Today was a hard day In the beginning, we had a midterm that we studied for until 1:00 am to make sure that we got a 100%. After the midterm, we had pizza lunch with Bryan Shultz, who is the director of The Global Experiences. He talked to us about the Plus 3 program. He emphasised that it is to make people experience the country not as a traveler, but what it feels like to be in the real world there. One of the unfortunate things He told us was that it is different this year, as it used to be that engineers and business students were together, but now they are separate from each other. One of the sites i want to go to is vietnam it sounded like you are a celebrity when you go there and have a big party when you arrive there. After that amazing talk about all the opinions on traveling abroad, we went to the Irish Design Center and met the owners, Tom and Maura. The store is 95% filled with stuff imported from Ireland and has small Irish creators that gave it an international presence. They carefully make sure the products are from local designers, artists, and craftspeople, making sure that everything has an Irish spirit to it. People are drawn to the idea that what they’re purchasing isn’t mass-produced, but it’s handcrafted and carries a story from Ireland. These gives customers a deeper connection to the products and encourage purchasing for the story. They also talk about how most of their sales are between November and Christmas because of the holidays, while they have a big spike on St. Patrick’s Day. One of the coolest things they do is host Irish festivals and Irish-themed events in their store. These events not only drive business but also strengthen relationships with customers who see the shop as more than just a place to buy things, but something that can connect them to their heritage. They also talk about how they have a Facebook page to engage with their customers by promoting events and discounts. After that amazing tour of the Irish design center, we had to go back to class to learn about the troubles in Ireland. It surprised me how much Brexit affects the peace between Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is still a topic that is controversial to this day. Overall, this day was hard, but I learn about all the global experiences and the troubles while seeing cool Irish import goods.
The Vist to Irish Design Center
