Welcomes, seating plans and toasts

Welcoming guests

As the first citizen of Birmingham, the Lord Mayor should be the first to welcome royal visitors, emissaries and diplomats to the Council.

If there’s a ‘welcome’ in the printed material for an event that the Lord Mayor’s attending, the ‘welcome’ should be by the Lord Mayor. If several ‘welcomes’ are included, the Lord Mayor’s should be first.

Where the Lord Mayor should sit

At meetings, unless the Lord Mayor is chairing them, you should seat him on the immediate right of the Chairman. This also applies to seating arrangements at lunches and dinners.

Giving toasts

At lunches and dinners, if the “The City of Birmingham” toast is given, it usually follows “The Queen’s”.

If the toast isn’t given, but the Lord Mayor has agreed to speak at your event, you should give him the opportunity to be the first to propose a toast or to respond to the toast immediately after the royal toast.

Likewise, at meetings or social gathering, the Lord Mayor should be the first speaker (this doesn’t include any introduction by the Chairman of the meeting).

You must not ask the Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress or deputies (Deputy Lord Mayor or previous Lord Mayors) to give a formal speech without getting permission from the Lord Mayor’s Office before your event.