A six-point guide to
business etiquette
Don’t confine
business to the office.
“
You meet editors
from Vogue Italia in
the [Bulgari Hotel’s
garden] bar and party
through four fashion
weeks each year,” says
fashion designer Arthur
Arbesser.
Don't be late.
Tardy
timekeeping may be
part and parcel of
doing business in the
provinces, but not in
Milan. At the city’s
principal design, food
and fashion fairs,
locals plan scores of
meetings every day and
commerce can’t afford
to wait.
Listen.
“
When meeting
a Milanese person who
is putting forward an
idea, pay attention to
their behaviour, their
manners or their way of
acting and speaking,”
says chef Marchesi.
Think long term.
Many Milanese firms
are family run. Be
polite and pragmatic,
and plan for several
meetings before you
sign on the dotted line.
Order coffee.
It;s the
only way to start a
meeting, according
to industrial designer
Raffaella Mangiarott
“
Much better decisions
are made when you're
sipping a caffè.”
Where you meet
is key.
For a royal
rendezvous, head to
one of Milan’s ritziest
hotels. The Caffè
Baglioni in the Hotel
Balgioni (baglionihotels.
com) is an oak-
panelled vision of
utter sumptuousness.
MILAN
MANNERS
quieter stretches. I'm
usually zipping around
the city in my car but,
between meetings, I'm
happiest simply wandering
through the atmospheric
quarters. Head to the Brera
neighbourhood, where the
narrow streets are packed
with treasure-stocked
boutiques with objets d’art
from Argentina or Africa.
2
PM
I’d suggest visiting
the Museo del Novecento
(
museodelnovecento.org
),
where I often stop in to
admire works by old friends
like painter Lucio Fontana
and conceptual artist Piero
Manzoni.
8
PM
If I'm dining with friends
or family, I'll indulge in
lots of tiny dishes – an
appetiser, first course,
second. I’d recommend a
lingering dinner at Trattoria
Al Carretto (
36
Via Milano,
Gaggiano; tel: +39 029
085 254
),
which serves
tasty Pugliese cuisine just
southwest of the city on the
Naviglio Grande canal, in
Gaggiano.
10
PM
When I was younger,
I wanted to be a musician.
Take in a performance at
the city’s acclaimed opera
house, Teatro alla Scala
(
teatroallascala.org
),
or
a theatre production at
Teatro Franco Parenti
(
teatrofrancoparenti.it
),
where shows are directed
by my dear friend Andrée
Shammah.
Figure 2.
How to spend your afternoon
Time to sample cuisine and culture
between meetings
Sightseeing
Any time not spent in the
office can be devoted to
enjoying the city. Combine
ancient sites such as the
Duomo with shopping and a
dose of culture at the
Triennale Design Museum.
Lunch
The midday meal is early in
Milan – and lengthy too. It’s
a perfect moment to seal a
deal. Japanese food is a top
choice as it's not too heavy,
and the Milanese adore its
simplicity and precision.
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