Business Etiquette
Avignon feels far away from Paris and its business practices are markedly different. Breakfast meetings are rare, only materialising at large conferences during the Theatre Festival. Standard business hours in Avignon are Monday to Friday 0900-1800. Normally, meetings are fixed for mid-morning or mid-afternoon, while lunch meetings usually only involve colleagues already involved on a joint project. Meetings should be confirmed in writing and colleagues addressed by their surname. Smart dress is appropriate. Businesswomen should take heart from the fact that the city's dynamic mayor is a woman - Marie-Josée Roig. It is unlikely that business visitors will be invited for drinks or to homes at first. However, after several meetings, socialising after work becomes more common.
