On the afternoon of April 11, 2024, from 3:00 to 5:50, a lecture titled " How to Earn Loyalty and Advocacy in the World of Luxury & Hospitality " was successfully held in room cc-403. The lecture was co-hosted by the Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management Programme of the Department of Cultural Creativity and Design, School of Culture and Creativity, in collaboration with SEG.

The keynote speaker for this lecture was Mr. Ben Smith, a lecturer from the Hotel Institute Montreux (HIM) in Switzerland, who is also a certified expert in Customer Experience (CX). He has been deeply involved in hospitality education for many years and possesses a wealth of teaching and practical experience. The lecture was ingeniously designed in two parts, aiming to explore various aspects of customer experience in depth.

In the first part of the lecture, Mr. Smith guided the students through professional customer experience framework. Using Q&A and case analysis, he elaborated on the six emotional drivers of customer experience. He went on to explain how these drivers can establish a "real bond" with customers in practice, thereby enhancing the customer experience in luxury and hospitality.

In the second part of the lecture, Mr. Smith, with a focus on practice, encouraged students to engage in group discussions. He distributed five sets of cards, labeled "Territory", "Personality", "Pursuit", "Status", and "Passion". Through the keywords on these cards, the students simulated the work of luxury brands in customer experience, thus creating accurate customer profiles.

The atmosphere of the lecture was lively and the participation was active. Mr. Smith's brilliant speech not only broadened the horizons of the teachers and students present in the field of hospitality and luxury, but also vividly revealed the importance of winning customer loyalty and advocacy through various enterprise technology and data cases. Without a doubt, this lecture provided all participants with a valuable opportunity for learning and exchange.

Hotel Institute Montreux (HIM) in Switzerland is a high-level business management university known for its hotel management programmes. It has received widespread recognition in the global hospitality and business sectors. In the 2024 QS rankings, the institution proudly ranked sixth in the world for hospitality and leisure management universities.

Photographers: Weilu Wang

Editor: Weilu Wang