German Business & Culture + Global Negotiation 2018 – Basic Itinerary Sunday, April 29: Leave USA (or leave early and spend a little extra time in Hamburg at your cost. Many students have done this in past as the Hostel is cheap and the flight costs the same either way) Monday, April 30: Arrive in Hamburg Arrive, stay awake and get settled. We will explore the city center and have a group dinner. Did I mention stay awake! Tuesday, May 1: Harbor Tour & Travel Day + it is a German Holiday (Erste Mai) .Hamburg is Germany’s biggest port and we will take a harbor tour and discuss the history of this economic center of Germany. Late afternoon high speed train to Berlin! Wednesday, May 2: Berlin + Volkswagen World Headquarters Visit Wolfsburg production plant, Branding lecture by Dr. Stefan Hoernemann and visit Autostadt. Experience German rail system in traveling Berlin to Potsdam and back. The production plant tour and the branding lecture are not things typical visitors to VW could experience. Dr. Eckert’s relationship with senior VW personnel create a unique experience. Thursday, May 3: Fat Tire Bike Tour of Berlin Explore the history and culture of Berlin via a full-day Fat Tire Bike Tour covering Berlin history, WWII history and Cold War history. Lunch in Tierpark featuring German specialties Friday, May 4: Uni Potsdam Negotiation Day Visit Uni Potsdam for Negotiation Case Experience with Uni Potsdam students hosted by Dr. Uta Herbst. Full day, case-based experience with lecture and experiential learning. Cross- group (Uni Potsdam + WMU) celebration dinner at conclusion. Saturday, May 5: Reichstag Tour A free day to individually explore Berlin or participate in an optional history tour in Potsdam. Evening visit to German specialties restaurant and a guided tour of the Reichstag (Germany’s Capital building). Sunday, May 6: Travel Day to Paderborn We will take the trains to Paderborn and while we are traveling discuss and experience the role the German rail system plays in both the economic and social life of Germany. Monday, May 7: Negotiation Course Introduction at Uni Paderborn First day of the Global Negotiation course with Uni Paderborn students. Cross-University teams will be created and the big picture elements of negotiation will be discussed. This cross-University course is taught in English by Dr. Eckert (WMU) to students from both Uni Paderborn and WMU (about 40 students total). The remainder of the course is May 16-24. Tuesday, May 8: Uni Paderborn Marketing Value Case Competition This cross-university experience between Uni Paderborn students and WMU students involves lectures by Dr. Andreas Eggert (UP) on customer value and Dr. James Eckert (WMU) on presentation techniques and involves cross-university student teams using a case-based approach to develop marketing plans and presenting those plans to the faculty. The day concludes with a group celebration dinner where top performers are announced. Wednesday, May 9: Boat Trip up the Rhein to Bacharach Travel to Koblenz via train and then up the Rhein on a K-D boat to Bacharach experiencing the robust Rhine region history as we travel. A German / Rhine specialties dinner is planned in Bacharach. Dirk and Ellen Scherschlicht are our hosts at the Bacharacher Hof hotel. Thursday, May 10: The Romantic Rhein & German History We will experience a hike on the Rheinsteig Trail while visiting the Neiderwald Denkmal and the towns of Rüdesheim and Assmannshausen. Friday, May 11: Economic Drivers of the Rhein Region We will have a city tour and discuss the unique economic role that Bacharach played over the years. However the current economic environment is dominated by wine and tourism (and wine tourism!). We will learn more about the wine production, marketing, and its connection to the history and future of the Rhein region from Cecelia Yost, owner of Toni Yost Vineyards. Saturday, May 12 & Sunday May 13: Köln (Cologne in English) + Travel to Paderborn We will travel from Bacharach to Köln and spend one night there. This will include our annual “scavenger hunt” day. The day will conclude with presentations and dinner at a Kölsch brewery. Kölsch is both the local beer and local dialect, so it is the only beer that is also a language! May 14 – 24th: Global Negotiation Course at Uni Paderborn The Global Negotiation course will continue with lectures, case experiences, team presentations and other interactive experiences. The course will be an intense time and energy commitment but will be unique in that you will be side-by-side with students from Germany and numerous other countries and thus you will experience the “Global” part of the course first hand. An optional social trip to Hamburg is planned for the weekend. Friday – Sunday, May 19-21: Weekend Visit to Munich! (New this year!) We have a weekend free and we will use it to visit the amazing city of Munich. This will be our one foray into Southern Germany. Our time in Munich will include a bike tour, time visiting the sites and a visit to the famous Hofbräu Haus. If we are lucky we will be treated to the beautiful Bavarian weather! .