As part of Spring Break most students will either participate in a study tour, a trek, or another form of trip to some desirable location. Study tours are taken in conjunction with a class leading up to the tour which covers a particular academic area. For the European Luxury tour we had professors and other professionals come to speak to us about the trends and challenges in luxury brand marketing. The class wrapped up before spring break then it was time for the study tour to begin.
The group of about 22 students, a faculty member and staff advisor flew from Boston overnight to London. We had just enough time to check-in, change, take a quick nap and grab lunch before it was time to head off to LVMH. There we had the opportunity to meet some brand managers, pitch ideas about potential cross branding strategies within the LVMH group, and ask questions. This was then followed up by a champagne tasting (LVMH owns Moet & Chandon), a trend that would continue throughout the week. That evening and the next day we had free time to visit the London Eye, Big Ben, and Buckingham palace. Sunday morning we took a chartered bus and visited Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Oxford. It was quite a long day.
The next morning we had time for a visit to Thomas Pink before catching the Eurostar to Paris. We arrived in Paris, did a quick change at the hotel and headed off for our evening boat cruise dinner on the Seine river. It was a beautiful evening for enjoying some fine french cuisine while taking in the sights of Paris. The next morning we took a bus to the Moet & Chandon headquarters and factory. We had a tour of their cellars (they have 18 miles of tunnels), had a champagne tasting, and had the opportunity to hear about their new marketing strategies. One the way back to Paris we stopped for lunch at a lovely restaurant in the french countryside. We arrived back in Paris in just enough time to visit Chanel and learn more about their brand offerings and marketing.
The next morning we visited the House of Faberge where they make the world famous jewelry that easily sells for more than an MIT MBA tuition (including room and board). Here it was interesting to hear about the conflict between designers who are all about the jewelry and design and the business managers who have larger concerns for costs and profits. We had some free time for shopping and lunch before it was off to our next visit. We visited the Accor headquarters (hotels and meal vouchers) whose founder was one of the first graduates of MIT Sloan and a truly amazing entrepreneur. That evening we learned to cook some authentic french cuisine with the assistance of a cooking lesson provided by two of Paris's best chefs. And what would great food be without some more great champagne!
The next morning we took the train to Brussels, Belgium where we met the people at Neuhaus chocolates. They were gracious enough to provide us with a tour of their factory complete with tastings of about every chocolate they make (they are to die for!). Then it was time for lunch and shopping before a tour of the European Parliament. The tour of the Parliament was interesting to say the least with our guide ending the tour with the comment, "We have lots of problems here, but no solutions." Best of luck Greece! Train back to Paris then crashing for the evening. The next day we had a free day to tour Paris and visit the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and of course the the Champs Elysees. As our last event we also held a late night gathering at the Trocadero for some photos.
The next morning it was time to head back to Boston :( It was an amazing trip and getting to spend it with 20 some other Sloanies only made it that much better. Rumor has it that an Asian Luxury tour might be in the works for Spring Break next year. ;)
