The Formal Place Setting The diagram above represents a standard place setting. The place setting will vary depending on the type of food being served. For example, if seafood is being served there will be an additional fork and knife. Also, the dessert fork may be placed above the dinner plate along with a dessert spoon.
Meeting professionals report that attendees
comment on the food and beverage portion of a program more than
anything else. Over the years, attendees' tastes have become
more sophisticated, and the days of ho-hum metal chafing dishes
serving rubbery chicken are long gone. As food quality has
become more important, so has dining etiquette. Many deals are
made over a meal and proper manners are essential.
With this in mind, Cheryl Cox, founder of the Grand Strand
Bridal Association in Myrtle Beach, SC, has created a business
dining etiquette class for those visiting the area.
"Many are familiar with CliffsNotes guides as tools to help
understand literature," says Cox. "This session offers a
CliffsNotes of business dining etiquette. When invited to a
business lunch, dinner, or a cocktail party, you want to be at
ease, comfortably knowing what to do and when to do it. And
what better way to learn by experiencing that firsthand during
dinner?"
Litchfield Plantation, an expansive event venue in Pawley's
Island, SC, was the setting for a recent business dining class
that Cox designed for a group of certified financial planners.
The attendees were instructed to dress in business attire.
After cocktails and hors d'oeurves, the group sat down at a
well-appointed table where they got to work, learning about
place settings, white-glove service, menu presentation, wine
selection, and tipping. "We polished any dining etiquette rough
edges in a relaxed but invigorating learning environment, adds
Cox. "Everyone enjoyed it. It wasn't intimidating. It was a
pleasant evening with good food, wine, and company."
The group learned that the dinner plate is the hub of a place
setting. The forks are to the left of the plate and are
arranged according to when you need to use them, from the
outside in. The dinner knife is placed to the right of the
plate, cutting edge facing inward. Spoons go to the right of
the knife. Drinking glasses of any kind are placed at the top
right of the dinner plate. If a salad plate is being used, it
is placed to the left of the forks and the bread plate goes
above.
If one thinks plates and utensils are confusing, wait until
stemware is added to the mix. In the shape of a triangle, the
dessert glass forms the highest point. The water goblet is
angled to the lower left of the dessert glass, and the glasses
for red and white wine are placed on the lower right side.
Other etiquette tips that are addressed include asking about
dietary needs when setting up a meeting. During a business
dinner, it is common courtesy for a man to pull out the chair
for a woman. When you get up from a table, your napkin should
be neatly folded in your chair. If you put your napkin on the
table, this signals you have ended your meal and that you want
the check.
Cox can personalize a class according to a group's needs.
"Dining etiquette plays an important role in making a favorable
impression in social as well as business environments. It's
important to occasionally assess the state of your manners and
brush up on these important skills," adds Cox.