Mi sugerencia

VIP = very important person

a reception party = a group that receives visitors

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Note added at 8 minutos (2010-04-15 19:32:43 GMT)
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Sentence begins: The team's chief/main responsibility was...

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Note added at 16 mins (2010-04-15 19:41:15 GMT)
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Copper, without further context, there's no way of knowing for sure what this means, so I'll try to explain each of my options:

1. If it means the team had to explain things or show mayors around, etc., then I'd use "attend to".

2. If they had to sit at formal meetings, then "meet with".

3. If they had to "receive" mayors at airports or such, then I'd use "pick up".

Shame there's no context.

The team's main responsibility was to meet and greet mayors.

Since the use of "meet-and-greets" is quite common in the context of people (famous or otherwise) being picked up at airports, this might be a good option.

Gold Coast Airport Transfers - A chauffeur will **do a meet and greet** at the airport and take you to your accommodation. There are options for sedans or people movers depending upon...
www.gold-coast-australia-travel-tips.com/Gold-Coast-Airport...

Resultados 1 - 10 de aproximadamente 3,320,000 de "a meet-and-greet". (0.35 segundos)
http://www.google.com/search?hl=es&rlz=1T4GGLL_esNL323NL323&...

Another option might be "to carry out/do meet-and-greets with mayors"

I hope this helps!

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Note added at 5 hrs (2010-04-16 00:46:54 GMT)
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I also like the suggestion (made by Deborah) of including the word "visiting" (i.e., "visiting mayors"). Note: the word "mayors" should not be capitalized.

FINAL SUGGESTIONS:
La principal responsabilidad del equipo fue recibir alcaldes =
The team's main/primary responsibility was to meet and greet (visiting) mayors/to do meet-and-greets with (visiting) mayors