Do not strive to create an environment for your guests that closely matches that of their home country, 
They will not expect this and, indeed, may welcome a temporary escape from some aspects of their own culture or  their own cuisine.  For example, Japanese visitors to the USA generally welcome the chance to eat beef on the American scale: it is a rare and expensive delicacy  for many people in Japan. But there are limits. Chinese may be unable to face chunk of rare or bloodied meat and many other nationalities are bound by religious rules on what they can eat and drink. Thoughtful preparation and sensitivity to their likely reactions to situations and events is what they will most appreciate.

A sense  of the questions to be faced in arranging sizeable public functions can be gained through the link  Test Your Skills.  At smaller, less public, occasions other problems can arise - over the exchange of gifts, for example, or when seating plans need to be made for dinners or luncheons.  Further discussion of such questions  can be found on  our Protocol and Etiquette web pages.

 At Web Diplomat we specialize in arrangements for important visitors.  Use our telephone support line  if you have an urgent problem , or let us know your requirements on the web by  interactive form  or through the e-mail link below.