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Spring Break 2016

Paris and Amsterdam in the Spring

Design BMGT 498H: The Business

of French and Dutch Design and Culture

Mary Harms, Faculty 3 credits Emily Heavin, Program Assistant

March 11 - 20, 2016

Course Description This 10-day course will introduce students to the contributions of the French and Dutch to our world's cultural landscape both historically and in present day. We'll hear from industry experts on how the French have designed fashionable goods that have evolved into global luxury brands. Art Deco and Art Nouveau design movements originated in Paris and we'll explore their significance in the products, architecture and fashion of the last half of the 1800's and into the early 1900's.

Amsterdam has recently been recognized as one of the most creative cities in the world. We'll delve into the importance of the Dutch East and West Indies companies and how trade impacted the Netherland's culture during their Golden Age. We'll also hear from modern-day Dutch designers who have distinguished themselves in the global marketplace with aesthetically pleasing, highly utilitarian products with a minimalistic look.

Macaroons, cafe au lait, ebelskivers

An important part of any culture is its cuisine. From Parisian sidewalk cafes to Dutch pancake houses, we'll gain an understanding of their

heritage through traditional foods.

Itinerary Friday,

March 11

Saturday, March 14 -

Wednesday,March 18

Wednesday, March 18

Wednesday, March 18 -

Sunday, March 20

Sunday, March 20

Arrive in Paris

Visit Paris museums, luxury goods companies and marketing firms, tour Eiffel Tower

Take train to Amsterdam

Take a canal ride though historical Amsterdam, visit world's largest flower auction, enjoy a cheese tasting, see world famous artistic masterpieces

Leave for US

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Learn their historical significance

Paris's Eiffel Tower was built as a temporary entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair. Instead of being dismantled after the Fair, it became the iconic image of Paris. After touring the Tower, we'll stroll the Paris boulevards strategically designed by Baron Haussmann at the request of Napoleon III for the purpose of transforming Paris from a medieval city to a modern-day cultural powerhouse.

The Netherland's 17th century Golden Age was a result of their rapidly expanding trade network to the Far East and the New World. We'll learn more about that time period at the Amsterdam History Museum as well as Tulipmania, a time in the country’s history when a home could be purchased with a single tulip bulb. The emerging bourgeois invested in art by Hals, Vermeer and Rembrandt. We'll see those masterpieces and

more at the world-renown Rijksmuseum and later tour Rembrandt's home that housed his studio and gallery. On a trip to Edam, we'll visit working windmills to better understand their unique engineering design and the instrumental role they played in this region's economic development. To help us better understand the impact of World War II on the region, we'll visit Anne Frank's home.

In Paris, we will be staying at the centrally located Hotel Colbert (Melia), just across the Seine from Notre Dame. A breakfast buffet is included in our accommodations.

Amsterdam's accommodations are at the high-tech Doubletree hotel

Accommodations

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Flowers still play a major role in The Netherland's economy but it's no longer confined to tulips. We'll visit the world's largest fresh flower auction held daily in Aalsmeer where flowers are flown in from 60 countries and after being sold are to

transported to wholesalers and retailers in 120 countries.

While in Amsterdam, we'll visit the Heineken Brewery and get a glimpse into their current marketing strategies that make wide use of social media as well as promotes their corporate social responsibility.

We'll also hear from product design experts on how they approach creating contemporary Dutch products for consumer use.

We will visit multinational companies offices in Amsterdam as well as learn more about the city’s historical and present-day efforts to balance the needs of their population and the environment.

Discover what makes them

relevant in the 21st century

Sign up to get a glimpse into the business side of French

and Dutch design and culture Mary Harms has led education abroad courses to

London, Paris, and Amsterdam as well as Italy and Australia for the past five years. She received Smith School of Business awards in 2006 and 2010

for her efforts in teaching undergraduate marketing courses with a focus on design, strategy and digital marketing. She is a

volunteer docent at the National Gallery of Art on weekends.

She will be accompanied by Emily Doane Heavin, Director for Smith’s Undergraduate Program, who has

also led Smith undergraduate programs abroad.

Program dates: March 11 – 20, 2016

University of Maryland Education Abroad

Smith School of Business Office of Global Programs

2410 Van Munching Hall College Park, Maryland 20742 ogp@rhsmith.umd.edu