Stéphane FAVREAU, Issac HO, and Elsa ZHANG embarked on an unforgettable journey at the 2023 Intercollegiate Wine Business Invitational (IWBI), creating "Domaine du Mouton Bleu," a wine brand inspired by the Silk Road. Guided by mentors Tim Hanni MW and Dr. Crystal Shi, they transformed bold ideas into a practical business plan. Market research was challenging, but by expanding their networks and adapting, they gathered crucial insights.
Their diverse backgrounds in winemaking, accounting, and hospitality became their greatest strength. With PolyU’s support and industry connections, their teamwork and perseverance paid off—they won the IWBI Grand Prize. Beyond wine, this experience taught them the true value of collaboration, adaptability, and continuous learning.
Mr. FAVREAU Stéphane
Mr. HO Kam Shing Issac
Ms. ZHANG Shiyi Elsa
School of Hotel and Tourism Management
The team developed strong market analysis skills, which are essential in hotel management for understanding guest preferences, market trends, and competitor strategies. By conducting market research, interpreting data, and overcoming challenges in participant recruitment, they learned how to gather and analyze information to inform business decisions— key for hotel managers aiming to position their properties effectively.
The team gained experience in developing a comprehensive business plan for their wine brand, including calculating Profit and Loss (P&L) statements. This required understanding revenue streams, cost structures, and operational expenses—skills directly transferable to hotel management, where budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis are critical for profitability and sustainability.
Under the guidance of their professor, you learned to create effective marketing strategies tailored to the wine business. In hotel management, this translates to designing campaigns to attract guests, promote services, and build brand reputation. They also learned to identify target markets and position their product competitively, which is vital for hotel managers in a crowded hospitality landscape.
The team managed and optimized the production process for winemaking, coordinating stages from grape harvesting to bottling. In hotel management, similar operational skills are needed to oversee departments (front office, housekeeping, F&B), ensure smooth service delivery, and maintain quality standards.
The team’s success was rooted in effective collaboration. Members brought diverse backgrounds—some with professional experience, others as promising undergraduates. This diversity allowed them to leverage each other’s strengths, such as combining winemaking knowledge with accounting expertise. Clear task allocation and mutual understanding fostered a positive group dynamic, enabling the team to solve problems efficiently and deliver a winning project.
Throughout the competition, the team demonstrated adaptability by refining their initial ideas. They started with a broad concept—exploring lesser-known wine regions and grape varieties—but, through research and feedback, streamlined their approach to create a more feasible and marketable product. This willingness to pivot and adjust strategies in response to new information is a hallmark of lifelong learning.
The team encountered several challenges, such as difficulties in market research and the need to keep the project realistic. By seeking external advice, expanding their network, and leveraging social media, the team found creative solutions to gather necessary data and maintain project feasibility. This demonstrates strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Effective communication was essential, both within the team and with external stakeholders. They enhanced their ability to communicate in a multifaceted team, learned to empathize with different personalities, and adapted their communication style accordingly. Additionally, they reached out to industry contacts and used social media to connect with research participants, further developing their interpersonal and professional communication skills.
The team proactively acquired new knowledge and skills, such as independently learning to calculate a winery’s Profit and Loss statement and understanding the winemaking process. This self-motivation to learn beyond the classroom, especially in unfamiliar areas, is a key lifelong learning skill.
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Marketing Strategy Development
Project Management and Teamwork
Critical Thinking and Problem-solving
