Business English - Welcoming and Hosting Business Visitors

Activity 1: Let's Get Started! (Warm-up)

Why is it important to make a good first impression when welcoming business visitors to your company?
What are some key things to prepare or consider before a business visitor arrives at your office?
Describe a time you were a business visitor or hosted one. What made the experience positive or negative?

Activity 2: New Words & Phrases (Vocabulary)

Let's explore some essential terms and phrases for welcoming and hosting business visitors professionally and courteously.

1. Hospitality (noun): The friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

Example: Our company prides itself on its warm hospitality towards all visiting clients and partners.

2. Itinerary (noun): A detailed plan for a journey or a visit, including a list of places to visit, meetings, and timings.

Example: We've prepared a detailed itinerary for your visit, including a tour of our facilities and meetings with key department heads.

3. Refreshments (noun, usually plural): Light snacks and drinks, especially those provided at a meeting or event.

Example: Please help yourself to some refreshments in the meeting room before we begin.

4. Make someone feel welcome (idiom): To act in a friendly and hospitable way towards a guest or visitor so that they feel comfortable and happy.

Example: Our main goal is to make our international visitors feel welcome and comfortable during their stay.

5. Show someone around (phrasal verb): To guide someone through a place, such as a building or an office, pointing out interesting or important features.

Example: After the initial introductions, I'd be happy to show you around our main production facility.

Activity 3: Reading - Hosting International Partners

Read the following scenario about a company preparing for and hosting important business visitors from another country.

Global Solutions Inc. was preparing to host a delegation of potential business partners from Japan. The team, led by project manager Sarah, wanted to ensure they extended excellent hospitality. Weeks before the visit, Sarah's team drafted a detailed itinerary. This included airport pick-up, hotel arrangements, a schedule of meetings, a tour of their headquarters, and even a planned dinner at a well-regarded local restaurant.

On the day of arrival, Sarah met the visitors at the airport with a clear sign. "Welcome to New York! I'm Sarah from Global Solutions. We're so pleased to have you," she greeted them warmly. She ensured their transport to the hotel was smooth. The next day, at the office, the visitors were greeted with refreshments. Sarah began the day by saying, "We've prepared an itinerary for your visit, which I hope you'll find informative. Our aim is to make you feel welcome and to provide a comprehensive overview of our operations." She then proceeded to show them around the key departments, introducing them to team members. Throughout their visit, Sarah and her team were attentive to their guests' needs, ensuring all meetings ran on time and any questions were promptly answered. The Japanese visitors were very impressed with the professionalism and warm hospitality, which laid a strong foundation for future collaboration.

Comprehension Questions:

After reading the passage, answer the following questions:

What preparations did Sarah's team make before the Japanese visitors arrived?
How did Sarah greet the visitors and make them feel welcome upon their arrival?
What were some of the key elements of hospitality shown by Global Solutions Inc. during the visit?
What was the impact of the company's efforts in hosting the visitors?

Activity 4: Role Play - Welcoming a Client to the Office

Read the following dialogue with a partner. One person can be Liam (Host), and the other can be Ms. Davis (Visitor).

Liam: Good morning, Ms. Davis! Welcome to Innovatech. I'm Liam Smith. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person.

Ms. Davis: Good morning, Liam. Thank you for having me. It's great to be here.

Liam: We're delighted to host you. Did you have any trouble finding us? Can I offer you some coffee, tea, or other refreshments before we start?

Ms. Davis: No trouble at all, your directions were very clear. And a coffee would be lovely, thank you.

Liam: Excellent. Please, come this way. We have a meeting room prepared. We've put together a brief itinerary for your visit today, which includes our discussion, a quick tour, and lunch.

Ms. Davis: That sounds wonderful. I appreciate the thorough planning.

Liam: Our pleasure. We really want to make you feel welcome. Once we're settled in the meeting room, I'd be happy to show you around the office a bit later, if you're interested.

Ms. Davis: I'd like that very much. It's always good to get a feel for the company culture.

Liam: Great. Well, please make yourself comfortable. We're looking forward to a productive discussion.

Ms. Davis: Thank you, Liam. I am too.

Discuss Together:

After reading or performing the dialogue, discuss the following with a partner:

What specific phrases and actions did Liam use to welcome Ms. Davis and offer hospitality?
How did Liam set a positive and professional tone for the visit?

Activity 5: Let's Practice - Greeting a Visitor at Reception

Objective: Practice welcoming business visitors and offering initial hospitality using key vocabulary.

Scenario: You (as Ben, an Office Administrator) are greeting a visitor, Mr. Tanaka, who has just arrived at your company's reception for a meeting. Fill in your part of the dialogue using vocabulary from Activity 2.

Mr. Tanaka: "Good morning, I have a 10 AM appointment with Ms. Evans."

Ben: "Good morning, Mr. Tanaka! Welcome to our office. Yes, Ms. Evans is expecting you. We aim to offer all our guests excellent . Please have a seat for a moment. Can I get you any while you wait? Coffee, tea, water?"

Mr. Tanaka: "Water would be great, thank you."

Ben: "Certainly. Ms. Evans has prepared a brief for your visit today. She'll be down to greet you shortly and then you our new innovation lab. We hope we can you ."

Mr. Tanaka: "That sounds very well organized. Thank you very much."

Try to fill in the blanks with the correct words or phrases from Activity 2. (Note: some blanks may form parts of idioms/phrasal verbs).