Lorsqu'on évoque les grandes marques de luxe mondiales, on pense immédiatement aux marques françaises du top 10 : Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, Hermès, Cartier, etc.

Quant aux dix meilleurs spiritueux du monde, on peut aisément citer le cognac français, bien connu des Chinois. Rémy Martin, Hennessy, Martell et Courvoisier constituent les quatre grands du cognac, tous originaires de la région de Cognac en France.

Un groupe de 15 étudiants du MBA Luxury & Fashion Management de PSB Paris School of Business, sous la conduite de Mme Valérie Haie, directrice du programme, a visité du 7 au 9 novembre le berceau du cognac Hennessy - la ville de Cognac.

Au cours de ces trois jours, les présentations et échanges avec les grands groupes Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Martell, ainsi que les visites de châteaux et domaines viticoles, et les dégustations de grande cuisine accompagnée de grands crus, ont permis aux étudiants de s'approcher véritablement du monde du luxe, de le voir et de le comprendre. Ils ont notamment acquis une connaissance pratique de la culture du cognac français haut de gamme et de ses techniques traditionnelles de production, ainsi qu'une première compréhension des politiques et techniques de marketing des grands groupes pour leurs produits de marque.

Cette visite d'étude fait partie intégrante du programme MBA Luxury & Fashion Management de PSB Paris School of Business. Les étudiants inscrits à cette spécialité viennent des cinq continents, principalement de Chine, de Russie, d'Écosse, des États-Unis, de Malaisie, du Brésil et d'Inde. Cette visite pédagogique jouera un rôle positif tant pour la poursuite de leurs études en management du luxe que pour leur future carrière dans l'industrie du luxe.

Pour plus de détails, veuillez consulter le reportage de cette visite, les impressions des étudiants MBA, et admirez les magnifiques photos prises lors de ce voyage !

Le reportage de cette visite

PARIS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, DES ÉTUDIANTS DE TOUS PAYS REÇUS EN PAYS COGNAÇAIS

Ils sont Chinois, Russes, Écossais, Américains, Malaisiens, Brésiliens, Indiens… Passionnés, ils ont choisi de faire des milliers de kilomètres pour s'inscrire dans le MBA « Luxury & Fashion Program » de « Paris School of Business », pour mieux vivre l'expérience-client des « happy few » du luxe en France, comprendre ce savoir-faire et cette French Touch, si prisée dans le monde.

Incontournables symboles de la Grande Tradition Française et de la créativité artistique, les grands noms de Cognac les recevront les 7, 8, 9 novembre sur cette terre d'héritage ; c'est grâce au soutien du BNIC et de l'efficacité de David Boileau, Ambassadeur du Cognac, qu'ils pourront découvrir le patrimoine gastronomique cognaçais de façon très privilégiée :

• Hennessy (Groupe LVMH) : Visite des chais, de la distillerie et dîner au Château de Bagnolet ;
• Martell (groupe Ricard) : visite du domaine et déjeuner au Château de Chanteloup ;
• Rémy Martin (groupe Rémy Cointreau) : Visite du site et déjeuner au Club Rémy Martin ;
• Cognacs Delamain (groupe Jacques Bollinger) : Visite des chais - Dégustation
• Cognacs Leyrat-ABK6 : visite du château - dégustation
• Tonnellerie Vicard

Un atelier gastronomie a été prévu au Château La Ribaudière pour les étudiants en compagnie du Chef étoilé Thierry Verrat, suivi d'un dîner sur le thème « Alliance cognac et mets » pour les initier à la Haute-Gastronomie française et à la French Etiquette.

La demande n'a jamais été aussi forte : La gastronomie et les spiritueux, théâtre social où se tissent les plus grands secrets du Luxe au fil de l'Histoire, ne cessent d'intriguer et d'envoûter les jeunes générations, qui plus est, internationales.

Comme le rappelle Valérie Haie, Directrice du Programme, « Ces étudiants sont d'ores et déjà des clients du luxe : ils ont un pouvoir d'achat élevé. Ils se sont inscrits à Paris School of Business, certes, pour son enseignement reconnu (une des rares écoles à l'accréditation américaine IACBE) mais aussi pour ses séminaires d'études très prestigieux. Ils recherchent des expériences uniques et la pédagogie moderne passe désormais par une immersion totale au cœur du luxe ultime. Les jeunes veulent tout connaître, du savoir-faire aux codes du luxe, être avertis et opérationnels dès la fin de leurs études, dès leur diplôme. »

Ce séminaire s'inscrit dans la volonté de « Paris School of Business » d'offrir à ses étudiants une formation conjuguant, à la fois, un niveau académique reconnu à une expertise professionnelle sur le terrain, une prise directe avec les acteurs du monde du luxe. Un programme innovant dont on parle déjà dans la presse à l'international.

En effet, fort d'un très gros réseau, ce MBA fait vivre à ses étudiants une véritable expérience-client VIP en les emmenant dans les endroits les plus secrets et les plus prestigieux d'Europe.

Testimonials from students

« All thèse fantastic memories still keep flashing into my mind after I'm back at home in Paris. Luxury is Attitude. It's not just about price tag or logos. It's something inside, dating back from centuries. It's a kind of spirit. Nowadays Luxury is no longer what it used to be centuries ago. When some luxury brands only focus onto the profit and commercial success at the risk of downgrading the the brand image, it's good to see there are still luxury brands like Remy Martin sticking closely to the luxury spirit and providing great value. Time will tell the true luxury will never fade away. » Yuli WANG

« The Cognac study trip was the most luxury study trip and expérience I have ever participated. Everything was prepared in the French style, every détails as the menu, the tableware, the cuisine were luxury. The most interesting things for me is how to drink cognac with différent foods. For example, Rémy Martin is best with chocolate cakes. Besides the différent smells of différent cognac in différent district impressed me indeed. The flower smells from Grande Champagne ; the fruty smells from Fin Bois. The trip not only gave me a lesson of tasting cognac but also improve my attitude and views towards cognac. I think from now on, every time when I drink cognac in my country, this trip will come back to my mind » Chao LIU

I could not imagine that the trip would be so interesting. I have changed my opinion about the Cognac. I was impressed by the way of production. I have got the knowledge and expérience which now give me a chance to represent it in my thesis. The Cognac is more than just a drink. It is a luxury world. It was my first expérience when I could see luxury product inside. Thanks to the trip I understood that I have made the right choice chen I decided to learn Luxury Management. Thank you again to give us such opportunities. OLGA LABONINA

« It was my first time and occasion to touch the culture of Cognac and its so exquisite French Lifestyle. I was totally seduced. The Cognac houses as Hennessy, Martell, Remy Martin keep on pursuing the very finest quality of Cognac not only in its classical collection but also in innovation. Everything was perfect, no matter when we were, at distillery or at Château. The service, the decoration and the atmosphère were absolutely luxurious and purely artistic. I was honoured to have such a wonderful opportunity to visit Cognac. » Chenmi FU

« This visit not only provided me a closer contact with the most excellent brands in the Cognac industry but also force me and led me to think about the way that Luxury behave. How cant hey keep the héritage and tradition ? How do they manage the relationship between présent and future ? All those condidering will help me to find and explore the way that our national luxury brand should follow. I do respect their attitude towards Quality and Time. Their work inspired me a lot ». SHA SHA WANG from China

« The stop of the Time…The héritage of the History and the concern about following génération. These are the sense of existence in Cognac. The wine slept a century in barrels quietly and just woke up for someone who knows really its value… Can you imagine how emotional it is ? Luxury is an attitude. Time waits for no one but it will ever tell it in our glass » DAN WU

« I think the best part of the travel is a real expérience into the luxury world. When we ate, whatever we drunk, where we have been, everything was so fascinating during the trip. The visit to the 3 largest château also brought me to the very heart of the wine industry. During the visit, we were teached within such an emotional frame. And at the same time, it was so interesting !. I felt like I had become part of the History by tasting the old wines while knowing how long it is to make a good cognac. The direct conversation with the people in the wine industry gave me a more luxurious vision of the whole industry, than I thought before » FEIWEI WANG

« This is the most unbelievable trip I have ever had. With a lot of professional people and many wonderful places, I have learned so many things about Cognac. From the manufacturing to wine-tasting, I have experienced the very roots of Cognac and loved them deeply. Before the trip, I thought Cognac was just a type of wine which we occasionnally drink in China. But now, I have changed totally my mind. It is culture, elegance, dignity. What we have to do is to understand the culture behind a glass of cognac and make the most différent use of it to spread the spirit of it. » MA YUE

« Our Cognac trip was not only so much fun but also very educational. I went with very little knowledge on Cognac before hand and was left fascinated by the History of each house and how they all did things a little differently to get the perfect blend. I now not only feel like a mini cognac expert but an ambassador for the amazing Cognac cocktails » Caroline Allan

« I did appreciate the Cognac trip so much ! This study trip provided a lot of amazing expérience to me, not only the history and knowledge of Cognac but also the visits of those famous luxury Cognac company which made me impressed. Moreover, I experienced a deeply French culture of drinking, and gastronomy along with the meaning of elegance and professionalism. The Hennessy private Château provided me an unforgettable evening with the occasion to feel this French lifestyle. Furthermore, those cognacs cellars excited our passion with their storytelling about the brand and the reality of cognac over last centuries. I look forward to coming back in the future to Cognac to have other many expériences » Jing ZHANG

« During the trip to cognac, I have learned that Cognac is not only the result of a marketing strategy but also the quality that have been makng it famous all over the world over centuries. Its production methods must meet drastic legal requirements ; it must be made from specific grapes and the wine be twice distilled in copper pots, aged at minimum 2 years in oak barrels. It is the détails that make Cognac's high quality. We visited Hennessy, Martell, Rémy Martin, Delamain and ABK6. They all produce high-quality cognac every year although each brand has its style, its taste and its brandimage. They all impressed me a lot. To sum up, the combination of the quality and the marketing strategy make them the best in the world ; something we have to keep in mind. Besides we had a cooking class and the French culture about gastronomy helped me a lot to better understand the Cognac culture. It was a great chance for us to meet experts. I really enjoyed this strip ». YE QUIAN

« China is one of the largest market for spirits' consumption. Most chinese people like drinking during their dinner or after dinner, with some friends. Drink as a booster of relationship has a long history in China. And there are a lot of chinese spirit brands. But for most Chinese people, they are not familiar with foreign wine even in their everyday life. It is devoted to business parties only. From this Cognac trip, we visited the most famous cognac houses and learned how to drink thèse élégant flavoured spirits. We could understand how the spirit gets more spicy and élégant. With time. Time is luxury ». JI TANG

« When I first heard about the trip to Cognac during the orientation day at the beginning of the semester, I thought that it would be an ordinary school field trip. I did not at all expect the exposure and treatment that we received during our stay in Cognac. It was simply luxurious and extraordinary. It has been very insigthful with informations exchange sessions with the professionals from each Cognac houses, welcoming us warmly into their high-end luxury spirit universe. I had enjoy every moment of it - from discovering the history & production of Cognac to the fine dining prepapred my the Michelin awarded chef in the most extravagant chateaus.It is definitely a highlight of this semester and a memory that will never be forgotten » MUBARAQ AHMAD