Our Master’s in Luxury Management and Guest Experience students recently journeyed to Paris for their business field trip. Among the party was second semester student Michael Elim, and this is his dispatch from the City of Light…

After arriving by train into Paris our first stop was to check-in to our hotel, the Paris Marriott Opera Ambassador Hotel. This was a very good location, in the center of Paris, close to the Galeries Lafayette. And the hotel itself is great, with cozy rooms and delicious restaurants.

After lunch at the hotel, we got the field trip properly underway as we visited Comité Colbert, which is an association that promotes the concept of luxury in France. There are more than 80 French brands which are part of the Comité Colbert. We had an opportunity to learn more about the association by talking with Madame Epinaux, the CEO.

Afterwards, I went for a walk around Paris and visited the Arc de Triomphe with my friends (see photo). We ended up having dinner at a one-star Michelin restaurant, La Dame de Pic. It was a very pleasant dinner experience.

Day two – jewels and bubbles

Our first calling point on this second day in Paris was the Place Vendôme, which ranks among the world’s most famous luxury destinations. Arriving in Place Vendôme, we had the opportunity to visit Louis Vuitton, to learn about one of the most prestigious luxury brands in the world. This specific store is very special due to its location in the middle of Place Vendôme. It also has several exclusive collections, and all the decorations are very artistic.

After visiting Louis Vuitton, our next stop was Publicis Groupe, one of the most popular marketing companies in France, which takes care of advertising for many luxury brands. The location was amazing, with the view of the Arc de Triomphe located only a few hundred meters away. We learned a lot about marketing for luxury brands, plus they also provided lunch for us with this amazing view.

After lunch, we went back to Place Vendôme to visit Van Cleef & Arpels. Here we learned a lot about their jewelry and watch collections with a tour of their own museum. After some free time to explore the city, we finished our second day by having dinner at a two-star Michelin restaurant, Le Taillevent. There we were offered the VIP room with our special guest, Prof. Nicola Munari, who introduced us to an exclusive champagne. The dinner was amazing, and I must admit that the red wine was the best I’ve ever had!

Day three – making the connection

Our third day opened with a visit to Hôtel Barrière Fouquet’s. During this visit, we had an amazing tour all around the hotel, including its spa, a superior room, and the restaurant, which is very popular among politicians and celebrities in France.

After having lunch at the hotel, we took a journey to the other side of Paris, to La Défense. There, we visited Dior Connect, where we had an amazing opportunity to learn about this operation.

I also had the opportunity of having an exclusive moment with one of the employees. I learned about how to manage the customer that contacts Dior Connect, how to build a relationship between the customer and the brand.

Later in the evening, I went to one of the popular millennial restaurants in Paris, La Nouvelle Garde, with my friends, where I tried foie gras for the first time. The dinner was incredible and we had a great time.

Day four – golden moments

On the last day of our field trip, we started by visiting the headquarters of Chaumet, the luxury jewelry and watch house. We were able to learn about Chaumet and the secrets of successful recruitment in luxury retail.

We were also very delighted to receive the opportunity to visit the Chaumet ’Un Âge d’Or’ (A Golden Age) exhibition. It’s a very luxurious, exclusive exhibition that can be found at the Place Vendôme. We wrapped up our last field trip moment by having lunch at the Paris Marriott Opera Ambassador.

The field trip was over, but not for me and several friends, as we decided to stay longer in Paris. We had lunch and dinner in several popular restaurants in the city. We also did some shopping at Galeries Lafayette, and we visited Disneyland Paris. It was a very great experience, that brought our childhood memories back to life!

Conclusion

There are plenty of things that I learned during the field trip which I could connect to the academic modules I’ve been studying for my Master’s. For instance, during the visit to Publicis, we learned a lot about the marketing of luxury brands. In class, we’ve learned about brand equity – these two are related to each other, and I learned about how to build brand equity from a marketing point of view.

I gained both practical and theoretical points of view from doing the field trip. By going on a field trip, I’m taken into the field of the industry itself and can apply the academic knowledge that I picked up in class.