Well Dressed in Turkey

It can't be said that Haas MBA students don't dress for the occasion. Whether visiting Turkcell, the largest mobile phone operator in Turkey or the salted snacks production facility of Kraft Foods, the EWMBA group has just the wardrobe in hand. You too can dress this well, if you join one of our Seminars in International Business!

Soakin' up That Turkish Sunshine

Haas MBA students are noted for their ability to take advantage of any situation. Flexibility and adaptability are qualities found in most of the participants in our international programs. True to form, when a change in schedule gave our group a free afternoon in Istanbul, some of the students held their discussion session by the pool.

Eating Out in Istanbul - Try Rezztoran.com

Looking for a restaurant in Istanbul? Well the search just got easier, thanks to Haas 2000 MBA Cagla Erdogan Ruacan's new venture, Rezztoran.com. Using her company's web site it is possible to gain access to many restaurants in Istanbul that otherwise might only be accessable through a particularly knowledgeable hotel concierge. But, going to http://www.rezztoran.com/english/index.aspx anyone can find a great spot for a romantic evening, cater to a particular taste or ensure a spot in a particular part of the city. Cagla spent the morning talking to our Haas group at one of her client restaurants, Kiliza. We learned about the challenges of start-up life in Turkey as well as the opportunities that exist in this incredibly vibrant city.

Blue Mosque

So what do 15 EWMBA's do on a free day in Istanbul? Drink beer, hang out at the pool, hit the gym? Actually, the most popular activity was a cultural tour of the old city, including the Blue Mosque, said to be one of the most famous religious buildings in the world. Its 6 minarets were considered, at the time of its construction, to be a sacrilegious attempt to outclass Mecca itself.

Marketing In Istanbul

Along with the usual western style marketing, more traditional marketing is still alive and well. The displays, colors and smells of the Spice Market really make one want to try the many flavors and tastes. Whether it is Safron, turkish delight or some other exotic item, sampling is part of the buying process.

Where Europe Meets Asia

We're now in Istanbul, the city that straddles two continents. What an encore to our week in Athens. A truly amazing, vibrant city that is clearly "on the go."

Ships by the score wait to transit the Bosphorous Strait while ferries and sundry craft ply the waters along both shorelines.

Oh Goody('s)

McDonald's insinuates itself successfully everywhere in the world, right? Well, not quite. In Greece, a homegrown restaurant chain has Micky D on the ropes and dwindling fast. We met with the COO of Goody's a truly interesting story in adaptation and cultural awareness. Goody's top selling item is a Club Sandwich. It offers six different salads and plenty of veggie items. The Mediterranean diet influences everthing they do. They fry everything in Olive Oil and they don't put salt on their fries. They even offer many additional vegetarian items during Lent. Their chicken is real, not process, chicken. They've got 180 restaurants of which the majority is are franchisee owned. Watch it Ronald, Goody's may be opening in a location near you. Our group, after an interesting and informative discussion with Goody's management got to visit one of the corporate -owned locations and sample their product line. The opinion was unanimous - far better than a typical fast food meal back home.