Engagement

Guest Speakers

Guest presenters from the Chalhoub Group and other leading luxury brands such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Givenchy, Piaget, Rolls Royce, Cartier, Dior, Panerai, Dolce & Gabbana and Mouawad Jewelry are a regular feature in all AUS luxury curriculum courses. Practitioners and academic experts also come together to discuss current luxury topics and trends at an annual luxury brands symposium.

Key events

The 2025 AUS-Chalhoub Symposium hosted at AUS on 8th April focused on the Future of Luxury & Fashion Retail.   The event attracted over 150 students, faculty members and alumni. Nick Vinckier, VP of Corporate Innovation at the Chalhoub Group kicked off the event with a highly engaging keynote speech that highlighted five trends that luxury brands should be aware of and capitalize upon to succeed.  The second part of the symposium involved presentations from three shortlisted groups who competed for a chance to win internships with the Chalhoub Group.  (News Article).

The 2024 AUS-Chalhoub Symposium, held on 20 February at the American University of Sharjah, explored the theme “Let’s Reimagine Together the Positive Future of Luxury,” with a focus on sustainable innovation in the luxury industry. The event drew over 250 attendees, including students, faculty, and alumni, and featured a distinguished lineup of speakers and panelists.

Keynote speaker Diana Verde Nieto, a pioneer in sustainability and innovation, underscored the imperative for luxury brands to embed sustainability into their core strategies. A panel discussion, moderated by the Chalhoub Group Professor of Luxury Brand Management and co-moderated by an AUS marketing student, examined how luxury brands are adapting to environmental and social imperatives. Panelists included Florence Bulte, Benedicte Blanc, Margot Stuart, and an AUS student representative of Gen Z luxury consumers. (News Article).

In March 2023, the Professorship organized and hosted a joint event with Copenhagen Business School on Luxury in the Circular Economy.  Top luxury researchers and practitioners gathered on AUS campus to discuss the challenges and opportunities that the circular economy poses to the luxury concept and status consumption.  Keynote speakers included Florence Bulte, Chief Sustainability Officer at Chalhoub Group and Elisa Sorgi, Chief Merchandising Officer at Luxury Closet.

In April 2023, the Chalhoub Group Professor, Dr George Christodoulides chaired a round table on Luxury Hospitality with representatives from Four Seasons Yachts

In January 2023, the Professorship hosted Francesca Manfredi, Head of Sustainability from Panerai, the reputable Italian luxury watch brand with roots in the Italian navy.  In an open talk organized on AUS campus, Manfredi unfolded the luxury brand’s sustainability strategy and discussed their recent partnership with the United Nations to enhance ocean literacy.

In November 2021, the Chalhoub Group Professorship hosted the 2021 AUS-Chalhoub Symposium on Luxury Marketing & Branding, an academic conference in collaboration with the Academy of Marketing, SIG in Consumer Psychology and Cross-Cultural Research.  The keynote speakers for this event included Emanuela Prandelli from Bocconi University, and Pauline Brown, former CEO of LVMH North America.  The best papers from this event are published in a special issue of the Journal of Strategic Marketing.

In March 2021, an online Masterclass in Luxury Customer Experience Management was organized by the Chalhoub Group Professorship and was attended by an audience of about 400 participants including business partners, alumni and students (Video).

The fourth AUS-Chalhoub Symposium took place in April 2019 and focused on the topic of luxury tourism. The event included a keynote speech by Professor Dimitrios Buhalis entitled "Real Time Personalized Services in Tourism: The New Luxury" and a panel discussion involving Patrick Chalhoub, CEO of Chalhoub Group, on the topic "Challenges, Opportunities and Future Prospects of Luxury Tourism in the GCC." (News Article)

In November 2017, the third AUS-Chalhoub Group symposium was held at AUS on the theme of emerging trends in the fashion industry and the local rise of designers.  This half-day symposium was well received by over 450 faculty, students and alumni (News Article).

In October 2016, the second symposium was held at AUS on the theme of Luxury and the Internet Dilemma. The one-day symposium was attended by 630 faculty, students, and alumni. (News Article).

In collaboration with the Chalhoub Group, AUS held the first luxury brands symposium in October 2015 on the theme of Luxury and Sustainability. The one-day symposium was attended by 650 faculty, students, and alumni. (News Article - Video).