In-boutique client experiences that drive sales
Académie de Bernadac designs and hosts VIP client events for luxury maisons and hotels: twelve signature formats, from table manners and high jewellery styling to wine etiquette, held in the boutique, hotel or private venue. Each event brings clients in, keeps them engaged with the products, and gives them a reason to come back.
Your situation
Your best clients have seen every launch. They come back for an experience.
Invitations compete with every other maison in town. The events clients remember are the ones where they learned something, tried something, and felt personally looked after.
Before the event
The guest list is ready. The reason to come is less clear.
During the event
Guests admire the pieces from a distance and leave with a glass of champagne.
After the event
The evening was pleasant, and nothing in the client book has changed.
Objectives and method
Retail animation that sells without ever feeling like a sale
Drive sales
Activities designed to make a purchase more likely.
Raise product interest
Guests handle and wear the products, rather than only seeing them.
Deepen brand interaction
More touchpoints between client and brand than a standard appointment.
Build loyalty
A memory of the brand that outlasts a single visit.
01
Modular by design
Nineteen formats, combined into a single occasion: from a one-hour tasting to a full evening gala.
02
Hosted at your venue
Boutique, dedicated space or hotel, depending on your objective. Our trainers bring the full production to where your clients already are.
03
Interactive
Practice and role play: clients leave with a story to tell, which builds the relationship behind the next purchase.
The repertoire
Twelve signature formats
Each format can run on its own or be combined into one curated occasion.
01
Table Manners
The history of table manners, French and English table-setting rules, bread and napkin etiquette, and the right posture and behaviour course by course, to dessert.
Best forPrivate dinners with top clients, and hotel or F&B hosting
02
Photo-Posing
How to walk and pose like a model, adapted to the outfit, body shape and setting, plus how to smile for the camera and compose a picture worth sharing.
Best forFashion and jewellery launches, and social-media-driven events
03
Afternoon Tea
The history and tradition of royal afternoon tea, the table setting guests arrange themselves, how to hold the cup and stir, and the etiquette of pastries.
Best forRelaxed daytime gatherings to thank loyal clients
04
Deportment
Posture and balance, standing, walking and sitting correctly, catwalk technique, and jewellery styling suited to face and body shape.
Best forFashion and jewellery clients, and elegant, fun VIP animations
05
Styling
Dress-code fundamentals, colour and body-shape matching, accessory rules and the many ways to wear a silk scarf, finished with a one-to-one fitting in the boutique.
Best forNew-collection launches that lead to in-store fittings
06
High Jewellery
Jewellery etiquette, choosing a necklace for the body shape and earrings for the face, matching rules and the latest styling techniques, with one-to-one guidance in the boutique.
Best forHigh jewellery and watch launches, private viewings for top clients
07
Accessories
Evening dress codes for business dinners, galas and parties, and how to match rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings with any outfit.
Best forAccessories, fashion and jewellery events
08
Wine Etiquette
Glassware and how to hold each glass, the five steps of tasting, food and champagne pairing, serving and refilling, and toasting etiquette.
Best forVIP animations and lifestyle events
09
Public Speaking
Confident delivery for hosts, spokespeople and VIP guests: voice, pace and composure at a live microphone, rehearsed until it feels natural.
Best forLaunches where hosts or VIP guests take the microphone
10
Dancing
Event dress code and cocktail-party manners, including invitations and the hand-kiss, then a guided waltz for ladies’ and gentlemen’s steps, and a dance to remember.
Best forIn-store animations and VIP events
11
Flower Art
How to prepare and match flowers by type and colour, compose and shape a bouquet and add the finishing touches. Guests take their creation home.
Best forSeasonal client moments where guests take a creation home
12
Social Etiquette
Western seating plans, gala etiquette and toasting, formal table setting, and evening dress codes from black tie to business smart.
Best forTravel themes, children’s events, and preparing for business trips
Beyond the repertoire
Seven more formats, on request
- Perfume Etiquette & Blending
- Coffee & Latte Art
- Portrait Painting
- Chinese Tea Ceremony
- Tea & Calligraphy
- Vintage Top Hat Workshop
- Banquet Etiquette
Practical details
- GuestsGenerally 10 to 30, depending on the format
- Lead timeA few days are enough
- VenueYour boutique, a dedicated space or a hotel
- LanguagesChinese, English, French
After the event
Turn the evening into a relationship
An event opens the door; your client advisors keep it open. Our Clienteling & CRM programme trains them to observe, personalise and follow up, so that each guest’s next visit is already prepared.
Questions
VIP events: frequently asked questions
How many guests can attend a VIP event?
Generally 10 to 30 guests. The right number depends on the format: a table manners dinner is more intimate than a dancing or flower art event.
How far in advance should we book?
A few days are enough for most formats. More time helps when several formats are combined or when the event is built around a product launch.
Where do the events take place?
In your boutique, in a dedicated space or in a hotel, depending on your objective and the format chosen. Académie de Bernadac brings the production to the venue.
In which languages are the events hosted?
Chinese, English and French.
Can several formats be combined?
Yes. Every format can run on its own or be combined with others into one occasion, from a one-hour tasting to a full evening.
Continue with
Ready to begin
Let’s design your event
Tell us about your venue, your guests and the moment you want to create. We propose a curated combination of formats.