Unless an attendee arrives in a chauffeur driven limo, he or she will either use the hotel parking garage or valet parking. At the end of the function, standing in line waiting for your car to be delivered is a perfect opportunity for some last minute networking. I can't tell you how many times I have been at a function where I wanted to meet a CEO or celebrity during the event only to find them constantly engaged with masses of well wishers and inaccessible, only to find myself two hours later standing in line with them waiting for our cars and easily open to conversation.

If an event has valet parking, by all means use it. I know it is no big deal for you to park your beloved automobile yourself and save the tip, but when you use valet parking it signals that you have arrived. Of course, make sure you have the car washed and vacuumed before the big event or you might be sending a very different message. Many times, valet parking is free and is provided by the event. When you arrive, pull up to the valet station and lower your window (to minimize the chance of your key being locked in the car during the automobile exchange) and leave the key in the ignition. Wait with your car until you are greeted by the attendant and given a ticket for the car. You don't tip at this point.

At the end of the function, provide your ticket to the valet captain and when your car arrives first open the passenger door for your date (if applicable) and then go to the driver's door where the valet will be holding your door open for you. Tip the parking valet at least two dollars--perhaps five if it is a holiday ball and you are in a generous mood. If service is poor, use your discretion at reducing the tip to a dollar. If you use a parking garage, the same tipping procedure applies.

A boss of mine often advised me, "Treat the people you pass on the way up the ladder of success very well, because they are the same people you are going to pass on the way down the ladder." So when you tip those parking and restroom attendants well and treat them with respect, it will come back to pay you dividends. Functions are usually held in the same venues and you will be surprised how you will see the same attendants from event to event and from year to year. Imagine how impressed your date or colleagues will be when the attendants recognize and acknowledge you.

When I attend events at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, I always use a parking garage on 49th Street, around the corner from the hotel. Years ago, I attended an event there with a friend of mine who is a surgeon and who drove us both to the event. As we got out of the car and waited for the attendant to give my friend a ticket for the car, we both realized that he had locked the keys in the car with the engine running. (This is why I made the recommendation above that you leave your window open during this transfer.) You can imagine my friend's frustration as he paced nervously with his car blocking the ramp from the rapidly arriving guests. With calm resolve, I saw him go to an alley and return with a steel pipe which quickly opened one of the car windows with a single blow! To this day, I always park in that garage and some of the same attendants still work there and ask me how my friend is doing!

If you are fortunate enough to find yourself waiting in line with an honoree from the event or an event organizer, be sure to congratulate them on their award or let them know how much you enjoyed their successful event. In these brief social exchanges, you are far more likely to be successful in having a conversation that may later be remembered by the target of your admiration by engaging in social chat (especially relating your admiration of their accomplishments) than by trying to impress them with chat about your real favorite subject--you.

About the Author

This article is copyright 2006 by Joseph J. Tomaino, who can be reached at jtomaino@tomainogroup.com. The article may be reproduced if kept intact and if this contact information is included. For more information about this topic, visit the author's web site at http://BlackTieAffair.info.