Exploring Europe’s business ecosystems: international seminar in Italy, Switzerland & the Netherlands
Gopi Karelia
MSc in International Marketing & Business Development (2025)
This November, students from emlyon business school’s MSc in International Marketing & Business Development embarked on their annual international seminar – an immersive week designed to expose them to diverse business cultures, expand their networks, discover cross-cultural marketing and understand how local ecosystems shape global industries.
This year, the cohort was split into two groups: one travelled to Italy and Switzerland, while the other explored the Netherlands. Throughout the week, students met with company founders, senior executives, and marketing and business development professionals across sectors including sustainability, food innovation, travel, digital transformation, luxury, mobility, and fintech. These interactions provided a first-hand look into customer-centric strategies, international expansion, and partnership-driven growth—offering future students a clear view of how the program prepares them for marketing and business development roles in a global business environment.
The Netherlands: innovative thinking and sustainability
From Rotterdam’s famous port to Amsterdam’s historic canals, the Netherlands group spent the week immersed in one of Europe’s most forward-thinking business environments.
“I visited more than 10 companies that ranged from start-ups like Cappi to big, renowned brands like Booking.com and Unilever Foods… I had the chance to interact with founders, global heads, and industry leaders across sectors,” says international student Gopi Karelia.
The seminar kicked off in Rotterdam with visits to Unilever Netherlands Foods and sustainability-focused start-up Cappi. Through these meetings, students learned how major brands are adapting to increasingly health-conscious consumers and how sustainable technologies can reduce costs and reshape value chains. Then the group moved to the tech hub of Eindhoven, where students were introduced to the long regulatory journey of biotechnology at ProBio, as well as the design-driven innovation of Signify and Philips.
Next up was Amsterdam, which brought a new wave of inspirational seminars. At Booking.com, students stepped into a culture built on experimentation and openness. “The Director of Product Marketing emphasized how a strong experimentation culture—hypotheses and validation—has kept them a leader in travel. I realized how there is no hierarchy when it comes to giving ideas,” Gopi shares. “Irrespective of one’s job title, ideas are taken into consideration and implemented. I did not expect an intern to contribute equally to someone who is at the executive level.”
One of the week’s standout moments was meeting Roemer van den Biggelaar, co-founder of Heurotrain. His story of challenging the Dutch government and building a sustainable train company from scratch left a lasting impression. “His story was truly inspiring,” says Gopi. “Changing people’s behavior and mindset is probably tougher than climbing Everest.”
The group’s final company visit was to ING Nederland, where they learned how a focused customer strategy – “stop doing everything for everyone” – helped refine the brand’s position in a competitive banking landscape.
Alongside company visits, students enjoyed some of Amsterdam’s cultural highlights, including a canal cruise and the Heineken Experience. Throughout the week, they also gained insight into Dutch working culture, which is marked by collaboration, flexibility, and a strong commitment to sustainability.
“I learnt that the work culture in Europe is different from Asia… employees and employers are realizing the importance of work-life balance,” says Gopi. “The networking opportunity we got is going to help me when I start looking for internships and jobs,” Gopi adds.
Italy & Switzerland: marketing heritage, luxury, and global brand strategy
Meanwhile, the second group travelled through Milan, Parma, and Lugano. The seminar opened in Milan, Italy’s fashion and innovation capital, with a keynote from Vito Mansueto on the city’s blend of design, luxury, and international influence. A marketing scavenger hunt through Milan’s boutiques was a hands-on way for students to apply consumer insight techniques in real world scenarios.
Students then met with leading companies shaping Italy’s media and digital sectors, including Sky Italia, CreationDose, and Alibaba.com, gaining fresh perspectives on storytelling, partnerships, and how brands scale in competitive markets. At Campari, students discovered the power of heritage branding, while travel company WeRoad demonstrated how community and authenticity can drive rapid international growth.
Midweek, the group crossed into Switzerland for visits to VF Corporation (home to Smartwool and Icebreaker) and Guess Europe, where they explored wholesale strategy, marketing, and purpose-led brand identities. They later returned to Italy for a lunch break and an afternoon in Como, including a boat tour on the lake.
The trip then moved to Parma, where students met with the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium and the Consorzio Prosciutto di Parma. Here, they saw first-hand how tradition, quality control, and regional identity underpin globally protected food products. A visit to Dallara offered a fascinating look at high-performance engineering and innovation. Before returning to Milan, the group met Armani Beauty at L’Oréal, exploring how luxury brands build consistency and influence across international markets.
A Transformative Week of Global Learning
Whether exploring Rotterdam’s innovation ecosystem or Milan’s design-led marketing and branding hubs, the international seminar immersed students in the environments where global marketing and business development strategies are created and executed. They built networks, learned from industry leaders, and observed how workplace cultures shift from country to country. Beyond technical learning, the experience helped many students build confidence in international settings and refine their career ambitions in marketing, business development, and strategy.
As Gopi reflects: “Students were encouraged to ask questions to people sitting at the top level… this is definitely going to help me question my managers when I start working, free of fear and judgment. This trip showed me how healthy it is for a company to grow alongside its staff.”