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IFTM alumni ascribed their success to Tourism Retail and Marketing Management Degree programme

中文摘要 / Summary in Chinese

IFTM alumni ascribed their success to Tourism Retail and Marketing Management Degree programme

IFTM alumni are making their mark in different fields, especially in tourism, retail and marketing management. The alumni success stories below highlight just a few of our remarkable graduates who represent IFTM’s legacy. We are proud of them, their achievements, and the contributions they make to their fields and communities.

Newland Sun Guangming, graduated in 2016, landed his dream job as an entrepreneur starting up his own business. After majoring in Tourism Retail and Marketing Management in IFTM, Newland started to run Hotel Honeycomb in Hangzhou by offering solo travellers a space of an optimal level of comfort to rejuvenate and recharge during the stay. ‘The source of inspiration came from a question about capsule hotels that appeared in the final examination of my service quality management course, which first aroused my interests.’ he said. It’s his continued love and curiosity for learning that has helped him be successful in an ever-evolving career path, which goes all the way back to his IFTM days.

It was the fact that Newland has put all his lessons and experience at IFTM together and brought them with him all this time. ‘Throughout the 4 years of studies, critical thinking is the greatest weapon that I got in hand. In the second half of 2021, Tenet E-commerce Inc. Company Limited, Hangzhou was introduced and had the brand, Vitalizart, launched. Within a year’s time, Vitalizart’s market share of sales by category in US Amazon ranked among the top three, meanwhile, recognised as the top-ranked product in September 2022 sales chart by category.’ He claimed the reason for the big success was based on logical analysis of data done on every piece of information obtained. He also believed that it is the project-based approach used in teaching that helped in building the open communication culture within the company, which highlights the importance of equality, culture of respect and encouragement. ‘Days in IFTM was the best time for my network and foundation building in the retail industry. It has prepared me well for working in the industry. I would like to give credit to IFTM in assisting me to pursue an entrepreneurial career by developing new retail businesses from scratch where opportunities exist, in tourism destinations and the success that I obtained.’ he concluded.

Another alumni with a bachelor’s degree in Tourism Retail and Marketing Management, Derek Chan Sai Lai, the Chairman at Macao Musical and Art Exchange Association, spoke about his time with IFTM and provided insights into its curriculum, emphasising his biggest gain throughout his 4 years of studies. ‘The programme adopts a blended learning environment, integrating theoretical learning in classrooms and practical learning in labs and industry operational sites. IFTM is a higher education institute that emphasises on both theory and practice. Learn by doing, it allows students to learn the theory and to understand how the theory comes to life.’ he stated. Derek also highlights IFTM’s internship program offering a better chance of having treasurerable real-life working experience outside of the campus in his senior years of study. At the same time, he got the internship offer of being the marketing research assistant at one of the most prominent resort entertainment groups in Macau.

According to Derek, he thinks both the Ideation Lab and iRetail Lab can provide a real training platform for IFTM students to learn retail and marketing management related knowledge, as well as to facilitate their learning in e-commerce and digital marketing field. ‘The new facilities of IFTM are down-to-earth for students to think, to research and to develop ideas. Yet, both labs can build social capital, triggering knowledge spillover and stimulating entrepreneurial behaviour and innovation which may further enhance collaboration with the industry.’ he said.

‘IFTM’s Tourism Retail and Marketing Management bachelor degree programme prepares students to succeed in the fast paced, constantly evolving retail sector, equipping them with skills in management, marketing, operations, logistics and customer service.’ Liana Lao, the owner of Quotation Mark Culture and Media Company Limited, said. During the interview, she claimed that the outcome of all courses offered by IFTM encouraged her to start-up her own business. The programmes of Entrepreneurship and Merchandiser had the deepest impression on Liana, which inspired her an idea to provide assistance to clients in building personal image online, creating digital content in  social media platforms like Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Instagram, etc., within the Greater Bay Area. ‘By taking the Tourism Retail and Marketing Management programme, I was able to obtain knowledge and skills in retail and marketing operation and management in both physical and digital format. Hence, I think the Ideation Lab and iRetail Lab are great facilities for both students who want to start-up business to gain hands-on experiences, and local brands and entrepreneurs to demonstrate their branding and design ideas inside the lab. Thus, the labs can be put to good use to meet the needs of the industry partners as well as for students’ learning.’ she expressed.

Liana, also as one of the invited speakers for the seminar series of Idea-cation@IFTM 2022. She appreciated that IFTM always serves as a communication and exchange platform for students and the industry. Industry experts are invited to give talks and allow students to learn the current market trend and develop networks with the industry for future preparation. Students can then be prepared for their future careers in the retail industry with upward developing potential.

After completing the Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Retail and Marketing Management in IFTM, Rachel Chui, has her own business and opened a gym named ‘Heavy Metal 24 Fitness’, and currently has 2 clubs located in Macao. Rachel stated that the course on Entrepreneurship gave her tools to strive with an enterprising outlook in the generation of career opportunities. ‘Aside from using practical, hands-on and fun approaches to teach and motivate students during the lectures, Dr. Lourenço has inspired and empowered us to think about entrepreneurship and made us engaged in trying things out.’ Rachel added.

The launch of Ideation Lab and iRetail Lab have grabbed Rachel’s attention, which she appreciated the effort made by IFTM to spur interested students, alumni, and those who have just started on their entrepreneurial journey. She thinks that the labs do not only help students from Tourism Retail and Marketing Management programme to try running a physical store by applying their learning to every aspect of the retail business themselves, but also help to connect people and resources under a stress-free working environment in developing ideas and creating opportunities. ‘All the experiences gained can be applied to a wide range of fields to develop new businesses. Yet, businesses can be created based on any specialism.’ Rachel concluded.