Italian Business & Industry – 11 Days

Today you’ll start your Italy adventure to make unforgettable memories with your group.

Upon arrival in Milan, you will meet your Tour Manager and start your journey through Italy. Before dinner you will have some free time to explore the area.

This morning, you’ll take a guided walking tour of Milan and learn about the history of the city. In addition to seeing the historical sights including the gothic Milan Duomo, La Scala opera house and Sforza Castle, you’ll learn about its more modern history and how Milan has become a hub of international business.

You’ll head to the art district of Milan and visit the Pinacoteca di Brera which houses works by Caravaggio, Titian and Tintoret as well as modern works by the likes of Braque and Modigliani. The art gallery is housed in the 18th century Jesuit convent Palazzo di Brera.

Afterwards, you’ll visit the gothic cathedral of Milan. The duomo, built over six centuries, is one of the largest churches in Italy and is a focal point of the city center. You’ll visit the roof and see the spires and intricate carvings while enjoying a unique view of the square, Piazza del Duomo, from above.

To start the day, you’ll visit Bocconi University in Milan, one of Europe’s premier business universities. You’ll tour the campus, learn about graduate, doctoral and exchange programs and meet with international students.

Then you’ll visit a fashion company in Milan and learn about all aspects of the business from production to marketing. You’ll discuss the difficulties for companies in Italy which have a high cost of labor and taxes, and how these companies manage in the global fashion market.

After breakfast, you’ll visit Lago di Como on the border with Switzerland for an immaculate view of the Alps among the backdrop of the blue waters of Lake Como. You’ll visit one of the towns that borders the lake using the local transportation, the Battello ferry and enjoy a view from the water.

In the afternoon, you’ll visit a silk factory in Como. The industry of textile production and printing thrives in the area, providing the raw materials for the Made in Italy fashion industry and luxury designers around the world. You’ll tour the facilities and see the production process first hand. You’ll discuss with management how the industry competes in the global fashion market by providing the highest quality and standards and selling the Italian design aesthetic.

You’ll start today by visiting a local company, speak with employees and gain insight into their business.

After you’ll visit a law firm specialized in international law and hear about the challenges their clients face doing business in Italy.

You’ll have breakfast.

Your bus will pick you up and you’ll depart for Florence, making stops in Parma and Modena along the way.

You’ll visit the Consortium Parmigiano Reggiano to learn how the association manages producers of the world famous cheese and works to keep standards high, educate the consumer and protect their brand. You will also visit a Parmigiano Reggiano factory and have a cheese tasting.

You’ll visit the complex of the Ferrari Formula 1 team and participate in a workshop outlining the business and marketing strategies of the company. You will take a guided tour of the museum and learn about the engineering and design team that produce the fastest cars in the world.

You’ll arrive at your hotel in Florence and check in. You will have dinner.

This morning, you’ll visit a Florence restaurant that has used social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram and customer engagement platforms like Tripadvisor to build visibility in the crowded Florentine market. You’ll take a tour of the restaurant and speak with the owners about their success. In the evening you’ll have dinner at the restaurant.

After lunch, you’ll visit a local company, speak with employees and gain insight into their business.

To end the day, you’ll tour a local hotel and learn more about the hospitality industry and market in Florence from management.

Today you’ll visit the winery of the internationally known Marchesi Antinori winemakers who have been making Chianti wines since 1385. You will take a tour and learn about the wine making process, company history and how they have expanded their brand through opening restaurants from Vienna to Moscow and construction of their brand new $100 million dollar facility which includes art installations and an auditorium.

Then you’ll tour an agriturismo, a farm in the Tuscan countryside that also doubles as a bed and breakfast. You’ll tour the facilities and farm and see the natural beauty that attracts clients to this style of tourism. You’ll have lunch at the farm and sample their products.

In the morning, you’ll visit Accademia Museum, home of Michelangelo’s famous sculpture, David, a marble statue representing the biblical hero, David. Originally, the statue was on display in the Piazza della Signoria before it was moved to its current location at the Accademia Museum in 1873. A replica of David stands in the Piazza della Signoria marking the place the original sculpture held so long ago.

This afternoon, you’ll visit Uffizi Gallery. Although not originally intended to be a museum, the Uffizi is one of the oldest and most popular art museums in Europe. The Uffizi Gallery is home to some of the most famous works of art and features the great Italian artists such as Botticelli, Giotto, Cimabue, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raffaello .

Today your Italy adventure comes to an end as you journey back home with your group.