2009 Germany-Switzerland Study Tour

This 10 day itinerary takes you from historic Marienplatz in Munich to cosmopolitan Zurich complete with trips to the Alps, Neuschwanstein – the inspiration for the Disney castle, and the Dachau concentration camp. You can choose to arrive in Europe a couple of days earlier than the tour start date and sightsee by yourself or catch up on much needed sleep after the winter quarter finals.  All tour and travel expectations from the Global Business Study Tour Information Packet still hold.

 Please note the following:

• All companies listed have been contacted and have expressed their willingness to try and make the visits work. We will only be able to confirm the dates and times of a couple of the visits as the trip gets closer. 
• This is a tentative itinerary and the order or the activities are subject to change.

March 18^th Wed evening: Informal gathering of all those who have already arrived and want to get dinner together.

March 19^th Thursday: Meet the study tour group at hotel or elsewhere for breakfast. We will have our first company visit right away with BMW AG. Leaders at BMW will give us a crash course BMW’s approach on sustainability. Learn about such things as the Hydrogen engine technology, sustainability in manufacturing and BMW’s vision for the future. A visit to the BMW museum after lunch will not only highlights the company’s prowess in engine manufacture, and its long history but also its commitment to environmental concerns with exhibits explaining the concept behind the CleanEnergy initiative.

March 20^th Friday: After breakfast at one of the many bakeries around the main train station. Our visits today will take us to the Ministry of Economics of Bavaria to discuss the politics and business of renewable energy and sustainability efforts in the region.

Dinner will be at the famous Augustiner restaurant – an essential Bavarian experience complete with Dirndl-wearing waitresses carrying large mugs of beer and Weisswurst (literally “white sausage”). The Augustiner brewery is the oldest one in Munich dating back to 1328.

March 21^st Saturday:  An early morning journey by train and bus will take us to the beautiful Neuschwanstein castle built by Mad King Ludwig between 1869 and 1886. The castle is full of surprises such as the artificial cave built next to the King’s living room, a place he retired to for solitude. We will have lunch at one of the local eateries at the foot of the castle.

The evening will be left open so participants can go shopping or sightseeing on their own, etc.

March 22^st Sunday:  We will travel to the Dachau concentration camp close to Munich. We will be back in Munich in the afternoon for some brats in Marienplatz and perhaps a beer or two, much needed after the serious visit of the morning.

In the evening, we will take the train to Zurich, a 5 hour journey.

March 23^st Monday: A company visit to UBS will give students a great view into how the credit crisis has impacted the banking industry in Switzerland and in particular its largest bank. A visit to the University of Zurich, an institution that is part of the Foster MBA exchange program, will give us a chance to meet the graduate students there, learn about impacts of the economic crisis in Europe and Switzerland in particular and how globalization is impacting Switzerland.

March 24^th Tuesday: We will do two more company visits, to Polaroid Eyewear, and First Climate. Polaroid Eyewear makes polarized sunglasses. The company is headquartered in Zurich. We will learn about their global marketing efforts and cultural challenges coming from their recent merger with a US company. First Climate is a leading carbon trading firm and now has offices all over Europe.

The afternoon will be free. We will provide maps of the downtown area including good places to go shopping.

March 25^th Wednesday: We will do a city tour around Zurich in the morning, led by one of our friends. The tour will include a stop at a Spruengli café for chocolate tasting. The Champagne truffles are highly recommended. If weather permits, we will hike up Uetliberg for a lovely view of Zurich, the lake and the faraway Alps. 

We will visit ABB in the afternoon to get an understanding of the company’s involvement in energy efficiency, reducing emissions and wind energy. There will be a series of presentations followed by an aperitif.

Dinner will be at a Fondue restaurant for some original cheese fondue. We will be joined by our Swiss friends who will talk to the group about Swiss culture.

March 26^th Thursday / March 27^th Friday: A visit to the Alps with overnight stay.

March 28^th Saturday: End of Study Tour. Participants can fly back to Seattle on Saturday or Sunday.