MCI Ovation DMC

Placement organization

Name of organization: MCI Ovation DMC
Town/city: Barcelona
Country: Spanje
Website: http://www.ovationdmc.com/spain

Student

Name of student: Kyle Brands

Specialist area: ITMC
Placement period: 2012-2013

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: DMC
Organization’s activities: Ovation offers professional services companies by having extensive knowledge of the destination. They offer specialized expertise and resources in the design and execution of events – logistics, travel, transportation and programs. Ovation provides a ground service with local knowledge of the Spanish destinations (especially Barcelona). We are an incoming/inbound tour operator for both corporate and leisure clients. Some of the services include:
Consulting Services – Themed Events
Creative events – gala dinners
Concrete Logistics – Incentives

Target group of the organization: Prime markets are UK, Germany and US/Canada. Secondary markets are France (with extra focus), Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Emerging market is Brazil. Clients are primary corporate (direct) such as ICT, banks and pharma. Secondary are (external) agencies in creative / production industry, incentive houses also internal client (MCI offices) and 3rd parties such as hotels, CVB, convention centres and partners ovation
Company culture: Everything is really informal and in a familiar way. The colleagues are as a big family. However, as a student you need to put a lot of effort to be part of the group. But once you managed, after a few weeks or months, it is a pleasure to be part of the team.
Number of employees: 30
Dress code: casual
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? Yes

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working? Financial, procurement, marketing, creativity, operations and sales
I worked at Ovation DMC department
Brief description of your daily activities: I was responsible for my own little groups of people coming to Barcelona and using transfers, hotels, restaurants and activities. Next to this I was helping my colleagues a lot when they were too busy with their own projects.
Brief description of your company assignment: Market analysis North-American market
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: Not / none supervision. If you want your supervisor to help you or to ask you how you are doing, you need to go to his office, make an appointment and talk to him.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Able to create a market analysis based on corporate clients and agencies of a certain destination.
Additional company requirements for this placement? Word, Excel, powerpoint, internet, outlook.
English: Advanced
Spanish: Intermediate
French:
German:
Italian:
Other languages: The more languages you speak the more clients you can help in their mother tongue

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? Myself
How did you go to work every day? By foot

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? No
Do you need a work permit? No
How did you arrange the necessary documents:
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents?
Did you need certain vaccinations? No

Language course

Did you take a language course before you started your placement? No
Would you recommend to have a language course prior to this placement? n/a

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € 50,00
Accommodation (monthly): € 390,00
Local transport (monthly): € 100,00
General costs of living (monthly): € 200,00
How long in advance did you apply for visa
Costs of visa: €
Costs of work permit: €
What did the company pay for/to you? EUR 600,00 per month

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I did not
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? No

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: kyle_brands@hotmail.com

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: Do your best to be part of the team, show that you are willing to learn the language and to be part of the culture. Then they will accept you immediately and you will be part of the big family!
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: Barcelona is the most diverse city that I know. The beach, the busy parts of the city, the quiet streets in the city centre, the mountains, the highway, the river, everything is near!

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link