MOSCOW, Idaho – The “Be a Star!” Etiquette Dinner for Washington State University and University of Idaho college students and potential employees is back by popular demand at 6-9 p.m., Tuesday, March 5, in the University Inn/Best Western Convention Center.
The event is designed for students and employer representatives attending the Spring Career Expo of the Palouse to learn business protocol, the art of small talk and dining etiquette.
“The participation of employer representatives at the event lends a degree of reality – something unique to the etiquette training,” says David Haining, event coordinator.
Randi Friedig, a Seattle business consultant, will lead the training.
“People are getting a grasp on the fact that business runs on relationships,” she says. “You cannot build long-term positive relationships without positive social skills.”
Freidig has led the etiquette training programs the past two years. Her two-part training begins with a “mocktail” hour where students learn principles of “the magic of mingling” — how to network and the art of small talk to build rapport.
“Learning how to work a roomful of strangers while gracefully juggling a plateful of hors d’oeuvres and a beverage is practical training for the real world,” she says.
Part two of the event is learning dining etiquette at an elegant meal prepared by the University Inn’s catering staff. The food has been selected to pose specific challenges.
Freidig has owned The Freidig Group since 1977, and she has more than 30 years of speaking and training experience.
The event is sponsored by WSU Career Services. Tickets are $10, and registration is required at WSU’s Lighty Student Services, Room180 and at UI’s Idaho Commons, Room 330. For additional information, see www.careers.wsu.edu or contact Haining at (509) 335-7127 or e-mail him at haining@wsu.edu.
