SCOPE:

The objective of this course is to an develop international marketing plan [IMP] for one Virginia company, Operational Technologies Services [OTS], Inc. of Vienna, VA.  OTS has contracted with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership [VEDP], an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, to retain us as consultants to assist them in generating export sales.  The firm has paid the VEDP a fee for our services.  Thus, you should look upon this class as a service to the business community, not as a course in the traditional sense.  OTS is looking forward to your recommendations and, based on my past experience managing this practicum, will consider them seriously.

The focus of the course is to develop a  customized marketing plan for OTS so as to enable it to meet the challenges of international markets successfully.  The course demands a great deal of brainstorming; research; writing; and market/marketing analysis.  The students will work as a team to develop customized solutions for OTS.  An IMP developed by GMU students under my guidance in Spring 1998 won the Virginia Governor's Award for export planning in Spring 1999.

Procedurally, each team member's weekly input into the development of his/her IMP will be submitted for review by the other members of the team at each class meeting.  The exercise can be a lot of fun.

Grades will be based on the quality and extent of the student's input into the IMP; team paticipation; as well as individual presentation of the IMP to the contracting company at the end of the semester.