4.1.10. Social Occasions

There are numerous occasions when your business life and your social life become intermingled. These events include:

• Meals at home with colleagues or business associates

• Business hospitality events

• Office parties

Business entertaining at home usually involves the host and his guests' partners and can range from a homely supper for a visiting colleague from another town to a full dress dinner for the board of a newly acquired subsidiary. Some basic principles apply to all such occasions:

1. The courtesies of invitation are the same as for any business meal. However, the host must also check his guests' dietary requirements ─ discovering too late that you are presenting roast beef to a strict vegan can be embarrassing to say the least! In the same way you should always be ready to offer soft drinks to any guest who prefers them to alcohol.

2. It is usually bad manners and boring to those not involved to discuss business.

3. Hosts and guests and their partners should act natu­rally. This includes offering simple but well-prepared food rather than elaborate failures. The host should judge what will best please his guests and meet that expectation. Equally, the guests should respond amicably to what the host offers.

4. It is customary for the guest to bring a small gift on arrival (chocolates or something similar) and perhaps to send flowers as an additional thank-you after the event.

Hospitality events

These are increasingly common and may involve you, either as host or guest, in a sporting, cultural or activity event. The idea is to combine business with pleasure. Additional points to remember:

• Try to match your guests to the event (four hours of Wagner at Covent Garden may not be to everyone's taste).

• Always make sure that your guest knows the expected form of dress.

• Never ply your guests with alcohol if they are driving to the event (alternatively, many hosts arrange taxis or buses for their guests).

Office parties

Many people regard office parties as opportunities to unwind. The rules for surviving office parties are as follows:

• Stay sober.

• Don't gossip or be indiscreet.

• The more senior you are, the earlier you should leave.

• Don't hold post mortems or remind people the next day of what they said or did.

Assignments

І Suggest the Ukrainian equivalents of the words and phrases below:

hospitality events; newly acquired subsidiary; dietary requirements; vegan; elaborate failure; post mortem; business associate; business entertaining; full dress dinner; roast beef; soft drink; to meet expectations; to respond amicably; to match the guest to the event; to unwind; sober; gossip.

II.Find English equivalents to the following words and phrases:

аналіз події після її закінчення; дієтичні уподобання; виправдати очікування; ретельно продуманий, але невдало реалізований; гостинність.

ІII. Answer the questions:

1. In what occasions does your business life and your social life become intermingled?

2. Why is it so important for the host to know his guests’ dietary requirements?

3. What other rules of good manners are applied to social occasions?

4. What additional points are to be followed by the host on hospitality events?

5. How are the office parties regarded by some people?

6. What are the rules for surviving office parties?

IV. Translate into English:

1. Перед тим, як запросити ділових партнерів на обід, необхідно ознайомитися з їх уподобаннями щодо їжі.

2. Я не примушую гостей вживати алкогольні напої, якщо я знаю, що вони за кермом.