Academic sessions, conferences, and trips to Tlaquepaque and Tequila were on the activity agenda that brought together students of the online program, hailing from 11 countries.
By JOSÉ ÁNGEL DE LA PAZ | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
Over 60 EGADE MBAOnline students had the opportunity to get together in person, strengthen their network of contacts, and apply their knowledge in the immersion The Agave Business Experience, held at the EGADE Business School site in Guadalajara.
This three-day in-person experience, which represented the culmination of the course “Strategy and negotiation in multicultural environments,” included in their curriculum, also enabled them to explore the city and learn about the tequila industry.
The online program’s students who attended the immersion, which took place from August 18 to 20, hail from 11 countries on different continents: Argentina, Colombia, United States, Spain, Guatemala, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, and Switzerland.
This multicultural group of graduate students started the immersion with a trip to the Tlaquepaque zone, renowned for its art, culture, gastronomy, and mariachi, where they enjoyed dinner in a traditional Mexican restaurant called El Patio.
The conferences and academic sessions of the immersion took place on the second day at the Conference Center on Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Campus Guadalajara.
The opening messages were offered by Horacio Arredondo, dean of EGADE Business School; Raúl Montalvo, director of EGADE Business School, Guadalajara site; Eric Porras, national director of MBA Programs at EGADE Business School; and Pedro Carreón, director of the EGADE MBAOnline an the EGADE MBA in Guadalajara.
“It is a great honor for me to welcome you to our Guadalajara site. This immersion will provide you with the opportunity to get to know and engage with your classmates and professors, as well as with business leaders, while you explore the beautiful city of Guadalajara and learn about the highly active tequila industry. I am extremely grateful to our academic directors and faculty at EGADE Guadalajara for having organized this event, and to the entire EGADE MBA Online team and 2U academic partners,” Arredondo stated.
As part of the agenda, Antonio García, director of International Affairs at the National Chamber of the Tequila Industry, offered the keynote conference “The current outlook and future challenges of the tequila industry in a post-pandemic environment.”
In addition, Miguel Ángel Domínguez, president of the Tequila Regulatory Council, offered the keynote address “The function of the Tequila Regulatory Council in the post-pandemic environment.”
This conference was followed by the discussion panel “Tequila Patrón, the brand’s present situation and future strategic interests,” with the participation of Ismael Marcano Salas, commercial director of Bacardí México, and David Santos Rodriguez, director of Operations at Tequila Patrón, moderated by Pedro Carreón.
The students were able to apply their knowledge by participating in business simulation exercises, led by professors Daniel Meade and Juan Carlos Rivera.
During the final presentations, professors Eric Porras and Rolando Fuentes served as judges together with guest businesspeople.
The third and last day of the immersion involved a trip to Casa José Cuervo in Tequila, Jalisco, where they were able to enjoy a tequila tasting and learn about the tequila production process, while touring the distillery, cask room, and agave fields.
