Have a corporate event coming up? Heard a lot of talk but not sure what to expect? Whether you’re a twenty-something that’s new to the working world or a seasoned veteran out in the field, there are certainly guidelines every working professional needs to follow when attending corporate events. It doesn’t matter if it’s a social gathering, conference or a quarterly meeting, you should always follow these rules to keep the most professional appearance possible. But wait, what exactly are the rules?

Well, we’ve created a list and personified the five tips you do want to remember and the five things you want to avoid doing at your next corporate event!

The things you want to remember:

First Impression Frank – Remember the adage, first impressions count? In the working world, this certainly holds true. When you first meet others in business, how you appear right off the bat is extremely important. First Impression Frank is a perfect example of this. He has learned that if he wants to give off his desired first impression, he’s got to look the part. Want to be seen and respected as the professional that you are?  Look and act the part by giving a good, firm handshake, a friendly smile and wearing appropriate business attire to top it off. When it comes to first impressions, you can choose to either be remembered as the person who’s got it all together or as someone who’s a complete mess. You want to avoid being the latter.

Safer than Sorry Sam – Sure, corporate events are a time to meet people and show off your sparkling personality, but that doesn’t mean you should cross the lines of professionalism. That’s why Safer than Sorry Sam considers this a golden rule! You want to show people the “real” you, but use discretion too. Of course you don’t want to be a wet rag either, but being “safer than sorry” doesn’t mean you can’t have fun! Talk to people and enjoy yourself a bit at your events, but just be wise. If you’re not sure if a joke is appropriate, don’t tell it. If you’re not sure if you should have another margarita, it’s best to hold back. After all, you don’t want to set yourself up for disaster. Use tact with your decisions and be smart about your choices and you’ll avoid any trouble getting in your way.

If you’re working in corporate America, chances are you’ve traveled for business at one point or another. Maybe it’s been from coast to coast or even across foreign waters, but whatever the case may be, when it comes down to it, traveling for business can be stressful. While you can’t avoid traveling for work, you CAN learn how to make traveling a little less stressful and maybe, just maybe, even more enjoyable!

We’re actually hosting our 2010 Annual Conference in Cancun, Mexico starting tomorrow (hence the idea behind this post), and we’ve compiled a list of tips to help make traveling for business run as smoothly as possible. We plan on using these tips for our own travels and would like to share them with you!

Baggage

When it comes to traveling for business, less is more! If possible, try to use only carry-on bags instead of checking any in. The less baggage you carry, the more time you’ll have overall. There are many ways you can save space in your bags if you just use a little strategy to your packing! First, try to get a copy of the agenda for your trip in advance or maybe even consider creating an agenda of the things you think you’ll be doing while you’re on your trip. That way, you can designate one outfit for each activity and stick to packing only what you need.

Tip: To save space, you may want to consider bringing one suit and several pieces to change it up. Men can wear the same suit with various color shirts and ties. Ladies can create several different outfits around one skirt, one jacket, a pair of pants and various blouses and accessories.

Timing

A big part of your travel will have to do with timing. When you’ve got different timelines to follow, it’s always best to simply be prepared with the mindset that literally ANYTHING and EVERYTHING could happen and set you back, especially if you’ve got to be somewhere at a certain time. In other words, you want to be proactive and ready for whatever comes your way.

If you are a frequent business traveler, you may want to find out about airlines or car companies that offer things like “elite status” or “frequent flyer” deals. This will help alleviate some of the stress of travel by cutting the time you wait in lines, giving you options to wait for your flights at exclusive airline clubs and even offering you better pricing for better seating options.