Ramey Rieger (X) May 13, 2014:

Pre-match affair perhaps. It's nice and neutral and has a touch of 'high' tone. You'd have to check with the Brits for BE correctness, though.

Andrea Garfield-Barkworth (asker) May 12, 2014:

Client no wiser presumes it's also a pre-match drink to get them in the mood.

Coqueiro May 12, 2014:

overture / prelude some still pre-aperitif ideas ;-)

Andrea Garfield-Barkworth (asker) May 12, 2014:

@Brigitte it might very well be but that is not what it's being labelled as :)

BrigitteHilgner May 12, 2014:

formal get together? It might be a booze-up. ;-)

Berit Kostka, PhD May 12, 2014:

Maybe you can find out what the Gemeinsame Einstimmung entails. Then it would be easier to find an appropriate English term/description.

Andrea Garfield-Barkworth (asker) May 12, 2014:

@Coqueriro well, it's for all of them really so that the "Gemeinsame Einstimmung" and transfer takes part in each instance. I don't know whether this is meeting up in the lobby for a drink or getting dressed up in Black, Red, Gold national colours (doubt that somehow) or watching the finer points of the offside rule on a widescreen TV though.

Coqueiro May 12, 2014:

Sa. 12. Juli 2014 Seems to be the date of the third and fourth-place play-off at the World Cup.

Andrea Garfield-Barkworth (asker) May 12, 2014:

@Andrew Yes, most definitely.
I been warned to select my vocabulary to suit "sehr hochkarätige Gäste".
As I previously wrote it is part of an itinerary listed as:
"Sa. 12. Juli 2014 Gemeinsame Einstimmung und Transfer zum Stadion"

Lancashireman May 12, 2014:

M00nshine That's why it wasn't entered as an official answer. It might conceivably work if the organisation and its "very privileged and very exclusive" guests have a sense of humour. But of course, you are the one with the full context. Is the document deadpan in its entirety?

Berit Kostka, PhD May 12, 2014:

Pre-match reception is a nice one in my opinion. It does convey the getting into the mood, as it is a reception (drinks and chatting) and is a nice formal expression, too.

Get-together is also good, albeit a more relaxed way of putting it.

Andrea Garfield-Barkworth (asker) May 12, 2014:

@Andrew We are talking about business people going to watch a match, not the players.

Andrea Garfield-Barkworth (asker) May 12, 2014:

pre-match reception Does that convey the "getting into the mood" bit though?
Perhaps
pre-match gathering?

Lancashireman May 12, 2014:

Downmarket expression: huddle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huddle

Andrea Garfield-Barkworth (asker) May 12, 2014:

pre-match get-together How does that sound? I don't like so many hyphens though.

BrigitteHilgner May 12, 2014:

did you check the glossary? http://www.proz.com/kudoz/english_to_german/games_video_game...

Andrea Garfield-Barkworth (asker) May 12, 2014:

yes, going to watch a football match

BrigitteHilgner May 12, 2014:

so they are probably going to watch a match not getting active (in which case I am all in favour of the "obligatorische Aperitif").

Andrea Garfield-Barkworth (asker) May 12, 2014:

It is in an itinerary with Depart Munich at 16:00 etc.
so is listed as:
"Sa. 12. Juli 2014 Gemeinsame Einstimmung und Transfer zum Stadion"

Berit Kostka, PhD May 12, 2014:

I would think that even privileged and exclusive guests would like "to get in the mood" for a football match, even though the expression isn't too upmarket. It is a fun thing to go to anyway (I guess). Or, an introduction or reception etc before setting off could also be used "to set the mood" for going to the match.

Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but those expressions are also widely used on corporate team building websites, for example. So I think they fit the business and exclusive framework...

Coqueiro May 12, 2014:

Hier gibt es den obligatorischen Aperitif ...

franglish May 12, 2014:

@asker Please post the German sentence in which this expression occurs. Thanks.