Industry projects are a vital part of Les Roches education. They ensure students gain hands-on experience, network with professionals, and enhance both soft and hard skills. One student that feels this benefit is Xiaofei ‘Karl’ Ma, whose recent MBA project saw him and his team earn top marks from The New York Times Conferences, as well as firm praise from its Conference Director.
Karl’s project was a cooperation between Les Roches and the New York Times Conferences, a division of the newspaper that boasts events across the globe. [quote]Their concern was that one of their most iconic events, the Luxury Travel Conference, was struggling to attract attendees and sponsors,” Karl explained. “So, our team decided to come up with an integrated marketing communication plan.[/quote]
Karl chose this project as it was more practical, and he and the team collected information, used various analyses and conducted vigorous online research. “For the project, we also did a project report and presentation,” he said. “The key things we found were that clients always change, and we should be adaptable to their changing needs. Secondly, I personally learned teamwork is crucial – as a team, we stayed positive and handled challenges together.”
The project not only won the best grade, but also saw their suggestions passed on to the company for implementation. “We had a Skype presentation with Carina Pierre Rochard, the Conference Director, who was very satisfied with our project,” Karl said. “She agreed on the improvements we suggested, and said she would present this project to her marketing team.”
Karl feels the project has been a big boost to his skillset, as well as his CV. “By doing this project, we put into practice a wide variety of knowledge that we learned in class,” he said. [quote]By getting such good grades and recognition from the client, we all feel more confident in our abilities. This experience will be a valuable asset when it comes to our CVs.[/quote]
