BLOG ON INDUSTRY VISIT : LCBS

BY: Vinay Lal

Me and my classmates from Luxury Connect Business School were taken for an industry visit to stores and outlets from 4 industries namely automobile, personal grooming, real estate and hospitality.

It was a wonderful experience since all the industries were of the luxury sector and I was spellbound since I had never experienced such a high level of of luxury so closely. Our first visit was to the BMW showroom where we were warmly greeted.

After having some water we were divided into four groups of five students each and each group was allotted a sales executive after which they started briefing us about the cars, sales process and customer handling, we were invited to sit inside the cars and experience the interiors. My group got to sit inside the all new 2017 5 series. It had beautiful interiors draped in beige colored leather and a big sunroof with all led surround lighting. The car had an amazing trick up its sleeves which was the gesture control for the music system in which the audio system could be controlled just by using hand gestures. After that a few of us got to sit in the BMW X3 SUV and experienced the beautiful sounding 12 speaker harmon kardon music system.

After that it was time for a quick lunch at a mall and then we were headed to our next destination which was the luxury barbershop known as Truefitt and Hill (oldest barbershop in the world). On entering the store we were greeted by the store manager who started explaining to us about Truefitt and Hill's rich heritage and history. I couldn't help notice the warm and royal interiors of the store which was done in wood and granite all over. There was light and pleasant music playing in the background. In the grooming room there were around 8 barber chairs which had black leather upholstery. Then we were shown around The Royal Suite which is meant for people who prioritize privacy highly such as politicians and celebrities. There was a huge collection of grooming products  on display at the store which included hair waxes and pomades, perfumes, aftershaves, serums, shaving razors, brushes, balms, etc. We got to smell samples of the exquisite smelling perfumes.

Our next stop was the super luxurious residency named Ireo by Grand Hyatt. On reaching the place we were taken in groups inside the main building in an electric shuttle. On entering the building we were taken to a big room which had the whole model for the entire residency which included a big park, office area, area for shopping complex, residency area, etc., which was an ecosystem in itself. Two attendants dressed in  black and white suit offered us a menu for welcome drinks. The menu had an exquisite range of welcome drinks including two types of champagne, plain water, flavored water, sparkling water, latte, hot coffee, cold coffee, a variety of cold drinks. A gentleman dressed in a cream colored suit who explained the residency model to us and then we were again divided into 4 groups to be taken to the sample apartment. After having coke the person took our group for the apartment tour. We went through the lift and it opened right into the apartment, which was something exquisite.The apartment was super luxurious. It had huge and beautiful interiors with contrasting decor and accessories along with all modern functions. There were huge glass areas to let in natural light. The best part of this apartment model was that they would be serviced and maintained by the staff from Hyatt which ensures a very high standard of quality and professionalism.

Finally it was time to visit the last sector which was the hospitality sector. We landed inside The Roseate hotel. This luxury hotel has beautiful architecture and designing which is visually very appealing. On reaching the place we noticed leaves covering the inside walls of the garage which we later came to know was completely made of brass and was designed to reduce noice pollution inside the hotel since the hotel was located right on the highway. What an intelligent and magnificent structure it was! On going inside the hotel we were given tour of the main attractions of the hotel which included the Chinese restaurant, coffee shop, boutiques, conference hall, and finally the super luxurious and modern rooms which had graceful interiors and a few selected rooms were directly connected to a swimming pool which is the longest swimming pool in Delhi. All the controls of the room were connected to an apple Ipad. Thus we completed our industry visit and got to learn so much about the essence of luxury in various sectors which was earlier unmarked territory for all of us.

Luxury Brand Management - LCBS

A highly detail oriented, intricate industry, the Luxury Business has been constantly evolving over the years. A profound expression of the exquisite art of living, It is an exclamation of choice - what you want, how you want it and when you want it. With the evolution of luxury brands which cover every spectrum of a flamboyant lifestyle, a willing consumer has an array of goods and services to choose from. Hence, luxury is an integral as well as an exclusive segment of the market which sells dreams. 

Luxury brand management can be best described as an interdisciplinary subject that applies time-tested management practices to businesses that offer premium services. The treatment of these basic     principles when handling luxury goods and services take a completely new dimension much beyond just normal innovation. The primary role of a luxury brand manager is to understand the heritage and history of the brand and to communicate / map associate the Brands’ DNA values with a potential set of clients. This person is responsible for the sometimes difficult task of keeping the brand popular while retaining its exclusivity, i.e. ensuring that the brand remains a popular and favoured choice amongst both - the  aspirers of luxury  in terms of desire, and the elite in terms of purchase

The accessibility and rarity of extraordinary brands which revolve around the extravagant tastes of an individual is what broadens the scope of luxury brand management. The scope of luxury management in India is so wide, yet the majority is unaware about the situation of this exquisite segment which lacks efficiency in terms of human resource. Luxury products and services are openly available but the right skills to pitch, manage, operate, market and sell them is an area with untapped potential. The vast number of management programs in India are enormous but they hardly cater to the untapped potential of luxury brand management careers.  An masters in luxury brand management is important because this is a growth area that goes beyond normal luxuries associated with retail to some very interesting areas such as luxury hospitality, catering, fashion, recreational services, or in other words, experiential luxury.

A non-existent sector till just a few years ago, luxury brand management now offers exciting career opportunities. It requires an understanding of heritage brands and the ability to network with niche market segments. The overall scope of this panel is derived from client based experience which is a formidable asset for the sustenance of a luxury brand. Candidates are given a holistic idea about luxury brand management so they can contribute accordingly in this field. It provides the necessary tools to an individual to bridge the gap between the experimental pleasures of luxury and a consumer as per demand. It provides a better understanding of what's in the luxury market and identify the right goods and services for fulfilling a client's needs.

The objective of luxury brand management as a professional course at Luxury Connect Business School is to nurture it's candidates in accordance with the decorum of this industry. Firstly, it is culturally global in geography. Secondly, it is a growing sector of the modern economy which needs more attention. Thirdly, it is based on serious research underpinning the people involved in this field. The learning platform itself is pioneered by experts who've managed and delivered luxury at a commercial level. With a concoction of expertise, practicality,  innovation and style, a specialisation in the field of luxury brand management helps an individual become a connoisseur of luxury and rightfully contribute to this industry.

Industrial Visit - Luxury Connect Business School (LCBS)

By : Pooja Maurya

Haah! Finally I 'm here on the bridge of my career at Luxury Connect Business School (LCBS) with lots of positive energy, excitement and high hopes to sharpen myself so that in 10 months I be a shining diamond. On 23rd of August, 2017 my journey beginned by getting into new phase of life in new City to persue my post-graduate diploma in luxury management. Luxury for me is happiness which comforts and satisfies my desires. This course offered me to take ma passion for fashion and materialistic lifestyle as my fortune career.

The first day we came to know that we are a batch of 13 students from different background in education field and with different age group, which excited me, even more. We were introduced to one another and to our Founder & CEO Mr Abhay Gupta and also to our Campus Director Mr Rajat Bhatacharya. And also to our senior batch.  Abhay sir introduced what luxury and luxury management is and also quoted as "Cash rich- time poor". It's so true and I was totally touched and understood the value of it.

The next day was unbelievable; we were taken to four different sector of luxury Industry. The first they took us too BMW (Automobile) next to Trufitt & Hill (Wellness) followed by the grand Hyatt Residency (Real Estate) and finally to The Roseate hotel (Hospitality). I hardly could imagine of such things but it happened on second day in a high profiled manner with their photographer and creative team.

The third day pot of homesickness was full and I reached to my class to give presentation on experience of our industry visit. There I had fight with my mind and I stepped out of my comfort zone but with that chaos I expressed my experience through ppt but couldn't deliver it completely. Later, Abhay sir introduced to our subjects semester wise but that also couldn't calm my mind. The second half time we had Panel discussion where they shared their experience and successful story which helped me to push away my mixed feeling of being away from home and achieving my goal. It also helped me to set my mind. "Life is not easy" I know the meaning now. Life is all about creating and recreating successful stories where you put lots of efforts, hard works, dedication and the whole process go through to be a successful person.

The first three days of school has changed my whole concept of Luxury. It has wide range of luxury industries in different sectors. LCBS is all about everyday learning. Noah! I must be specific; it's about practical learning what u can implement in day today life and in luxury industry. Here, the whole concept of teaching and learning is different.