In businesses with an international orientation, communication often occurs across cultural and national borders-- among customers, suppliers and employees. Cross-cultural competence is becoming ever more important in the areas of human resources and employee development. This is just as true when it comes to events.

From the event manager’s point of view, team building is key to the success of an event. The comparison between one’s own culture and another culture often uncovers a good many differences. Typical cultural differences concern issues such as punctuality, expression of emotions and attitudes towards work.

Working to increase trust is essential for events with a cross-cultural context. Existing cultural barriers should be broken down as quickly as possible and an atmosphere that is enjoyable for all sides should be cultivated. Non-verbal elements taken from the areas of sport, art and culture are often helpful. Drumming sessions, for example, involve no language barriers and can furthermore foster feelings of togetherness. Participants are immersed in the emotional side of communication: experiential and authentic. Dance, music, art and culinary delights also offer positive entries into the unknown.

Factors in the success of cross-cultural events

Events can make use of team-building activities that particularly develop mutual understanding. In planning, coordinating and carrying out an event in a cross-cultural context the following issues need to be considered:

• Preparation of the event should follow the participation approach, that is, team members should be involved in the preparation.
• Emotional and experiential elements must be taken into consideration in developing workshops and seminars.
• One goal of the event should that team members get to know each other. This can be an important basis for trust in later working relationships.

A sampling of past events

Painting session in a wine cellar
Unlike a painting workshop, this painting evening does not introduce specific painting techniques. Painting simply provides the occasion and setting for the get-together.

The group at work
Fun-sport with colourful dice, for instance in the garden of the Event Restaurant Opitz & Hasil.

The communal meal
Each table is dedicated to a different country. To get to know and understand the mindsets and forms of behaviour of different cultures, each table carries out that country’s "meal-starting ceremony" (what is said, how glasses are raised, etc.). The entire event can be organised around this concept. Guest speakers can also be involved if appropriate.