It was with huge expectation that I participated in the 1st Edition of the CATÓLICA-LISBON Luxury Management Program. I found very interesting the way Luxury was approached, the analysis made to the segment within its specificity, and as a tool for reflection and future strategies creation. In a sector characterized by intangible and emotional factors, this program offers a holistic view of consumer behavior and consumer culture in the new millennium, from a practical point of view, and in a market that is a constant challenge.

It is with great interest and expectation for the opportunity that our company sees the presentation of the Luxury Products and Services Marketing Management Program promoted by CATÓLICA-LISBON. The structure and content of the program will enable the contact with specific knowledge and techniques and the possibility, to all professionals of the sector, as well as to all those interested in this market, to discuss and exchange experiences that will enrich the knowledge of a sector in which its "aspirational" aspect makes it unique.

Participating in this program was definitely a good benefit. Treating the Luxury theme requires a great deal of research, deep knowledge of the Market, in its various aspects and segments, as well as an accurate approach regarding the selection of the studied cases which provides the most accurate knowledge of this reality. On the other hand, the luxury products and services consumer is very distinctive, and it was therefore important to be able to systematize some key ideas about his behavior. I highly recommend it to all professionals in this sector.

In an era of strong competitive evolution, CATÓLICA-LISBON innovates, creating a program tailored to the specific reality of a growing area with enormous potential: Luxury. The first edition had the virtue of presenting a curricular plan that brought knowledge and information to all tastes. We visited houses of reference like Ferrari or Montblanc. We received internationally recognized speakers from this area, successful national entrepreneurs on a global scale and scholars from the different business components. Finally, I cannot fail to mention that the level of participants, the range of shared experiences and business, along with sources of inspiration from all their distinguished professors, has created the environment for the national luxury market to gain new players soon!

This course helped me to reinvent the traditional Marketing Mix concepts and apply them to the luxury sector, which has special attributes: strong sensory, pleasure and fanciful components. This opportunity to acquire knowledge about a reality where there is a constant search for renewal and differentiation, leading to evolution and sophistication, was a challenge. The discussion of real cases, sharing experiences with invited speakers, teachers and students allowed us to define the best approaches to win and retain clients in an expanding market that demands increasingly personalized and differentiated services.

Finally, I would like to highlight the quality and dynamism of faculty and their high-level of professional expertise in the area, as well as the visits made to companies in the luxury sector, which contributed to exceeded my expectations. I strongly advise this course to all those who have a fascination about this theme.

The Universidade Católica Portuguesa was a pioneer in organizing a program that gives an excellent perspective on an expanding market, the luxury market. What is luxury? How do you live it? How it feels? A very subjective reality analyzed in a program directed to a market with very particular characteristics, and growing. This new reality was addressed in a very professional way and the knowledge and information shared between teachers and students were very enriching.

As Brand Manager of the most luxurious brands in my company, I felt the need to update my knowledge in order to answer the needs of whom is currently one of the “engines” in our consumer society: the luxury consumer. The Luxury Management Program has helped me to "focus" on the essence of luxury, without forgetting that in this sector, more than a product, we offer a service, an unique experience.

I also highlight the faculty for their corporate expertise, ensuring the sharing of relevant information, experiences and trends of this sector.

Congratulations to CATÓLICA-LISBON for advancing with a Program about an industry that continues to grow against the cycle, and resisting all "crises". A particularly well-coordinated, pragmatic program that addresses the various themes of Luxury, with practical examples such as visits to established emblems such as the Ritz or Gucci, but also with more sensory experiences associated, for example, with the world of perfumes. Also, great quality guests, from various nationalities, have brought us important testimonies and experiences about the markets in which they operate. I strongly advise this program!

I congratulate CATÓLICA-LISBON for the initiative to create the first marketing program aimed at the luxury market. It is an extraordinary opportunity to provide Portuguese professionals with specific tools to act in an extremely competitive and growing market. Luxury products and services generate many expectations, for the excellence that is demanded of them and for the price they are associated to. We must therefore fully satisfy the customer, so he repeats the experience, since the customer loyalty is of paramount importance.

The Marketing Program for Luxury Products and Services allowed me, above all, to consolidate and deepen my knowledge in an area that I've been working for 10 years.

I particulary consider enriching the oportunity that this program gives us to contact with some of the main players in the luxury market. The close contact with these players allowed me to acquire knowledge that for me is, without doubt, an added value that I can use in my day-to-day life.