March at ESEI Business School: Industry Connections, Real-World Learning and Inspiring Voices
March was a very active month at ESEI Business School in Barcelona. From behind-the-scenes visits to world-class venues and expert guest speakers from across the hospitality, technology and sports industries, our students had the opportunity to engage directly with the professionals shaping their future fields.
Here is a look back at everything that happened across our programmes.
Behind the Scenes at Clubs DiR: A Learning Walk with Anna Pacheco
Students from the Master in Sports Management Events and Facilities Management course, led by Professor Julia Roca Valverde, had the opportunity to go behind the scenes of a Clubs DiR sports facility, guided by Anna Pacheco, Co-Director of the Fitness Department at Clubs DiR.
Anna’s career is a compelling example of what passion combined with purpose can build. She began as a group fitness instructor at DiR and, within just two years, had been promoted to manager, leading teams and training professionals in disciplines including spinning and boxing. She also collaborated on the Nike Box Barcelona project alongside Nike Master Trainer Paula Butragueño, co-creating the Acoustic Fit class and delivering outdoor functional training sessions.
Over the years, Anna has specialised in the creation and development of fitness products, designing innovative programmes that have become part of the company’s identity. She now leads strategy, product development and training across the fitness department, and is also a regular lecturer and speaker at fitness events.
Guided by her experience and genuine passion for fitness and its benefits for physical, mental and social wellbeing, Anna took students through the inner workings of a professional sports facility and shared the thinking behind what makes a fitness brand thrive.
DMCs and the MICE Ecosystem: Guest Lecture with Victor Cañizares
Students on the Master in Tourism and Hospitality Management welcomed Victor Cañizares, CEO of She Spanish Heritage, for a guest lecture as part of the Event Management and MICE Tourism module led by Professor Elena Altemir.
She Spanish Heritage is a Spain-based Destination Management Company with over 30 years of experience in the MICE market, creating customised meetings, incentives and conference programmes across Spain through a combination of operational expertise, local knowledge and sustainable practice.
Victor’s session gave students a comprehensive look at the strategic and operational role of Destination Management Companies within the MICE ecosystem. Key topics covered included the differences between corporate and associative client profiles, the full workflow from briefing to event delivery including RFI and RFP processes, the skills required to work effectively in a DMC environment, and the career paths available within the sector. He also offered a valuable perspective on how the DMC model has evolved over time and what that means for the next generation of hospitality professionals.
Digital Transformation of the MICE Industry: Guest Talk with Bharet Malhotra
As part of the Event Management and MICE Tourism module led by Professor Elena Altemir, students were joined online by Bharet Malhotra, Co-Founder and Former CEO of Cvent, the global meetings, events and hospitality technology platform founded in 1999 that played a defining role in the digital transformation of the MICE industry.
Bharet’s session offered a rare look at what it means to build a company from a start-up idea into a globally recognised platform. He spoke about the origins and evolution of Cvent, how technology has fundamentally reshaped event planning and venue sourcing, and how client demands and professional practices have shifted over the decades.
Beyond the business story, Bharet shared personal reflections on innovation, leadership and the principles behind long-term value creation. For students interested in the intersection of technology and events, his session was a reminder that the industry they are entering continues to be shaped by people who were willing to think differently.
Ethical Luxury: Positioning, Responsibility and Strategic Coherence
Students from the Master in Tourism and Hospitality Management Branding and Marketing for Tourism class, led by Professor Josep Maria Capella, were joined by Simone Marigliani, General Manager at Borgo Scopeto Wine & Country Relais, for a session titled “Ethical Luxury: Positioning, Responsibility, and Strategic Coherence.”
The session moved well beyond traditional marketing frameworks to explore what it truly means to position a brand with integrity. Simone introduced the Ethical Luxury Protocol, a strategic organisational framework that integrates values, people, territory and transparency into a single cohesive model.
Students examined how genuine differentiation is achieved not through addition but through conscious renunciation — knowing what to say no to — and how leadership is tested during high-pressure, identity-defining moments. The session addressed how to build long-term value and avoid greenwashing by ensuring that sustainability is a structural consistency rather than a marketing label.
The session concluded with a challenging final question for every student in the room: what part of your positioning do you think should change today?
Learning Through Live Case Studies: Guest Lecture with Oscar López
Students on the Master in Sports Management Events and Facilities Management course, led by Professor Julia Roca Valverde, welcomed Oscar López, founder of IQArena, for a class lecture on experiential learning and leadership development through live case studies.
IQArena partners with leading business schools to develop custom case studies drawn directly from real and current strategic challenges in the sports industry. Cases are created with direct access to leadership teams and are designed to place students under genuine decision-making pressure, going beyond traditional teaching methods to sharpen judgement and develop leadership through high-stakes discussion.
Students worked with Oscar on a unique live case study presented in class, experiencing first-hand the kind of immersive, emotionally engaging learning that prepares professionals for the realities of leadership in sport.
Building Careers, Building Performance: Guest Lecture with Bela Weksler
Students from the Master in Sports Management Events and Facilities Management course, led by Professor Julia Roca Valverde, were joined by Bela Weksler for a session on the evolving role of Human Resources in high-performance environments. The session was also open to students from other programmes.
Bela brings over ten years of international experience across multinational corporations and startups, with an academic background in Psychology and Coaching. She began her HR career in 2012, building deep expertise in Talent Attraction and Development, and has been coaching individual contributors and leaders since 2020. A true global citizen, she has lived and worked in Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom and Spain, building a diverse professional network across industries and geographies.
Drawing from her international experience, Bela explored how Human Resources can drive engagement, performance and meaningful career development. The session focused on practical HR strategies for developing talent and leading effectively in dynamic, high-pressure environments, giving students direct insight into what organisations are looking for and how to position themselves for success in their careers.
Site Inspection: Catalunya Congress Centre and Torre Melina Gran Meliá
Students on the Master in Tourism and Hospitality Management completed a guided professional site inspection at the Catalunya Congress Centre and Torre Melina Gran Meliá, as part of the Event Management and MICE Tourism module led by Professor Elena Altemir.
The visit gave students a structured and practical understanding of how integrated MICE venues operate within a national Spanish hospitality brand. Students practised preparing and conducting professional site inspections, learned how to capture and organise venue data for proposals and planning, and explored the functional analysis of meeting rooms, plenary spaces and service flow logistics.
Email Marketing Masterclass with Reina Toeda from Semrush
Students from the Master in Digital Marketing Performance Marketing course, led by Professor Elisenda Williams, were joined by Reina Toeda, Email and Marketing Automation specialist at Semrush, for a masterclass on email marketing.
Reina brought direct industry expertise to the session, sharing insights from her work at one of the world’s leading digital marketing platforms. The masterclass gave students a practical and up-to-date perspective on how email marketing functions within broader digital marketing strategy, combining technical knowledge with real-world application.
Learning Walk: The Secrets of Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Students from the Events and Facilities Management class of the Master in Sports Management, led by Professor Julia Roca Valverde, travelled to Montmeló for an educational learning walk at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, one of Europe’s premier motorsport venues.
The visit took students behind the scenes of Race Direction, the Briefing Room, the Pre-Podium area, the Podium, the Media Centre and the Paddock. The experience deepened their understanding of event management, safety coordination and the organisational structure required to operate an international racing circuit at the highest level.
Cracking the Hiring Code: ESEI Career Services Launch with Muhammad Khasham Aslam
March also marked the launch of ESEI’s Career Services Agenda, a new series of monthly sessions taking place on the last Wednesday of selected months through to June, designed to give students practical career guidance and direct access to industry professionals.
The first session featured Muhammad Khasham Aslam, a current International MBA student and Talent Acquisition specialist at Absolute Internship, who led an interactive session titled “Cracking the Hiring Code: Inside Talent Acquisition and How ATS Really Filters Your CV.”
Khasham brings a distinctive profile to the topic. With a foundational background in psychology and certifications in Lean, Scrum and Agile methodologies, he specialises in applying process efficiency and behavioural insights to global recruitment, with extensive experience managing talent pipelines across the EMEA region and Eastern Europe.
FC Barcelona Financial Statement Analysis: Guest Lecture with Gemma Riu
Students on the Master in Sports Management Financial Management in Sports course, led by Professor Gerard Valldeperez, welcomed Gemma Riu for a session focused on FC Barcelona’s financial statement analysis.
Gemma brings 21 years of experience as an economist, with extensive executive management experience across a wide range of industries including sports, hospitality, wellness, and entrepreneurship. She has served as Director of the Andorra Esports Cluster and as top executive of a group comprising 19 companies spanning sports facilities, high-performance training, hotels, restaurants and more.
Beyond her business career, Gemma is a former competitive athlete, having ranked 3rd in Spain in swimming, held a Spanish Age Group Championship record, played football in Spain’s First Division, and competed as an amateur triathlete. That combination of elite sporting experience and executive leadership gave students a unique and grounded perspective on one of football’s most scrutinised financial cases.
The session provided students with a detailed, real-world analysis of FC Barcelona‘s financial statements, connecting academic financial theory to the realities of running one of the world’s most complex sporting organisations.
A Month of Meaningful Learning
March at ESEI reflected once again what makes this school distinctive: a curriculum that does not stop at the classroom door. Through learning walks, guest lectures, site inspections and masterclasses, our students spent the month engaging directly with the professionals, venues and ideas that are shaping the industries they are preparing to enter.
We look forward to sharing what April brings.
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