The phrase “Let’s do lunch” is a common way for people in the entertainment industry to plan meetings during lunch hour. Personal assistants are often responsible for coordinating the logistics of the lunch date, which can be a challenge due to busy schedules. The invitation may not always be genuine, and can be seen as a way to network with powerful people.
The fast-paced lifestyles experienced by many players in the entertainment industry often leave them with little time to discuss new projects or catch up with old friends. As a result, the expression “Let’s do lunch” has become a Hollywood shorthand for planning any kind of meeting during the lunch hour. Whether the actual lunch date comes to fruition is a secondary point, provided that agreement has been reached. The details needed to turn a flippant offer into a real get-together over a meal are often worked out later by others.
Whenever a powerful public figure issues the well-known “Let’s have lunch” decree, he often sets in motion a chain of logistical problems that must be handled by personal assistants, private secretaries, publicists or agents. Since many celebrity lives are written down to the minute, it’s not easy to set up a lunch date with an old friend or potential client. This is the job of their “persons,” a subset of assistants whose job duties include selecting an appropriate restaurant, notifying the invited guest of time and place, and managing any disruptions during the meal. For some of the most powerful public figures and executives, the lunch deal sometimes turns into an event of military efficiency.
Unfortunately, sometimes the invitation isn’t meant to be taken at face value. Since a celebrity or executive may have an extremely busy schedule, any face-to-face meeting requests may become impossible. The expression is regarded by many as a polite rejection, as the chances of ever meeting that person again are clearly slim. Unless the invitee actually has “people” who can coordinate an actual lunch meeting, a lunch date of any kind is far more likely to fail.
One aspect of the invitation is the opportunity to impress other powerful figures who may also be in the room. This is known in entertainment circles as boozing and is generally accepted as a way for a person to introduce themselves to potential supporters or co-stars. Since many important occasions have been noted during these lunch dates, the invitation to “lunch” is sometimes seen more as an opportunity to network with powerful people than an actual meal among friends or colleagues.
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