1. Doing Business with... Prepared by Crystal ITALY

2. ITALIAN CULTURE ~Italy is described as colorful, rich, bold, and romantic. ~Italy has a population of over 58 million people. ~Italians have a passion for everything they do. ~Italians love to laugh, talk loudly, and speak with hand gestures. ~Italians love their food, music and heritage.

3. MAP OF ITALY

4. FLAG REPRESENTATION GREEN symbolizes hope WHITE represents faith RED symbolizes the bloodshed that brought about the independence of Italy Italy

5. Time Zone ITALY

6. Official Languages Spoken Italian German French

7. Holidays Celebrated in Italy EpiphanyJanuary 6 Liberation DayApril 25 May DayMay 1 Festival of RepublicJune 2 FerragostoAugust 15 All Saints DayNovember 2 Immaculate Conception December 8 Feast of St. StephenDecember 26

8. When Doing Business in Italy “Good manners and courtesy are prized qualities in Italy” ~ Kwintessentia Language and Culture Specialists

9. Five key factors that are helpful when conducting business in Italy Doing Business In Italy GreetingsIntroduction Meetings, Negotiations & Appointments PunctualityEntertaining

10. Greetings When arriving and leaving, shake hands with everyone Women may “kiss” good friend on either cheek (more like pressing the sides of each other’s face) Italians are comfortable with standing very close. Don’t back away! This is interpreted as unfriendly.

11. Introduction Don’t use first names unless invited Use the title Man *Dottore *Signor Woman *Dottoressa *Signora

12. Meetings, Negotiations & Appointments Italians prefer to do business with people they know Best time for appointments are between 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. and after 3 p.m. Avoid August, due to Holidays When writing a message, write it in Italian, if possible A sense of urgency shows signs of weakness

13. Punctuality Aim to be punctual Deliberate lateness is considered sloppy Taking people’s time for granted is simply rude

14. Entertaining Hospitality plays a key role in Italian business culture Invitations to lunch and dinner are expected There are certain protocols for dining

15. Best source of transportation Trains are by far the best way to travel around Italy.

16. Main Attraction The Leaning Tower of Pisa

17. Tourist Attractions Milan TuscanyFirenzeRome Pasteum Cinque Terre Amalfi Coast

18. References Kwintessential Ltd, Kwintessential Language and Culture Specialists, Retrieved April 28, 2007. http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing- business-ital.html http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing- Life in Italy.com, Retrieved April 28, 2007. http://www.lifeinitaly.com.html Rizza, Maria. Personal e-mail Interview, April 28, 2007- May 8, 2007. rowri@tin.it.