Living in Leuven

   This past Tuesday, the CoB 300 group and I traveled to Leuven, Belgium. After exploring the city, we all partook in a guided tour of the Stella Artois Brewery. All of the Stella Artois beer that the United States receives is from this brewery, which is then distributed by Anheuser-Busch. In addition to learning a lot about the Stella Artois company, I also learned a lot about the alcohol business, the production of beer, and the perception of alcohol in Belgium. 

   The alcohol industry is a huge economic force, and understanding some of the secrets behind the trade is a nice asset for future businessmen/women. Probably the most important thing that I learned from the trip was the importance of advertising. For example, Stella Atrois received a huge revenue boost from packaging their product in green bottles. However, green bottles allow more light into the drink, thus slightly diminishing the taste. As our tour guide explained, Stella Atrois has accepted this fact, and measured that the amount of customers lost in the United States due to inferior taste was less than the amount of customers gained from the attractive, green packaging. Thus, the company chose to stay with the inferior tasting beer due to the revenue brought in by the successful public relations boost of the green bottles. 

   In order to be successful in business, it is also important to know the inputs of products you are dealing with. Therefore, if I were to get into the alcohol business, this tour would be very useful. During our tour, I learned Stella Artois' four main ingredients of beer: water, barley (or another form of starch), hops (for flavoring), and fermented yeast. Altering the measurements, forms, and qualities of these products are how you produce different types of beer. With this knowledge, I now understand how there is such a wide variety of beers. With a combination of good marketing and the right ingredients, you might be able to be successful in the beer industry.

   Throughout the trip, I also noticed that the perception towards alcohol is much different than in the United States. It is important to notice cultural variances when doing business in other countries in order to communicate effectively. The people of Belgium seemed much more open to drinking. While having a business meeting in a bar in the United States may not be ideal, such a meeting in Belgium seems to be the norm. 

   So if I go home, come up with an awesome marketing campaign, brew the right beer with the right formula, and make some good deals with clients at the nearby bars, I should be able to brew up success in the beer industry!

   

In Bruges

    After my first field trip with the CoB 300 group, I became more grateful for the opportunity that has been allotted to me. As eye-opening as the city of Antwerp has been, the experience of seeing more Belgian cities, particularly Bruges and Ghent has been priceless.

   I've learned a couple things from this trip that can be easily utilized in the interview and employment processes. As an economics major interested in international trade, learning about the history of the cities and their current situations was invaluable information. I learned how Bruges avoided being captured during WWII due to their impressive wall, which still protects "the egg" of Bruges today. Due to this fact, Bruges still has breathtaking, historic sites like the Bruges City Hall pictured above and Saint Salvator's Cathedral, which is located nearby. Our tour guide pointed out that the fact that many old structures are still in great shape is a big reason why Bruges is a World Heritage Site of UNESCO, a educational division of the United Nations.  In the picture of the Bruges City Hall, you can see four flags flying along the roof. From left to right, these flags represent the European Union, the country of Belgium, the city of Bruges, and the province of Bruges. As I travel, I also make a point to learn basic information about the country (flags, leaders in government, etc.) that could be used in interviews with international companies.

   In Ghent, I learned a lot about the culture of a more modernized city. Today, Ghent is a very busy port city. Given that Flanders executes over 85% of all economic activity in Belgium (via the tour guide), it is no wonder that Ghent does a lot of trade. The city is in a prime location and doesn't get the same tourism profit as cities like Bruges and Brussels. So while you see older sites like the Cathedral (pictured below), it is also not hard to find more modern pieces of architecture throughout the city (pictured under Cathedral).