Paris international executive seminar

1. Understand luxury as a distinct cultural, symbolic and economic universe, and articulate how French luxury has historically constructed legitimacy through heritage, craftsmanship, art and cultural capital
2. Analyse the specific strategic and economic logic of luxury business models, distinguishing luxury from premium industries in terms of value creation, pricing, distribution, governance and long-term orientation
3. Evaluate how iconic luxury brands build, protect and renew brand equity over time, balancing creativity, artistic direction and strategic consistency across global markets
4. Assess the strategic role of sensory branding and customer experience in luxury, understanding how emotions, aesthetics and clienteling contribute to differentiation and perceived value
5. Formulate strategically grounded managerial insights on the future challenges of the luxury industry, including sustainability, digital transformation, innovation constraints and leadership in a globalized context.

Day 1: Understanding luxury: cultural and strategic foundations

Morning: Executive learning sessions

• Defining luxury: beyond products, price and utility; historical foundations
• Luxury as emotion, imagination and symbolic value
• Heritage, craftsmanship and legitimacy as strategic assets
• Case discussion: iconic French luxury houses

Afternoon: Immersive executive experience

• Visit to a major Parisian museum or foundation (e.g. Louis Vuitton Foundation)
• Focus on aesthetics, artistic heritage and cultural legitimacy => link between luxury and art

Day 2: Luxury as a strategic business model

Morning: Executive learning sessions

• Luxury vs premium: strategic and managerial differences
• Pricing strategies, rarity and controlled distribution
• Governance models in luxury: family-owned vs listed groups

Afternoon: Immersive executive experience (Parisian retail exploration)

• Guided retail tour (Place Vendôme / Avenue Montaigne / La Samaritaine)
• Analysis of flagship stores: architecture, symbolism, service design and pricing

Day 3: Building and leading iconic luxury brands

Morning: Executive learning sessions

• Brand equity and long-term brand management
• Managing creativity, designers and artistic direction
• Storytelling, brand codes and global consistency
• Comparative cases: fashion, jewellery, watches and hospitality

Afternoon: Immersive executive experience (Parisian retail exploration)

• Visit to Maison de Famille Louis Vuitton (LV Family House) in Asnières-sur Seine

Day 4: Sensory luxury & customer experience

Morning: Executive learning sessions

• Luxury customer experience and ultra-high-end client relationships
• Sensory branding and emotional value creation
• Perfume as a strategic object in luxury brand architecture

Afternoon: Executive perfume workshop

• Introduction to fragrance creation and raw materials
• Understanding olfactory families and accords
• Hands-on creation of a personal fragrance
• Strategic debrief: creativity under constraints and brand consistency

Day 5: Transformation and the future of luxury

Morning: Executive learning sessions

• Innovation without dilution: managing change in luxury
• Sustainability, responsibility and legitimacy
• Digital transformation and AI in luxury
• The future of global luxury markets…

Afternoon: Closing session and certification ceremony

• Strategic roundtable: lessons from Paris for global luxury leadership
• Personal reflection and managerial insights
• Programme wrap-up and certification ceremony

Final certification

Personal certificate awarded to each participants based on an individual reflective learning presentation.

Benefit from the historical expertise of ICN in luxury (master of science in luxury and design management ranked among the best in the world) and the school’s network of partners: Baccarat, Cartier, Chanel, Diptyque, Louis Vuitton-LVMH, ST Dupont …

Exclusive visits of iconic places included in the seminar program:

• Maison de famille Louis Vuitton
• Fondation Louis Vuitton
• Luxury district (place Vendôme, avenue Montaigne…)
• La Samaritaine

An 8,300m2 campus, opening in September 2022 (classrooms equipped with interactive digital screens, wifi connection, individual and group workspaces and breakout rooms, cafeteria) in the heart of La Défense business district, the biggest one in Europe, at a stone’s throw from the heart of one the most famous and fascinating cities in the world.