Thanks to IBS I got to visit a lot of interesting companies in each of the six different countries we traveled to. Although there were plenty of other great company visits, I’m going to discuss in-depth about the BMW plant, Innsbruck Tourism Board, and the Cantina Valpantena Winery. Each of these companies operated differently from one another because they each had their own way of life which was shaped by the country they resided in. IBS provided an immersive experience into the business world and showed us how different cultures influence the way the company functions.
BMW Dingolfing
The first thing you notice with BMW is how efficient everything is. Wherever you go in the plant there isn’t a second being wasted, from the assembly of the cars to the tour we were on. Another quality about BMW is how community-oriented they are, they understand that they need the support of the people in the community to work. For that reason, they have made accommodations like having a bus system for the workers to use for commuting to and from the facility. Another cool fact I learned was that BMW doesn’t make cars that aren’t already bought. Meaning that every BMW we saw being made already had an owner who bought it. The finished automobiles we saw had stickers on them indicating where they were being shipped to. My favorite part of this company visit was walking around and seeing how their whole operations work. It was like there wasn’t a second wasted as soon as someone would finish one car there was another waiting! All in all the visit to the BMW plant gave me insight into how the German people and their way of life is, hardworking and precise.
Innsbruck Tourism Board
What made me choose this company was that it dealt with my major which is Marketing. I was so intrigued because I wanted to find out how a relatively small city compared to all the giant cities throughout Europe could market themselves to bring tourists in. A big attraction they have is the Alps, which bring a lot of winter sports tourists in. What made the seminar for me though was hearing how they used their city for a Bollywood movie. This Bollywood movie had two of the biggest stars in the industry, what did that mean for Innsbruck? It meant a nice boom of tourists originating from India. We saw this while we there, for example at the Casino. This was all very insightful for me because this city that primarily is a winter sports destination has been turned into a destination for people who saw the Bollywood film!
Cantina Valpantena Winery
Obviously this company visit was a great time due to the wine tasting portion, but there was also a lot to learn. I learned how to look at a glass of red wine and tell the age and properties from the smell and color of the wine. This visit was also really fun because we got to see the process of winemaking from start to finish. The main event of this visit was the wine tasting. We learned how to identify the different flavors and notes in the wine, a skill that is hard to master but they gave us a basic idea. We also learned the differences between the varieties of red wine and which wines go best with which foods. This visit opened my eyes to the world of wine! Beforehand my opinion of wine was that it was gross, but after experiencing the art and science behind what led to the tasting of it I learned to appreciate it so much more. I loved this visit because it was equally fun and educational.
with every company visit, I learned something I never knew before. The three I chose were just some highlights of all the great companies we were fortunate enough to meet. From BMW and how efficient they are to how innovative the Innsbruck Tourism board was to find a new market for their city. All the way to Italy where we learned all about wine, which helped change my point of view on wine! This trip was worth every penny and I want to do another one! Thank you so much, IBS!
