Los Angeles City Guide - Business Etiquette

The wide variety of businesses in Los Angeles encourages a variety of styles, depending on the industry involved. In general, Californians cultivate a relaxed, informal atmosphere in keeping with the climate and the LA kind of life: ‘casual-smart' dress is a good rule of thumb, especially within industries such as film and TV, computing or multimedia. More conservative suits and business dress are the norm in legal and financial institutions. Increasingly in the USA, Friday is a dress-down day in many businesses, with employees wearing jeans or other casual attire in anticipation of the weekend. After hours, some top restaurants and hotels require men to wear jacket and tie, but casual-smart is more often de rigueur.

The normal working day runs 0800/0900-1700, although some businesses start early, particularly in the film industry. Breakfast meetings, often as early as 0700, are quite common for busy executives. Lunch is generally between 1200 and 1300, or 1230 and 1330. Where alcohol is concerned, it is best to wait and check the preferences of the host. Many Americans stick to soft drinks, even milk. People are health-conscious: smoking or excessive drinking may be frowned upon in a business environment.

Business associates generally exchange business cards at an appropriate moment, usually towards the end of a meeting. Socialising is normally at lunchtime, sometimes during after-work drinks and/or dinner. LA is a notoriously early-to-bed town, due to the early starts in the film industry, so late nights are not common. Hosts generally do not invite clients or colleagues home unless they know them particularly well. Visitors may be given gifts related to their own business, such as pens or baseball caps complete with company logo on it, so similar gifts from a visitor's company or typical items from his or her country would be appropriate.