MBA Study Tours as Tourism Products

Bradley S. Brennan,Kyung Mi Bae 인문사회과학기술융합학회 2018 예술인문사회융합멀티미디어논문지 Vol.8 No.4

Utilizing interviews conducted with 16 administrators of MBA programs from four countries, this paper investigates the current trend of internationalization of Western and Asian MBA programs and postulates why graduate business schools are increasingly offering international study tours. Also examined are how relevant stakeholders perceive these trips and how internal and external pressures are affecting business schools as they evolve to remain solvent. This paper contemplates the MBA study tour through a tourism lens, which leads one to see these hands-on out of the classroom learning opportunities as a niche segment of educational travel, belonging to the broader category of youth tourism. Three significant findings emerged. First, primary motivations for the internationalization of MBA curriculum, faculty and student bodies. Second, how students, faculty, and administrators view study trips. Third, specific travel preferences that will assist the tourism industry in attracting these tours in the future. Also, how graduate business schools are coping with the dramatic increase in market pressures. Key factors include the immense influx of international students into MBA programs, the diversification of faculty, hyper-competition among MBA programs, growing popularity of substitute programs, the increased power of yearly global MBA rankings, student desire for more international focused programs and the commodification of MBA programs.

ROI Evaluation Effectiveness of a Sales Meeting: A Conceptual Case Study on XYZ Laboratories

Bradley S. Brennan,배경미 사단법인 인문사회과학기술융합학회 2018 예술인문사회융합멀티미디어논문지 Vol.8 No.12

This conceptual research paper aims to examine the effectiveness of an ROI evaluation conducted by meeting planners for a pharmaceutical company’s sales meeting from the perspective of the Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Exhibition (MICE) industry. A multinational healthcare company, XYZ Laboratories, held an international sales meeting to educate sales staff about products of two newly acquired biotech firms. The meeting also focused on integrating the freshly merged employees into XYZ Laboratories to welcome them to the XYZ family of over 75,000 employees. Another goal of the conference was to present a new corporate sales strategy for current and newly merged sales employees for the upcoming year. J. J. Phillip’s Return on Investment (ROI) methodology is utilized to evaluate the XYZ Laboratories 2017 Sales Meeting Event. Data includes an in-depth pre-meeting survey questionnaire employing a sales meeting profile worksheet as well as comprehensive surveys conducted by meeting planners immediately post-meeting and twelve months after. Meeting organizers held thirty-six training sessions during the three-day event, simultaneously surveyed electronically by participants who wore smart-badges that helped organizers to track participation in training sessions. Finding shows the real Level 5 ROI percentage was realized only after including the final intangible costs.

A Convergence of Mobile Device Application Use and Smart Tourism: A Comparison of Korean and Non-Korean Smart Tourists

Bradley S. Brennan 한국인터넷전자상거래학회 2020 인터넷전자상거래연구 Vol.20 No.4

This paper aims to identify mobile device(smartphone) application(apps) usage by Korean and non-Korean tourists within South Korea(Korea); to classify these applications into a taxonomy of mobile device apps used by tourists; to better understand how these tourists utilize these apps while traveling; and to gain insight that can create actionable recommendations for which destinations can use to increase tourist satisfaction. A qualitative methodology approach was used for this paper; consisting of an online electronic survey instrument which asked open-ended questions on which mobile device applications were used. Those results were counted, coded, and then sorted; providing actionable insights to increase tourist satisfaction in pre-departure destination research, online purchases of transportation, accommodation, and entertainment, and tourism spending. Furthermore, valuable tourist trends were identified which could be utilized for eCommerce, smart tourism destinations, and destination marketing organizations(DMOs) to increase tourist satisfaction. A key finding included a significant increase in the use of Korean domestically created apps such as Naver (maps, navigation, transactional, and information), Kakao(maps, social, navigation, communication, taxi, banking, and entertainment), and several other Korean branded apps used by both Korean and non-Korean tourists. Another key finding showed that Koreans are using Facebook and Twitter less and, conversely, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, more than before. Therefore, smart destinations and cities must engage and embrace smart tourists on these platforms to promote their destinations to increase tourist satisfaction and intention to revisit and promote Korea as a travel destination.

Online Marketing and Electronic Commerce Integration: A Case Study Examining an International Wine Festival

Bradley S. Brennan,Luo Yiheng,Hyeonu Song 한국인터넷전자상거래학회 2020 인터넷전자상거래연구 Vol.20 No.2

Festival and event attendees are continually seeking unique, authentic, experientially-oriented festivals and events with a greater focus on attendees actively participating in the experience. Festival attendees are seeking more significant personal, meaningful opportunities to participate in wine related activities at wine festivals, but festivals have not capitalized on the sales potential of electronic commerce (e-commerce) post-festival. Examination of a wine festival in South Korea and how through better targeted online marketing - utilizing e-commerce platforms, such as social media, websites and electronic communications (e-communications) - they could significantly increase festival revenue for organizers/vendors while also giving higher attendee satisfaction. An interpretive design approach assisted in obtaining an in-depth understanding of resident, tourist, supplier, non-profit, and local government perspectives. It was then interpreted through an event management and social media marketing perspective. Examining the textual data generated through 24 interviews of festival attendees and suppliers/organizers revealed multiple emergent themes that greatly influenced the attendee’s holistic festival experiences as well as essential insights on how to improve future CIWFs with regards to the event’s online social media marketing, tourism planning, and e-commerce sales post-festival. Findings included festival attendee satisfaction was most realized from entertainment and wine-related activities, desired more wine product information, product education, and product purchasing opportunities. Recommendations will help to improve future CIWF attendance levels, greatly improve revenue generation, and festival management aspects through a multitude of specific, actionable festival management and online marketing activities and initiatives for improved festival attendee satisfaction.

Smart Tourism: A Study of Mobile Application Use by Tourists Visiting South Korea

Bradley S. Brennan,Chul mo Koo,Kyung Mi Bae 인문사회과학기술융합학회 2018 예술인문사회융합멀티미디어논문지 Vol.8 No.10

The purpose of this exploratory study is to identify the mobile phone applications (apps) used by foreign tourists visiting South Korea through a pilot study using focus groups and individual interviews. Concentrating on tourist mobile app use in a smart tourism environment and categorized through a taxonomy of mobile applications lays the framework and determines the factors boosting tourism smartphone app trends by foreign tourists visiting South Korea. Researchers collected data through ethnographic methods and analyzed it through qualitative research to uncover major themes within the smart tourism app use phenomenon. The researchers coded, counted, analyzed, and then divided the findings gleaned from a pilot study and interviews into a taxonomy of seven logical smartphone app categories. The labeling and coding of all the data accounting for similarities and differences can be recognized and are logically discussed in the implications of the apps used by tourists to assist tourist destinations. More specifically these findings will assist smart tourism destinations by better understanding foreign tourist smartphone app use behavior. Tourists visiting South Korea interviewed in this study exhibited significant mastery of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, craved free WiFi access, and utilized smartphone apps for all facets of their travel. Findings show major concentrations of app use in bookings of accommodations, tourist attractions, online shopping, navigation, wayfinding, augmented reality, information searching, language translation, gaming, and online dating while traveling in South Korea.

Examining the 1st Cheongna International Wine Festival: An Experience Economy Approach

Bradley S. Brennan,구철모 한국인터넷전자상거래학회 2019 인터넷전자상거래연구 Vol.19 No.5

Festival guests are seeking uniquely authentic, experientially-oriented festivals and events with more meaningful opportunities to participate in activities. They simultaneously seek to satisfy desire for education, escaping, and entertainment in esthetically (4E model) desirable locations. The four previously mentioned dimensions or 4E’s form the basis of the “experience economy” theory and subsequent model, as proposed by Gilmore and Pine (1999). The 1st Cheongna International City Wine Festival (CIWF) in South Korea was examined through an interpretive approach to gain an in-depth understanding of the CIWF guests’ experience. Examining the data revealed multiple themes that influenced the overall festival experience where highest satisfaction was obtained from entertainment and wine-related activities. Findings include implications and recommendations for improving the CIWF’s event activities through the 4E realms for greater festival guest satisfaction and to ensure more prosperous future wine festivals.

ROI Evaluation Effectiveness of a Sales Meeting: A Conceptual Case Study on XYZ Laboratories

Bradley S,Brennan,Kyung Mi Bae 인문사회과학기술융합학회 2018 예술인문사회융합멀티미디어논문지 Vol.8 No.12