eating habits. For example, many foreign guests don't like our food, especially sea cucumbers; * * * Christians * * seats, no wine, not even any alcoholic drinks and pork; Hinduism doesn't eat beef, Manchu doesn't eat dog meat, and so on. All these taboos should be taken into account when choosing dishes.
5. Seating etiquette
Chinese banquets are generally arranged in a round table, with a table for 8 ~ 12 people. If there are two or more tables to arrange the banquet, the table arrangement should be based on the principle of "facing the door first, focusing on the near, focusing on the middle and focusing on the right", and other tables should be based on the principle of "focusing on the near, focusing on the far, focusing on the right and focusing on the left" from the main table.
6. Banquet planning
When welcoming guests, the host usually greets them at the door. In addition to the host, there are a few other main officials who accompany the host to queue up to welcome guests, which is usually called the welcome line, and its position is generally before the guests enter the lounge to store their clothes after entering the door. After shaking hands with the guests, the staff will lead the guests into the lounge or directly into the banquet hall. When the guests arrive, the host will accompany them into the banquet hall. All the guests will be seated and the party will begin. If the banquet is large, guests outside the main table can be invited to sit down first, and the distinguished guests will sit down later. If there is a formal speech, both the guest and the host can speak as soon as they are seated, or they can arrange for the host to speak after the hot dishes and before the dessert, and then the guest and the host will speak. The speaking time of buffets and receptions is more flexible. After eating the fruit, the host and guests stood up and the party was over.
Matters needing attention in choosing banquet restaurant
The first thing in the banquet is to choose a restaurant. Experienced people know that dinner at a formal banquet is eating environment. When choosing a restaurant, you can grasp:
The food is delicious. Mainly to adapt to the eating habits, preferences and tastes of invited guests. You can know the situation of the guests in advance through various channels. For example, if you know a guest's birthplace, where he grew up and where he worked for a long time, you can get a general idea of his favorite tastes. If the guests have no special requirements, they will choose according to the intention of the guests' top leaders. If it is the first time to invite this guest to dinner, the most polite and appropriate way is to ask the guest himself, "What can't I eat?" This is because there are national taboos, religious taboos, professional taboos and pure personal taboos. For example, * * *, don't eat animal blood, Manchu people don't eat dog meat.
2. Equal status. The choice of high, middle and low-grade restaurants depends on the identity of the guests and the identity of the guests. Of course, the higher the leadership position, the higher the level of the restaurant, or the greater the reputation.
I am familiar with it. Choose a place that is familiar to the invitee or guest. If the waiter and manager of the restaurant are familiar with a certain party and can call out the other party's name, it will make the guests very happy and at ease.
4. Convenient transportation. Whether the place where guests are invited to eat is famous or not depends on many factors such as grade, cost and level. Places close to major traffic routes, smooth traffic in and out, close to guests and easy to reach are not restricted by the above factors. If there are more guests invited, it is also necessary to consider that the surrounding parking lot is relatively spacious, otherwise it is also one thing that the car has no place to park. People happily drove a fancy car to your party, and as a result, the car pulled over and was scratched. Do you think it will affect your mood? So traffic and parking should be taken into account.
5. Be distinctive. Although some restaurants are not high-grade, they are very distinctive and can leave a deep impression on guests. Now many leaders no longer like to spend a lot of money to eat high-end dishes, but just want to eat delicious and distinctive meals. So choosing a good restaurant can not only save money, but also achieve the same goal.
The environment is better. First of all, be hygienic. Everyone is sitting on the table, flies are flying around, mosquitoes are biting, and even the best food is not at ease. Not only the dining environment is good, but also the hygiene of the bathroom should be taken into account. In many hotels, the toilets are poor in hygiene, smelly and smelly, and they have no appetite after going to the toilet, which affects their appetite. Be careful not to choose a room near the bathroom, in order to avoid poor hygiene, or there are many people going to the bathroom, which is close to the dining place and affects appetite and mood. Then there is safety. The interior and surrounding environment of the restaurant should be safe. It is easy to evacuate under special circumstances. Because the weather is unpredictable and beyond our control, it is difficult to assume the responsibility of inviting others to dinner in good faith. Therefore, all problems are anticipated, prevented and ensured to be foolproof.