'Hostess' at trade exhibition

26 replies

NoraLuca · 23/10/2013 08:19

The company I work for are going to participate at a trade exhibition / conference shortly. They will have a stand with brochures, etc. and the sales team will meet and greet clients / potential clients. The usual. This year they have decided to hire a hostess to 'help out' on the stand. She won't really know anything about the company or what we do. Apparently, Her tasks will be to smile, say hello, serve drinks, etc. And look pretty, though nobody will openly say that. Though the sales team (all men) are constantly joking about the 'extra services' that they're going to ask for.

The whole thing annoys me, but I can't quite explain why. Maybe because it seems to summarise how they see women. Hostess will be the only women there, except maybe me. Would this situation bug anyone else?

For a bit of background, the company is about 90% men, in a male dominated industry. We are in an EU country. I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder because I don't feel that they take me seriously at work, and am trying to decide what to do career Wise.

OP posts:

Deliaskis · 23/10/2013 09:26

Hmmm....first post on F/WR board (I think), but to me, the level of acceptability of this would be mostly dictated to by your last paragraph, and the element of 'looking pretty' that is required (and what the person is expected to wear). On the face of it, employing a person to meet/greet/make coffee etc. is fine, but there is no reason why this always has to be a woman. At the extreme end of the scale, this sounds like it is going to be something like a motorshow and they want to hire a 'dolly bird' (ugh) to lure unsuspecting males at the mercy of their physical urges to your stand to buy stuff.

TBH, in my industry, we have always used hostesses, they distribute leaflets/brochures, make coffee, collect enquiry cards etc. However, they are always dressed in black trouser suits and are actually no longer called hostesses as about 25% of them are male (they are locally hired to each event so we don't ever know who we are going to get). I think they're called 'event support team' or something.

I think I would be uncomfortable with what you are describing too. It's hardly ever about the job/person on paper, it's about what is really being expected/assumed about them, and the respect with which they will be treated.

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