Day 5, unfortunately, was the final day of the study abroad program. It is amazing to me how quickly the week has gone. I have enjoyed every moment and could not be happier with how everything went.
The morning session consisted of a presentation by Mr. Gordon Frederick Viberg, former President and CEO of Presidente InterContinental Hotels Mexico. His presentation was regarding the current international financial crisis and its impact on the Mexican tourism industry. Mr. Viberg’s intimate knowledge of the issues currently pervading the world economy, as well as the Mexican tourism industry, provided a level of insight into the current climate within Mexico and the future likelihood of success and growth that we had not yet received. Mr. Viberg’s candor and honesty, filled with optimism, left all of the Illinois students with a nice conclusion as to issues we had discussed and considered all week.
Following Mr. Viberg’s presentation, all ten student teams made their presentations (see Day 1). They were all wonderful presentations and very enjoyable to view. I was struck by the consistency in the analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for Mexico City tourism. It led me to believe and hope that if those particular areas were properly addressed by the community, private industry, and the government, Mexico City could become a significant international tourist destination.
After a farewell lunch in which we shared a heartfelt goodbye with our IPADE friends, many of the Illinois students, including myself, took a field trip to Teotihuacan, where the Pyramid of the Sun, the third largest pyramid in the world, and the Pyramid of the Moon are located. Both pyramids were a sight to behold. In particular, the Pyramid of the Sun, from which we walked the narrow steps to the top of and had an opportunity to view Teotihuacan and its vast landscape. I will include pictures in a forthcoming post.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Study Abroad - Mexico City (Day 4)
Day 4 provided the unique opportunity to meet and hear from two major executives in Mexico: Mr. Enrique Calderon Fernandez of Grupo Posadas and Mr. Xavier Lopez Ancona of Kidzania.
Mr. Fernandez is marketing and sales manager of Grupo Posadas. Grupo Posadas is similar to Starwood Hotels in that it is an “umbrella” for numerous hotel operations. Unlike Starwood Hotels, Grupo Posadas concentrates its hotel operations in Mexico and South America. The hotels under Grupo Posadas’ “umbrella” include Fiesta Americana, Fiesta Inn, Aqua, Cesar Business, Cesar Park, and others. Mr. Fernandez’s presentation was particularly interesting because it provided a perspective of hotel operations that I had not previously been exposed to in my education, with a particular focus on the marketing strategies employed by hotels to engage travelers of all demographics. It was clear that Grupo Posadas is a world class operation. The website to Grupo Posadas is http://www.posadas.com/portal/landingpage/WebsitePosadas/index_en.htm
In the afternoon, we had an opportunity to visit Kidzania in Mexico City (Santa Fe Mall). Launched in 1999 by Mr. Aconia, Kidzania was “the representation of a typical city at a child’s scale and was divided in three main areas: airport, suburbs, and main city.” La Ciudad de Los Ninos case, Page 6. In Kidzania, children are given the opportunity “to play being grown-ups” and “imitate what adults do, from the most complex profession such as that of a doctor in medicine to the most simple task like sweeping or cleaning, . . . to the scale of a child.” Id., Page 2. Sponsors, who provided financing for Kidzania, set up the pavilions and created a tremendous sense of realism for the children. For the sponsors, it provided a “marketing medium in which children lived amazing experiences linked to each sponsor.” Id., Page 5.
After the reading the referenced case, it was truly amazing to see Kidzania in practice. It was a tremendous success as seen by the long lines to enter on a Thursday (numerous school trips) and the smiles on the children’s faces.
Following our tour of Kidzania, Mr. Aconia made a presentation to us regarding Kidzania, with a specific focus on the concept, the business model employed, the financing and pricing strategy, the results to date, and the expansion plans. It was an amazing experience to hear from an individual who started with an interesting and exciting concept and carried it out to fruition and great success. He was truly an inspiration. The Kidzania website is http://www.kidzania.com/
Mr. Fernandez is marketing and sales manager of Grupo Posadas. Grupo Posadas is similar to Starwood Hotels in that it is an “umbrella” for numerous hotel operations. Unlike Starwood Hotels, Grupo Posadas concentrates its hotel operations in Mexico and South America. The hotels under Grupo Posadas’ “umbrella” include Fiesta Americana, Fiesta Inn, Aqua, Cesar Business, Cesar Park, and others. Mr. Fernandez’s presentation was particularly interesting because it provided a perspective of hotel operations that I had not previously been exposed to in my education, with a particular focus on the marketing strategies employed by hotels to engage travelers of all demographics. It was clear that Grupo Posadas is a world class operation. The website to Grupo Posadas is http://www.posadas.com/portal/landingpage/WebsitePosadas/index_en.htm
In the afternoon, we had an opportunity to visit Kidzania in Mexico City (Santa Fe Mall). Launched in 1999 by Mr. Aconia, Kidzania was “the representation of a typical city at a child’s scale and was divided in three main areas: airport, suburbs, and main city.” La Ciudad de Los Ninos case, Page 6. In Kidzania, children are given the opportunity “to play being grown-ups” and “imitate what adults do, from the most complex profession such as that of a doctor in medicine to the most simple task like sweeping or cleaning, . . . to the scale of a child.” Id., Page 2. Sponsors, who provided financing for Kidzania, set up the pavilions and created a tremendous sense of realism for the children. For the sponsors, it provided a “marketing medium in which children lived amazing experiences linked to each sponsor.” Id., Page 5.
After the reading the referenced case, it was truly amazing to see Kidzania in practice. It was a tremendous success as seen by the long lines to enter on a Thursday (numerous school trips) and the smiles on the children’s faces.
Following our tour of Kidzania, Mr. Aconia made a presentation to us regarding Kidzania, with a specific focus on the concept, the business model employed, the financing and pricing strategy, the results to date, and the expansion plans. It was an amazing experience to hear from an individual who started with an interesting and exciting concept and carried it out to fruition and great success. He was truly an inspiration. The Kidzania website is http://www.kidzania.com/
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Study Abroad - Mexico City (Day 2) (Lucha Libre)
Due to personal obligations, I was unable to attend Lucha Libre, Mexican professional wrestling, on Tuesday evening. Lucha Libre is similar to American professional wrestling, but is famous for the wild crowds, funny wrestling characters, colorful wrestling masks and outfits, and acrobatic moves. I learned from my fellow classmates that the event was a great deal of fun and wanted to share their wonderful experience at this local event.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Study Abroad - Mexico City (Day 3)
Day 3 of the study abroad trip was primarily dedicated to travel outside of Mexico City and provided an opportunity to visit Cholula and Puebla, two historically significant states. It was a wonderful opportunity to see two culturally important locales within Mexico, while gaining a deeper grasp of the Mexican society and culture. With regard to the theme of the program, it opened my eyes to two unique opportunities within Mexico for tourism, and at the same time, the inadequacy of the development, the promotion, and the marketing structure to facilitate success as a tourist destination at these locales.
With regard to Cholula, we were able to examine the Great Pyramid of Cholula. It is the largest pyramid by volume in the world, as it houses seven distinct structures. The ingenuity and intelligence that was employed to develop such structures is truly amazing. Pictures from Cholula will be forthcoming in a future post.
Within Puebla, we had the opportunity to visit the numerous churches. Of particular significance to me was the Santa Maria Tonanzintla church, which was built to honor the Virgin Mary. The church was built above a pyramid that was created to similarly honor the mother of the gods. The baroque style of design and the heavy use of gold created a very distinct and beautiful church. I will post pictures of Santa Maria Tonanzintla church in a forthcoming blog post as well.
We also visited the famous Amparo Museum in Puebla. The Amparo Museum houses numerous exhibits that provide a historical view of Mexico through its art. The pieces provided a perspective of the culture and heritage that I had yet to see. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures within the museum. Thus, I am including a link to the museum’s website. It is www.museoamparo.com
While in Pueblo, we had dinner at Mural Poblanos Restaurant Tradicional. The food was delicious. I ate the chicken mole, a traditional Pueblan meal. Mole is a sauce that "is prepared with dried chili peppers, ground nuts and/or seeds, spices, Mexican chocolate (cacao ground with sugar and cinnamon and occasionally nuts), salt, and a variety of other ingredients including charred avocado leaves, onions, and garlic.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(sauce). It is a sauce that is very common in Mexican dishes. The website for the restaurant is www.elmuraldelospoblanos.com
With regard to Cholula, we were able to examine the Great Pyramid of Cholula. It is the largest pyramid by volume in the world, as it houses seven distinct structures. The ingenuity and intelligence that was employed to develop such structures is truly amazing. Pictures from Cholula will be forthcoming in a future post.
Within Puebla, we had the opportunity to visit the numerous churches. Of particular significance to me was the Santa Maria Tonanzintla church, which was built to honor the Virgin Mary. The church was built above a pyramid that was created to similarly honor the mother of the gods. The baroque style of design and the heavy use of gold created a very distinct and beautiful church. I will post pictures of Santa Maria Tonanzintla church in a forthcoming blog post as well.
We also visited the famous Amparo Museum in Puebla. The Amparo Museum houses numerous exhibits that provide a historical view of Mexico through its art. The pieces provided a perspective of the culture and heritage that I had yet to see. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures within the museum. Thus, I am including a link to the museum’s website. It is www.museoamparo.com
While in Pueblo, we had dinner at Mural Poblanos Restaurant Tradicional. The food was delicious. I ate the chicken mole, a traditional Pueblan meal. Mole is a sauce that "is prepared with dried chili peppers, ground nuts and/or seeds, spices, Mexican chocolate (cacao ground with sugar and cinnamon and occasionally nuts), salt, and a variety of other ingredients including charred avocado leaves, onions, and garlic.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(sauce). It is a sauce that is very common in Mexican dishes. The website for the restaurant is www.elmuraldelospoblanos.com
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Study Abroad - Mexico City (Day 2)
The morning session for day 2 was primarily focused on Mexico's desire to become a "player" in the active senior living market through the development of communities that are tailored to and directed at Americans and Canadians. Based on the presentations, it was clear that many felt as though the emerging trend of baby boomers reaching retirement age and desiring to live in communities amongst others of the same demographics provided an opportunity for Mexico. The primary attributes that were stressed by the presenters were the Mexican climate and the cost savings that the baby boomers would achieve if they retired in Mexico. It was a very interesting subject and brought about a spirited and lively debate amongst all.
In the afternoon, I had the pleasure of visiting the Museo Nacional de Antropologia. It is a beautiful museum that provided me with tremendous amount of insight and knowledge as to the history of Mexico through an analysis and review of the country's archaelogical finds. The study abroad program was kind enough to provide us with a tour guide who was able to focus our visit and maximize our time. In that regard, our visit focused on the rooms dedicated to the Mayans and the Aztecs. The pieces that I observed were breathtaking and gave me a great deal of insight as to the ingenuity, passion, and intelligence of these peoples. I was particularly amazed by the Aztec Calendar, the Tizoc Rock, carved with the history of the wards of the Aztec Culture, and the Tomb at Palenque. I will be sure to include my pictures in a future posting.
In the afternoon, I had the pleasure of visiting the Museo Nacional de Antropologia. It is a beautiful museum that provided me with tremendous amount of insight and knowledge as to the history of Mexico through an analysis and review of the country's archaelogical finds. The study abroad program was kind enough to provide us with a tour guide who was able to focus our visit and maximize our time. In that regard, our visit focused on the rooms dedicated to the Mayans and the Aztecs. The pieces that I observed were breathtaking and gave me a great deal of insight as to the ingenuity, passion, and intelligence of these peoples. I was particularly amazed by the Aztec Calendar, the Tizoc Rock, carved with the history of the wards of the Aztec Culture, and the Tomb at Palenque. I will be sure to include my pictures in a future posting.
Study Abroad - Mexico City (Day 1)
Day 1 of the study abroad program in Mexico City was wonderful. It provided for education, travel, and most importantly, the opportunity to meet and associate with the wonderful students from IPADE.
The IPADE business school is located on a secured, grand complex that, as one IPADE student told me, used to be the home of a famous Mexican dignitary. Though older in style, the school is as maintained and as beautiful a campus as I have seen. The amount of greenery and open spaces takes you away and creates a sanctuary like experience. In addition, it has all the state-of-the-art technologies one would expect from a premier university. It truly is an impressive campus and a wonderful locale to participate in the program.
The theme of this year’s study abroad program is “Mexican Tourism: A Worldwide Concept.” As I understand it, the theme serves as a subject matter through which we are able to enjoy and understand Mexico, as well as serves as a mechanism to carry out financial, operational, marketing, and management analysis. On day 1, we attended presentations and lectures that provided an overview of Mexican Tourism industry, the ongoing financial crisis in the United States and its impact on tourism in Mexico, Club Med and the issues that pervade this particular tourism locale, as well as a short lecture discussing our final class presentation.
The final class presentation requires students to consider and develop a worldwide strategy to encourage tourism for 10 specific locations within Mexico City. In that regard, the IPADE students and University of Illinois students have been placed into 10 teams for the purposes of making the presentation. Each team consists of approximately 8 IPADE students and 3 University of Illinois students. I was introduced to our teammates over breakfast and quickly developed a very nice relationship with them. The IPADE students’ warmth and kindness came “shining through” immediately. They embraced me and my fellow classmates and made us feel at home. Of all the things that I have experienced in Mexico so far, it is this warmth and kindness of the IPADE students, as well as faculty and staff, that has impressed me the most. They are truly wonderful people.
With regard to the presentation, my team was assigned to the Tacuba area. The Tacuba area is located in the center of the city and is in close proximity to the Archbishop of Mexico’s home, as well the Presidential quarters. It is primarily a retail area that has some wonderful restaurants. To conduct a thorough presentation, my team made a trip to Tacuba to investigate the area. The trip provided us an opportunity to associate with the IPADE students, as well as experience the city atmosphere first hand. It was very enjoyable and very interesting to see the city from the eyes’ of its residents. It was abundantly clear that they were very proud of their home. We also shared a wonderful meal at the famous Café de Tacuba and had a lot of laughs. All in all, it was a wonderful day.
I will be sure to provide the pictures of the afternoon visit to Tacuba in a future posting.
The IPADE business school is located on a secured, grand complex that, as one IPADE student told me, used to be the home of a famous Mexican dignitary. Though older in style, the school is as maintained and as beautiful a campus as I have seen. The amount of greenery and open spaces takes you away and creates a sanctuary like experience. In addition, it has all the state-of-the-art technologies one would expect from a premier university. It truly is an impressive campus and a wonderful locale to participate in the program.
The theme of this year’s study abroad program is “Mexican Tourism: A Worldwide Concept.” As I understand it, the theme serves as a subject matter through which we are able to enjoy and understand Mexico, as well as serves as a mechanism to carry out financial, operational, marketing, and management analysis. On day 1, we attended presentations and lectures that provided an overview of Mexican Tourism industry, the ongoing financial crisis in the United States and its impact on tourism in Mexico, Club Med and the issues that pervade this particular tourism locale, as well as a short lecture discussing our final class presentation.
The final class presentation requires students to consider and develop a worldwide strategy to encourage tourism for 10 specific locations within Mexico City. In that regard, the IPADE students and University of Illinois students have been placed into 10 teams for the purposes of making the presentation. Each team consists of approximately 8 IPADE students and 3 University of Illinois students. I was introduced to our teammates over breakfast and quickly developed a very nice relationship with them. The IPADE students’ warmth and kindness came “shining through” immediately. They embraced me and my fellow classmates and made us feel at home. Of all the things that I have experienced in Mexico so far, it is this warmth and kindness of the IPADE students, as well as faculty and staff, that has impressed me the most. They are truly wonderful people.
With regard to the presentation, my team was assigned to the Tacuba area. The Tacuba area is located in the center of the city and is in close proximity to the Archbishop of Mexico’s home, as well the Presidential quarters. It is primarily a retail area that has some wonderful restaurants. To conduct a thorough presentation, my team made a trip to Tacuba to investigate the area. The trip provided us an opportunity to associate with the IPADE students, as well as experience the city atmosphere first hand. It was very enjoyable and very interesting to see the city from the eyes’ of its residents. It was abundantly clear that they were very proud of their home. We also shared a wonderful meal at the famous Café de Tacuba and had a lot of laughs. All in all, it was a wonderful day.
I will be sure to provide the pictures of the afternoon visit to Tacuba in a future posting.
Study Abroad - Berlin, Germany
01-10-09
Our day in Prague was quite fun…very cold, but fun. We had stayed at a hotel called the Art Deco Imperial the previous night. It was a bit extravagant, but when three people are staying in one room it becomes affordable. Hotels.com describes the hotel as perfect for Honeymooners or Retirees. Obviously the three of us (Brad, CH and myself) are neither…we picked the hotel based on its location and the pictures that we found on the Internet.
The complimentary breakfast at the hotel was outstanding and a great way to start out the day. Also, a representative from Delta Airlines called me at the hotel and informed me that my luggage had made it from Paris to Berlin and that they could have it delivered to the hotel that I would be staying at in Berlin on Sunday. I was hoping that my luggage would be delivered to me in Prague so I could get out of the clothes that I’d had on for 3 days straight, but no such luck. I was, however, glad to know that it had made its way to Berlin.
We decided that the best approach to seeing the Prague (or Praha as it is known in the Czech Republic and most of Europe) was to just wander about and then see a few major landmarks. The landmarks we chose to see were the National Museum and Charles Bridge. We also saw plenty souvenir shops as CH was on a quest to find a winter hat that said Prague on it (which he finally found later on that night). After walking around for an hour or two we ate lunch and then headed over to the museum.
We spent about an hour and a half at the National Museum where we viewed the zoology exhibit (I skipped the spider section of the exhibit only to be laughed at by Brad and CH), the Czech Hockey exhibit, and the featured exhibit called Republika. The Republika exhibit contained information and displays about the history of the Czech Republic and was the most interesting thing that we saw at the museum. We also spent a lot of time sitting on benches in the museum because Brad and CH are both pushing 30 and their old joints can’t handle the cold weather and the excessive amount of walking we did that day. When I made fun of them they reminded me that I was only three years away from 30 myself.
Here is a link with info about the Czech National Museum:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_(Prague)
After leaving the museum we stopped at a few more souvenir shops on the quest for a Prague snow hat. Souvenir shops are all over the place in the tourist area of Prague and are all basically the same. When you first walk into one of the shops you are almost blinded by the light reflecting off of the crystal objects situated on the shelves. It appears that the Czechs are obsessed with crystals or they think that tourists are obsessed with crystals. I’m not sure which it is, but believe me when I say that the amount of crystal objects in each souvenir shop is astounding. In addition to crystals, there are plenty of t-shirts, magnets, coffee mugs (I added another to my ridiculous collection of mugs from different places), and bottles of real absinth (apparently the Czech Republic is the only country in the EU where it is legal). There are also plenty of shop owners and workers who seem to dislike tourists, but know that tourists are their only source of business so they put up with them, but look miserable all the while.
When we finally found a Prague snow hat we started to make our way over to Charles Bridge. I won’t bore you with the historical details (you can find those by following the link below), but let me say that the bridge is well worth seeing. The view of the city from the bridge is brilliant. The architecture of the bridge and the many statues lining either side of the bridge are also quite brilliant. The city is situated on both sides of the Vitava River and looks great at night. Again, if you are in Prague then Charles Bridge is a must see.
Here is a link to info about Charles Bridge:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_bridge
Our day concluded with dinner and a stay at the Hotel Josef. We booked a different hotel for each night we were in Prague and you will be happy to know that the Hotel Josef was recommended for young singles and not retirees or honeymooners.
That’s all for now…Gute Nacht!
Our day in Prague was quite fun…very cold, but fun. We had stayed at a hotel called the Art Deco Imperial the previous night. It was a bit extravagant, but when three people are staying in one room it becomes affordable. Hotels.com describes the hotel as perfect for Honeymooners or Retirees. Obviously the three of us (Brad, CH and myself) are neither…we picked the hotel based on its location and the pictures that we found on the Internet.
The complimentary breakfast at the hotel was outstanding and a great way to start out the day. Also, a representative from Delta Airlines called me at the hotel and informed me that my luggage had made it from Paris to Berlin and that they could have it delivered to the hotel that I would be staying at in Berlin on Sunday. I was hoping that my luggage would be delivered to me in Prague so I could get out of the clothes that I’d had on for 3 days straight, but no such luck. I was, however, glad to know that it had made its way to Berlin.
We decided that the best approach to seeing the Prague (or Praha as it is known in the Czech Republic and most of Europe) was to just wander about and then see a few major landmarks. The landmarks we chose to see were the National Museum and Charles Bridge. We also saw plenty souvenir shops as CH was on a quest to find a winter hat that said Prague on it (which he finally found later on that night). After walking around for an hour or two we ate lunch and then headed over to the museum.
We spent about an hour and a half at the National Museum where we viewed the zoology exhibit (I skipped the spider section of the exhibit only to be laughed at by Brad and CH), the Czech Hockey exhibit, and the featured exhibit called Republika. The Republika exhibit contained information and displays about the history of the Czech Republic and was the most interesting thing that we saw at the museum. We also spent a lot of time sitting on benches in the museum because Brad and CH are both pushing 30 and their old joints can’t handle the cold weather and the excessive amount of walking we did that day. When I made fun of them they reminded me that I was only three years away from 30 myself.
Here is a link with info about the Czech National Museum:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_(Prague)
After leaving the museum we stopped at a few more souvenir shops on the quest for a Prague snow hat. Souvenir shops are all over the place in the tourist area of Prague and are all basically the same. When you first walk into one of the shops you are almost blinded by the light reflecting off of the crystal objects situated on the shelves. It appears that the Czechs are obsessed with crystals or they think that tourists are obsessed with crystals. I’m not sure which it is, but believe me when I say that the amount of crystal objects in each souvenir shop is astounding. In addition to crystals, there are plenty of t-shirts, magnets, coffee mugs (I added another to my ridiculous collection of mugs from different places), and bottles of real absinth (apparently the Czech Republic is the only country in the EU where it is legal). There are also plenty of shop owners and workers who seem to dislike tourists, but know that tourists are their only source of business so they put up with them, but look miserable all the while.
When we finally found a Prague snow hat we started to make our way over to Charles Bridge. I won’t bore you with the historical details (you can find those by following the link below), but let me say that the bridge is well worth seeing. The view of the city from the bridge is brilliant. The architecture of the bridge and the many statues lining either side of the bridge are also quite brilliant. The city is situated on both sides of the Vitava River and looks great at night. Again, if you are in Prague then Charles Bridge is a must see.
Here is a link to info about Charles Bridge:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_bridge
Our day concluded with dinner and a stay at the Hotel Josef. We booked a different hotel for each night we were in Prague and you will be happy to know that the Hotel Josef was recommended for young singles and not retirees or honeymooners.
That’s all for now…Gute Nacht!
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