How to do lunch

The concept of hosting a business lunch may not seem overly challenging - that is until your booking goes missing, a guest suffers an allergic reaction and the rest of your guests sit in vilifying silence. AB's Agnes Gajewska speaks to the experts to find out how to put it all together so you don't end up with egg on your face...or a prawn sandwich in your lap.

While heading over to a fancy restaurant or caf‚ for a pleasant meal and some informal business talk is an agreeable way to spend the afternoon, this engagement is also likely to have a major impact on how your clients view you and your business.

Set the table!

According to the experts, preparation and organisation are of absolute importance. A business lunch, although much more casual than a conference or meeting, is still a business event and should be approached that way.

"The organisation of the lunch reflects [your] organisation's overall approach to customer service and assists in building the perception of the organisation that the attendee is dealing with," explains National Brokers Group CEO, Stephen Lambert,

"For many persons attending the function this may be their first exposure to the company and therefore the culture and delivery must reflect these key values."

BankWest BDM Jennifer Wood agrees: "You don't really want to spend a whole lot of time and money on something that you don't get a whole lot of benefit from."

Wood advises that prior to arranging the tangible aspects of the event, the host should think about and list clear objectives and results that they would like to achieve from the event.

"The more you prepare yourself, the more you'll get out of the meeting," she says.

She further suggests that a host should research their guests, prepare conversation topics and questions to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible.

Lambert agrees adding that if a broker is conducting a product launch or a discussion on a specific subject, having a few conversational points can come in particularly handy.

Up to date

Selecting a date for the lunch is extremely important, but can be something of a balancing act. You need to ensure that you give enough notice so that your guests are able to make it, and so that the finer details can be arranged, but should not be too far off that your lunch loses the sense of excitement that goes hand-in-hand with immediacy.

According to Wood four to six weeks' notice is usually ideal.

On a practical note, owner of Milsons restaurant, Richard Nicoll, says that although the booking timeframe changes with the number of guests, a good organiser should plan a month in advance for any booking of more than twelve people.

However, around busier times, such as Christmas, you need to give at least two months' notice to ensure your event can be slotted in between the glut of other business and personal Christmas functions that fill diaries around this time.

Lambert also adds that Mondays, Fridays or the days before long weekends should be avoided. "Watch out for local special events that might impact on parking, transport and attendees," he adds.

Location matters

The place you choose to host your business lunch can make or break it; the general rule is cater to the needs and expectations of your guests - no matter how ideally you've planned a meeting, it'll be hard to convince people to travel for several kilometres (and hours) to be there.

"You've got to think about all aspects of your function for each person that you've invited," Wood says, adding that this includes noting where they are located. "It has to be close for people," she explains.

She further adds that in selecting a location, you need to take public transport as well as parking into account, and ensure each of these won't be a hassle for your invitees.

There's nothing worse though than a drab restaurant with pictures of the Greek Islands taken in 1980s or a faded Harley Davidson (unless that's the vibe you are after) for decoration.

Lambert says careful thought must be given to the look of the restaurant: "A venue should reflect the value of the attendees," he says.

On a practical note, Wood also warns lunch hosts to consider the sound dynamics of the place. "You don't want anywhere too noisy because you want everyone to be able to hear each other and interact well," she says.

However she warns that if a place is too quiet it can make people feel awkward and it can suppress conversation. She suggests that when searching for a venue, a host should seek out the middle ground and always check out a few places before making a decision.

Food for thought

With the venue selected, the cuisine is the next thing to consider. Depending on the size and formality of the lunch you may choose to arrange for a set menu or allow guests to order a la carte. However an important aspect to consider is dietary requirements - one or more of your guests could be allergic to nuts, be lactose or glucose intolerant or be vegetarian or vegan. In addition serving things like pork or crayfish could be a disaster if some of your guests are Jews or Muslims.

Both Wood and Lambert suggest that you ask your guests about their particular needs and ensure that they can be catered for.

If you've decided to forgo a set menu, it's a good idea to speak with the restaurant to confirm that there are options on the menu for each of your guests.

If you select a set menu, you should speak directly with the restaurant and ensure this will suit everyone.

Speaking to your restaurant about food options can also be beneficial in a financial sense.

Richard Nicoll advises brokers that if they're working to a budget, then discussing this when making the booking can be advantageous.

"Often a budget is a big thing, so we can work around that," he says "for example instead of doing three courses with choice, we can do an alternative. There are always ways we can work around that."

Wining and dining

A glass of wine with lunch can be nice; a group of drunk guests, decidedly less so.

So to avoid awkward situations, Wood warns hosts to think about their alcohol decisions. "Too much alcohol should be avoided," she says.

"Luckily, especially if you're the one paying, you can control that quite easily. Just have a couple of bottles on the table and try to work to a limit of two glasses per person."

Bits and pieces

Once you've got the main elements in place, there are still a few issues to consider.

A business lunch is generally not going to be formal enough to require place names, so if you'd like to stimulate conversation you might need to use your wit and charm.

According to Wood, the best results are achieved when people are from mixed and varied backgrounds. To achieve this she suggests you gently coax people or suggest particular seats to them.

Extending from this point she adds that major competitors or people who are known to disagree should not be placed near each other. In the event that a personality clash can't be avoided, she suggests having a contingency plan up your sleeve just in case an argument breaks out.

"Try to divert or change conversation away from the heated subject, and steer people to talk to other people. A bit of humour always helps to lighten the mood."

Lambert adds that in a setting where a presentation is being given, you should always arrange for a quiet entry point for late comers so as not to cause a disruption or unnecessary embarrassment.

Ending on a good note

Finishing the event should also be approached with some caution. While it is important to ensure that your lunch doesn't finish in the evening, you shouldn't appear too eager to wrap it up.

Lambert suggests that a good way to signal the end of the event is by stating how much you appreciated developing the relationship with your guests.

Wood agrees: "Thanking everyone for coming is definitely the right move," she says.

And, naturally, according to all experts, the host should always foot the bill, including any extra drinks that may be ordered (within reason).

To round it all off, both Lambert and Wood suggest a follow up email be sent out thanking all those who attended and letting them know that you are looking forward to seeing them at a follow-up event.