Business Dinner Etiquette

A formal dinner always seems to intimidate people. Amateurs or those experiencing this for the first time are often found to be hesitant and seem to be at loss. However, if one follows a certain set of rules and remembers certain things, he/she can confidently face business dinner without being nervous.

Basic Business Dinner Rules
One is expected to follow certain codes of conduct right from arrival, dinner to departure.

Arrival
The rules and etiquette for a business dinner begin right from the time you arrive as a guest or a host to the event. The following are the simple rules that one should keep in mind as business dining etiquette.

• Arriving on the scheduled time is very important during a formal function. If you are the host, it is advisable to reach the venue earlier to check the arrangement and the menu.
• If you are going to be late as a guest, call up the host and inform him well in advance.
• As a guest, Do Not ever get a gift or flowers for the host during a formal dinner.
• The gentlemen are always expected to escort the ladies and also help her remove coats or raincoats and pass it to the attendants.
• The host is required to assist the guests in sitting arrangement or inform them where they need to be seated.
• The guests, on the other hand, should not be seated before they have been informed about the sitting arrangement. However, they can be seated in case there are placards placed on tables.

Dinner
Table manners always play an important role in making a positive impression. Specially these manners and rules are needed in formal functions and dinners. Here are formal dinner etiquette that one needs to follow as a host or a guest.

• One should not place bags, cell phones, etc. on the dining table. The napkin should be placed on the lap.
• The guests should not begin the meal before everyone's served. The hosts, on the other hand, should begin eating when everyone is served as the guests follow the hosts.
• With a proper formal table setting, one should begin with the outermost cutlery and work one's way in. if in doubt, follow the host.
• In the European style, the food is cut with the knife in the right hand, and eaten with the fork in the left. Whereas, in American style, the food is cut with the knife in the right hand and then eaten by switching the fork to the right hand.
• The used cutlery should never be placed on the table; rather place them back in the plate.
• It is advisable to maintain a proper pace that matches with the rest of the diners while eating.

Departure
Of course, the bill or the check is collected by the host and dealt with discretion. It is also a proper business dinner etiquette for the host to pay for the business clients. In a uber-formal dinner, the gentlemen are expected to assist the ladies when they rise from the chair. Once the guests have left, the host must thank the waiter or the assistant in the hotel for the service and leave.

These were some formal dinner etiquette that one needs to follow when hosting a formal dinner or being a guest. So, the next time, do not get intimidated, a bit of practice and following these tips will help you attend these events confidently. Good luck!