#4 | Executive Private Dinner in a Premium Setting

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Format	Invite-only C-level dinner (Prague)
Capacity	25 guests
Client	Founder-led advisory firm
My role	End-to-end event owner (concept → venue → program → outreach → on-site)

Executive Summary

A sponsor wanted a high-signal way to (re)enter the Czech banking market without a hard sell. I proposed an invite-only C-level dinner built around an Italian “rustic premium” vibe to match the founder’s persona. We curated ~25 senior decision-makers, delivered a 3-hour experience (arrival mingle → seated dinner → fireside chat → short case-led intro → open networking), and left guests with a memorable, non-salesy impression of the brand. Attendee quality was the differentiator: CFOs, CROs, central-bank and board-level leaders - exactly the right room.

Objectives

Create high-trust, high-signal first contact with top Czech/CEE banking leaders.
Showcase sponsor’s expertise via stories and cases, not a pitch.
Keep the experience intimate, premium, and conversation-first.

Key Highlights

Concept & branding: La Dolce Finanza—a warm, Italian-inspired identity that signalled premium without feeling corporate.
Guest profile: C-suite and senior leaders (e.g., Chief Economist, CFO CZ&SK, Vice-Chair/CRO, central-bank directors).
Program design: 30-min welcome, seated dinner, 20-min fireside chat with industry leaders, 8–10-min sponsor mini-deck focused on outcomes, then unhurried networking.
Tone: “Value first, sell second.” High engagement during the fireside chat led to organic booth-style queues around the sponsor afterward.

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Process

Positioning & narrative

Framed the dinner as a curated conversation, not a sales event. Name, copy, and micro-touches (menu design, wine selection, seating plan) reinforced that promise.
Venue sourcing & negotiation

Shortlisted rustic-premium, Mediterranean venues; negotiated multiple rounds to land menu, room buy-out, and service standards within a tight cap without downgrading the guest experience.
Guest curation & outreach

Used my CEE banking network for the first wave; every message was a personal invite, not a newsletter. Early anchor RSVPs (C-level names) created social proof and drove momentum. (Attendee sheet confirms mix: CFOs, CRO/COOs, head of payments, central-bank and board-level leaders)
Run-of-show

Orchestrated pace so conversations never felt rushed: dinner first to build rapport → short, lively fireside chat → 1 focused sponsor case → back to free networking.