Imagine yourself invited to a foreign city as a guest of honor – a VIP. Yet upon arrival you find yourself waiting alone for you luggage, then meandering about wondering if perhaps you should take a taxi or rent a car to get to your hotel. You know the name and address of the hotel, and what time you’re supposed to show up for dinner, but that’s it. That is, until you get a call on your cell phone from a local administrative assistant explaining your schedule for the next couple of days. Guest of honor? VIP? Doesn’t feel like it.

Believe it or not, this is not uncommon.

Don’t treat your VIPs this way. Consider these simple guidelines:

A visiting guest of honor deserves special treatment, particularly if they are from another country. It is important to know and understand protocol for a particular culture when inviting a counterpart from another country. What constitutes a VIP? This would be an official or high-ranking individual, the head of a company, a visiting lecturer of great distinction, or someone recognized for their accomplishments within his or her industry.

He or she should be met at the airport by someone of equal rank. This is especially important with an international counterpart. Do not send a junior executive or an administrative assistant.

Arrange for them to be welcomed to their hotel room with flowers, liquor or wine of their preference (researched before arrival), soda, water and perhaps a basket of snacks or fruit. A personal note from the CEO is an extra special touch.

They should be provided with a complete schedule of events. Consider jet lag when preparing the schedule. Make sure to allocate time for rest, especially if your guest is older or traveling from a significantly different time zone.

Provide a short history of your city and its attractions. You may want to do this ahead of time so that they can become familiar with your city. Allow time in the schedule for them to see some of the sights.

Ask them if there is anyone in your city they would like to see during their stay.

Provide comfortable transportation for their entire stay. Do not leave it up to them to arrange for their own transportation, and certainly do not usher them around in public transportation.

If your guest does not speak English well, provide an interpreter.

Provide a guest list for every meeting ahead of time so that he or she can become familiar with names and titles. Giving a list is useless without some explanation of the individuals. Interests and spouses names should be included in this list.

When escorting a VIP to gatherings, he or she should be carefully introduced. If there is a reception, orchestrate a receiving line. The CEO should be in the receiving line to make introductions.

Whenever wine is served at a meal, the guest of honor should be given a toast before the meal. (Please refer to previous tip “giving toasts”.)

At the end of the visit, your company may consider a gift of appreciation. If your guest is from another culture, make sure it is suitable.

Once again, a person of equal rank should assist them to the airport. Make sure to arrive with plenty of time so there is no rush. Everyone has their own comfort level in terms of airport arrival – ask your guest about theirs.

Once you have dropped your guest off, make sure you contact the airline to make certain the flight departed on time.

Although you are not expected to spend every moment with your guest, it is important to make your visiting VIP feel comfortable and at ease. Hosting a VIP takes time and preparation. Put yourself in their shoes, and attend to the details and gestures that you would appreciate. Small touches along the way make a difference and will enhance your guest’s visit immensely.