Imagine you have to entertain a group of foreign business people. Which of the following activities would you choose? What would you add?

• historic sites • opera/concerts • motor racing • tennis

• bar/nightclub • wine tasting • golf • restaurant

• theatre • horse racing • football • art galleries

Many companies spend a lot of money on corporate entertaining. Do you think the money is well spent? Why or why not?

L1. Q 6.1 Listen to the interview with Lionel Prenat, Assistant Sales Director at the Novotel London West hotel. Then answer these questions.

1 What corporate events does he mention, apart from trade shows? Complete the words.

a) ex________________n

b)____rk_________s

c)____m_________s

d)_______________________

e) _G______________

2 What is Novotel's top priority? Complete this sentence.

'The most important thing is to make sure we provide the right venue, the

most suitable venue for the...................for them to..................

their aim and their...................'

l2. 6.2 Isabelle Macart is Assistant to the General Manager at Novotel London West. Listen to the first part of the interview, and decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).

1 The 'Five Senses Experience' is a programme about tasting food from the five continents.

2 It is designed for groups of between five and 90 people.

3 It gives people the opportunity to experience how they use their senses in their daily life.

L3. 7 6.3 Listen to the second part of the interview and cross out the words which are not spoken.

'... the great thing about the 'Five Senses' programme is that it gets most people talking freely, it breaks down cultural barriers and it gives people a memorable shared experience. It can help them to communicate successfully with and work with new colleagues, clients and customers in ways that are much more effective.'

V1. Put the following into a logical order for entertaining in a restaurant.

a) Look at the menu

b) Ask for the bill (BrE) / check (AmE)

c) Book a table (BrE) / Make a reservation {AmE) 1/

d) Leave a tip

e) Have the main course

f) Have a dessert

g) Order a starter

h) Have an aperitif

V2. Put each word in the box next to the appropriate group of adjectives to make word partnerships about restaurants.

atmosphere food location prices restaurant service

an elegant

a stylish

a popular

an exclusive

2 fast

friendly

efficient

3 a cosy

a friendly

a welcoming

4 to serve delicious

tasty

local

regional

exotic

5 to be in a convenient

an ideal

6 to charge reasonable

fair

V3. You plan to take a foreign visitor out to dinner. Rank these factors in order of importance when choosing a restaurant.

• atmosphere

• food

• location

• prices

• service

. Then, compare and discuss your ranking in pairs. Use some of the phrases in Exercise B to help you.

V4 How would you describe a typical dish from your country to a foreign visitor? Use these phrases to help you.

It's a meat dish /fish dish /rice dish /vegetarian dish /etc. It's a kind of seafood /vegetable /dessert /etc. It's quite spicy/rich /hot /sweet /salty/etc. It tastes a bit like chicken /lamb /etc. It's served with rice /pasta /a salad /etc.

R1. Discuss these questions.

1 How important is corporate entertaining

a) in your country? b) in your company/organisation?

2 Think about business visitors to your country.

• What places would you like them to visit?

• What events would you recommend?

• What other types of entertainment could you offer?

R2. Which of the following events and activities would business people from your country enjoy most?

1a Premier League or World Cup 4 hot-air ballooning football match

2 the Wimbledon tennis tournament 5 staying at a health spa

3 destroying a car with a tank 6 flying a jet fighter

R3. Read the article below. Tick (/) all the activities in Exercise B which are mentioned.

Corporate thrills reach new highs

Entertaining is no longer about cocktails and canapes - instead, it's toys and tanks. London firms are now taking their

favorite clients on driving lessons. The only difference is, it involves a tank, as well as target practice using the vehicle's guns. The winner of the day's contest gets a chance to run over a car with the tank. 'A lot of traditional corporate hospitality events like racing at Ascot and tennis at Wimbledon have been around for so long, and so many companies have actually done these things,' says Rachel Elnaugh, an entrepreneur. 'But every year they have the same clients they need to entertain, so they have to come up with new and exciting ideas.' Another event aimed at thrilling clients involves flying a jet fighter, reminiscent of the movie Top Gun with Tom Cruise But catching the imagination of corporate customers is expensive. Entertaining at events like the Henley Regatta near London costs $600 a day, while a corporate hospitality seat at the Wimbledon tennis tournament can set you back $2,000.

'The budgets are huge. But it is much more cost-effective to keep that customer than to try and find new ones,' Elnaugh says. A day in a tank costs $400 a head, while a 30-minute flight in a jet adds up to $1,000. If you want something more authentic, a ride in a MIG-29 jet fighter in Russia will set you back $18,000.'Entertainment firms are always looking out for new ideas, and increasingly they are actually creating events in response to what is in the media and what is popular,' Elnaugh says. Corporations are now able to offer trips up Everest or treks across Antarctica for their clients.

They try to offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience their clients are unlikely to forget, but hot-air ballooning and visits 50 to health spas are still more usual

From http://www.cnn.com

R4. Work in pairs. Complete three questions about the text above.

Student A: Turn to page 3 Student B: Turn to page 4

R 5. Complete these sentences with words from the article.

1 Companies have to come..................new and exciting ideas.

2 In Russia, a ride in a jet fighter will,.........you..........$18,000.

3 Entertainment firms are always looking..................new ideas.

6 Entertaining

Corporate entertainment

Discuss these questions.

1 How important is corporate entertaining

a) in your country? b) in your company/organisation?

2 Think about business visitors to your country.

• What places would you like them to visit?

• What events would you recommend?

• What other types of entertainment could you offer?

Which of the following events and activities would business people from your country enjoy most?

1a Premier League or World Cup 4 hot-air ballooning football match

2 the Wimbledon tennis tournament 5 staying at a health spa

3 destroying a car with a tank 6 flying a jet fighter

Read the article below. Tick (/) all the activities in Exercise B which are mentioned.

Corporate thrills reach new highs

Entertaining is no longer about cocktails and canapes - instead, it's toys and tanks.

London firms are now taking their favourite clients on driving lessons. The only difference is, it involves a tank, as well as target practice using the vehicle's guns. The winner of the day's contest gets a chance to run over a car with the tank.

'A lot of traditional corporate hospitality events like racing at Ascot and tennis at Wimbledon have been around for so long, and so many companies have actually done these things,' says Rachel Elnaugh, an entrepreneur. 'But every year they have the same clients they need to entertain, so they have to come up with new and exciting ideas. Another event aimed at thrilling clients involves flying a jet fighter, reminiscent of the movie Top Gun with Tom Cruise But catching the imagination of corporate customers is expensive. Entertaining at events like the Henley Regatta near London costs $600 a day, while a corporate hospitality seat at the Wimbledon tennis tournament can set you back $2,000. 'The budgets are huge. But it is much more cost-effective to keep that customer than to try and find nevv ones,' Elnaugh says. A day in a tank costs $400 a head, while a 30-minute flight in a jet adds up to $1,000. If you want something more authentic, a ride in a MIG-29 jet fighter in Russia will set you back $18,000.

'Entertainment firms are always looking out for new ideas, and increasingly they are actually creating events in response to what is in the media and what is popular,' Elnaugh says. Corporations are now able to offer trips up Everest or treks across Antarctica for their clients.

They try to offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience their clients are unlikely to forget, but hot-air ballooning and visits to health spas are still more usual

From http://www.cnn.com

Work in pairs. Complete three questions about the text above.

Student A: Turn to page 3. Student B: Turn to page 4.

Complete these sentences with words from the article.

1 Companies have to come..................new and exciting ideas.

2 In Russia, a ride in a jet fighter will,.........you..........$18,000.

3 Entertainment firms are always looking..................new ideas.

GRAMMAR

A multi-word verb is a verb and one or two particles (prepositions or Multi-word verbs | adverbs). • It is sometimes possible to guess the general meaning of multi-word | verbs from the context. August is too early for our conference. Let's put it off until October. (= to delay, I to arrange to do something at a later date) | • However, sometimes the meaning is difficult or impossible to guess. / turned down their offer. ( = to refuse)

L1. Two colleagues, Ana and Ben, are talking about their company's programme for some Taiwanese visitors. Listen to excerpts from their conversation and answer these questions.

1 Why did Alice have to change the hotel reservation?

2 What would the visitors like to do before they leave?

3 What happened two years ago?

L2. Complete the conversation with Ben's replies (a-h) below.

l 'Alice is looking after our guests from Taiwan.'

e) She loves taking care of visitors, doesn’t she?

2 'She had to change the hotel booking because several extra visitors turned up.'

3 'Our Sates Manager is taking them out tonight.'

4 'And they all want to look around the city before they go.'

5 'I certainly look forward to meeting their new Chief Executive.'

6 'I hope all staff can take part in the visitor programme.'

7 'They want us to visit them next year. We said we'd like to take up their invitation.'

8 'It was a shame to turn down their invitation to their sales conference two years ago.'

a) 'Do they really? It's a pity there aren't many places to visit.'

b) 'I agree. It was a mistake to refuse'

c) 1 know. She told me three more people arrived unexpectedly.'

d) 'Jeff has always loved socialising. I'm sure he'll entertain them very well.'

e) She loves taking care of visitors, doesn’t she?

f) 'So do I. It would be great if all of us got involved in it'

g) 'That's really kind. Of course we've got to accept'

h) 'Well, I think we're all really excited that we're going to meet her at last.'

L2 A Listen again to check your answers. Then practise the conversation excerpts in pairs.