Tag: #Etiquette

Afternoon Tea with an Expert

On Monday 19th October the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain organised an exclusive afternoon tea in collaboration with The Bentley London Hotel, a member of the Spanish Chamber. Ms. Raquel Lozano, Director of Sales & Marketing at the hotel, was our exceptional host for the event which was led by Mr. Richard Birtchnell, Toastmaster and Past President of the prestigious Society of London Toastmasters. The event took place in the 1880 Room, a private space which favoured the relaxed and sophisticated atmosphere guests experienced throughout the evening.

Sandwiches, cakes and of course the king of the party: tea. Everything was ready for a perfect evening at The Bentley London.

Ms. Raquel Lozano welcomed attendees to the hotel on this special occasion before giving the floor to Mr. Richard Birtchnell. He provided the attendees with an overview about the afternoon tea tradition, which began in Victorian times to relieve the hunger between lunch and dinner.

Once the tea had been served, it was time for Mr. Birtchnell to talk about the different kinds of food that are usually eaten during the typical afternoon tea and explained in which order each should be eaten. On this occasion, attendees could enjoy a variety of cold sandwiches – ranging from the classics smoked salmon or cucumber to a more modern coronation chicken- , traditional scones served with jam and clotted cream and a wide range of pastries and cakes.

Mr. Richard Birtchnell, Past President of the Society of Toast Masters, led guests through the do’s and dont’s of the tradition of the afternoon tea.

Having discussed the tradition of afternoon tea, and with guests savouring the many treats in front of them, Mr. Birtchnell moved on to the next topic in the agenda: etiquette and protocol. Using his vast experience working with royalty, government, high-profile guests and institutional representatives, he offered an overview of how protocol works in practical terms and shared a few anecdotes with guests before concluding.

After this, attendees had time to mingle over tea and pastries and they enjoyed a guided tour led by our host Ms. Raquel Lozano around the hotel premises.

The 1880 room, where the event took place, did not fail to impress our attendees.

We would very much like to thank all participants for joining us on this occasion. We are also sincerely grateful to Ms. Raquel Lozano and The Bentley London Hotel for kindly hosting this exclusive event and to Mr. Richard Birtchnell for making this activity a memorable evening for all attendees.

Do not forget to keep an eye on our UPCOMING EVENTS section to learn more about future activities and events of the Spanish Chamber.

02/11/2015
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE: RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL NETWORKING

On Thursday 19^thFebruary we held the seminar “Business Etiquette for the XXI Century”, in collaboration with Leisure and Care.

Igor Urra, General Secretary of the Spanish Chamber, welcomed attendees on behalf of our institution and introduced Cristina González, the speaker for this session. She has combined a long career as a travel manager with her passion towards protocol, as she has been teaching it at different Protocol Schools in Spain. Nowadays, she is fully committed to Leisure and Care, the company that she recently created.

Mr. Igor Urra, our Secretary General, with Cristina González, speaker of the event.

Cristina introduced the session thinking out loud about what protocol means. In her own words, protocol is more than long dresses, wealthy people and fancy events. It is about rules and standards that make people’s personal and professional lives easier. The speaker focused, specifically, on basic Business Etiquette – or Protocol applied to business – rules that can help professionals to improve results while networking and attending meetings.

Nowadays, businesses have to deal with getting out there and making connections, this is the reason why, regarding Business Networking, Cristina mentioned that when going to an event one must have a plan to try to connect with, at least, three new people who could be beneficial for the business. Mainly because, sticking to those we already know will make us feel comfortable, but it will not help us to develop our contact network. On top of that, the speaker reminded us that important as it is to make contacts, it is essential to find reasons to reach out to them and keep in touch.

Cristina González, founder of Leisure and Care, during her presentation.

During the second part of the seminar, Cristina enlightened the audience on how manners can make the difference in the business world. She introduced several rules that, if followed one will not face the risk of losing any business because of an unprofessional behaviour. For instance, being on time and preparing the meeting ahead is essential, so that we do not waste anyone’s time; sitting appropriately – adjusting the chair so that everyone is at equal height – ; dressing according to the occasion – fifty-five percent of a good impression is based on how you look – and having a strong agenda will help you succeed.

At the end of the session, attendees took the opportunity to ask Cristina about unresolved questions around protocol and exchanged their views on the topic. After this, participants continued networking while enjoying some breakfast.

Participants had the opportunity to network after the seminar.

If you want to find out about other activities that the Spanish Chamber is organising, we encourage you to keep an eye on our UPCOMING EVENTS section within our website. Furthermore, you can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter in order to receive updates on our events!

03/03/2015

Tag: #Etiquette

Afternoon Tea with an Expert

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE: RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL NETWORKING