What: Business professionals in the Sacramento area are headed to the dinner table to sharpen their skills for proper dining etiquette. At least 50 business people who are working in management positions at the top 25 companies throughout the region and concurrently working on their M.B.A. degree at UC Davis will learn the rules of dining conduct at the Graduate School of Management's annual business etiquette course. "Etiquette is a lost art and good manners don't stand out; bad manners do," says course instructor Shirley Willey, of Etiquette and Co. "When you know the rules of how to put your best foot and fork forward, then you can pass on these lifetime skills to those who look up to you as a mentor or role model. A lot of today's emerging leaders simply are not aware of the appropriate behavior and understanding when it comes to social dining." When: Friday, April 12 6 p.m. Where: Hyatt Regency, Ballroom 1209 L Street, Sacramento Visuals: Students will learn table manners, place settings and have an opportunity to test their skills with a four-course dinner. Comments: These professionals know that 75 percent of business deals are negotiated around food, Willey says, so knowing the rules helps a person project an image of confidence, courtesy and professionalism. These "students" will learn how much to tip for both unacceptable and acceptable table service; they will be briefed on whether it is appropriate to fax or e-mail thank-you notes to business clients; and will be told the importance of knowing how to order decisively and how to avoid foods that flip, slip or drip. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. Reporters are asked to do the interviews with instructor Willey before the session begins. This one-day course offers important answers to some oft-asked questions of conduct -- from offensive personal habits of people to how to address men and women of foreign cultures, according to Don Blodger, student services director, UC Davis Graduate School of Management.