With Formula 1 taking place at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas Oct. 22–25, the city will welcome hundreds of thousands of international visitors, many of whom are frequent luxury and business travelers. Austin’s leading travel and hospitality professionals are preparing to make a strong, lasting impression on these guests and to cultivate positive business relationships. To ensure polished and culturally aware interactions, they have turned to Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide for guidance.
Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide, founded by Sharon Schweitzer, is Austin’s foremost provider of cross-cultural and international business training. The firm is running sessions for several Fortune 500 companies, other corporate groups, and selected city employees. Training covers how to avoid deal-breaking moments and cultural faux pas, how to show genuine cultural appreciation, which key foreign phrases can be most useful, and how to read and use body language appropriately in an international business context.
“Whether entertaining guests in the grandstand or discussing business in a conference room, Formula 1 is our opportunity to leave a global impression. Our first responsibility as hosts is to make others feel welcome in our city and to share the cultural experiences that make Austin, and the organizations here, unique,” Schweitzer says. A best-selling author of Access to Asia, she brings more than 20 years of international experience and was part of the team that helped prepare for Formula 1’s 2012 Austin launch, conducting similar workshops.