What’s changed?
In Japan the place to be was always the Orchid Room in Hotel Okura. That was the who’s who of finance in Japan. It was a wonderful place, to be seen and to be part of the scene. You knew exactly who was in town and whom they were meeting with. That is now closed.
Breakfast in Japan was always very difficult. But now, over the last couple of years, private breakfast places have sprung up, so that’s where I like to take people. I like breakfast meetings because they always have a defined end. Because everybody has a 9 o’clock meeting they don’t drag on. Americans are always very efficient so they love breakfast meetings. The European clients like a more leisurely breakfast.
Grab a Coffee
Who?
Nader Naeimi, Head of Dynamic Markets at AMP Capital Investors, Sydney
Where?
In Australia we like multinational food — good steaks, Thai, Chinese, etcetera. Mr Wong’s my favorite. They do really nice dumplings. Japanese restaurants are preferable for quick client lunch meetings.
What’s changed?
Spending habits are very different from what they used to be. There are some restaurants that we don’t even try. It’s not like it was in the past when budgets were quite loose — there’s a lot more governance. If we have multiple clients we tend to use in-house catering. It’s easier to manage.