Happy National Day!

 

How does a night of celebrations followed by a week long vacation sound? We're talking about China's National Day! Back on October 1st, 1949, The People's Republic of China was founded and it was designated National Day. 

Every year on this day, thousands of people and soldiers come to celebrate the annual flag raising in Tiananmen Square. After National Day, people are given an entire week off… no wonder it’s called “Golden Week.” People use the time to visit family members, shop, relax and go on vacation.

During Golden Week, the color red will be everywhere! Red is China's national color, it is considered lucky and stands for good fortune and happiness. If you're celebrating with friends and toasting,  remember out of respect, when you "clink" glasses be sure to keep your glass slightly lower than the host's.

Gan Bei! 
- DTE

 

Hipster Gin Marketing

 

#TBT to a most unusual event. Hendrick's (the Scottish gin in apothecary-style bottles) success was the main reason their parent company's operating profit jumped 10.6% one year. How did the "curious & unusual" brand do this?

Instead of targeting everyone, Hendrick's captured the hipster market (who want sophisticated exotic experiences but are allergic to mainstream marketing). They created magically immersive weird pop-up experiences to let hipsters experience the world of Hendrick's.

What does that world look like? Hendrick's "Emporium of the Unusual" events were full of ironic surprises like a wall with human hands "handing out" cocktails, a tightrope walker tiptoeing on Hendrick's bottles, and a woman on 20ft stilts hosting an invite-only tea party under her dress. There were hidden secrets everywhere to keep hipsters hooked and most importantly... asking for Hendrick's long after the event.  

Sláinte!
- DTE

 

The Seat of Honor

 

Welcome to our blog! Meet us here every week for interesting and useful ideas about events curated just for you. (And see what events we're creating!) 

First up, what's in a seating chart? In the U.S., the host always sits at the head of the table. In China, it's about modesty and showing respect. The highest ranking guest sits in the Seat of Honor (SOH), which is across from the entrance (see #1 above) OR if there are multiple entrances, the SOH is in the middle of the table facing east. The 2nd highest ranking guest sits to the right of the SOH. The 3rd highest ranking sits to the left of the SOH. And so on rotating from right and left around the (typically round) dinner table. 

If you're hosting an event for professionals, visitors or friends from China and don't want to offend people, remember this seating custom. Make the most of your dining experience and plan ahead of time who you offer the Seat of Honor to. As the host, your seat is always across the table from the Seat of Honor.

Here's one more tip - if you find yourself a guest at a Chinese event, hold back and wait for the guest of honor to be seated first. Don't be "that person" who sits down first and disrupts 5,000 years of tradition!

Happy Hosting!
- DTE  

Photo Credit: China Simplified 

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