Smith School and Utrecht Students Brew Up International Export Plans for Beer Brands

RavenBeer, a Baltimore-based craft beer brand, and La Trappe, a Trappist beer produced in the Netherlands, both shared a goal to expand into each other’s markets. A unique collaboration between undergraduate students from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands is helping them do just that.

During the spring 2025 semester, juniors and seniors in Smith’s BMGT454 Global Marketing course worked alongside their counterparts in the Netherlands to produce export plans for the respective beer brands.

BMGT454 is designated as a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) course, which was developed in partnership with Smith's Center for Global Business to provide virtual opportunities for global experiences. It is designed to expose students to global marketing policies and functions and the various cultural, legal and financial hurdles associated with operating in foreign markets. 

Throughout the semester, teams of six to seven students, primarily comprising equal representation from Smith and Utrecht students, met virtually every week for a joint lecture on culture and to work in breakout groups, where students could provide helpful insights for their respective markets. Smith students heeded advice from their counterparts to assist RavenBeer, while Utrecht students applied insights gained from the course to assist La Trappe.

Smith’s Amna Kirmani, Dean’s Chair of Marketing and the Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Marketing, who developed the course with Utrecht instructors, believes the course is a “fascinating” learning experience that extends beyond business education. It’s not just about working in a cross-cultural environment; it’s also about delivering results for a real-world client. 

“What’s exciting about this course is that it’s happening in real-time and the interaction between students matters,” says Kirmani. “It’s akin to working in a company where your team is scattered worldwide and you’re working together toward achieving a goal. It really puts you in a global mindset.”

RavenBeer President Stephen Demczuk, UMD ’75, who met with the students early in the project, says that the students offered “excellent” feedback and recommendations to help the company continue its positive trajectory. He says the students asked “insightful questions that demonstrated a deep understanding of the product” and the challenges involved with exporting, marketing and distributing abroad.

Potential solutions presented by the students include hiring an export management or trading company in the United States, like the Brewers Association, or partnering with a Dutch specialty beer importer that understands the local market. 

“I found their groundwork on the analysis of costs for container shipments, tariffs, transportation and marketing to be extremely valuable, which would ease the burden of entering the export market,” says Demczuk.

Undergraduate marketing major Joyce Burger ’25 found the experience valuable in understanding the challenging aspects of working in a cross-cultural environment, including varying communication styles and approaches to work.

“No matter how much research you do or what perceptions you hold, unexpected situations are inevitable when working cross-culturally. It's crucial to understand the other person's cultural context when it arises and adapt to their communication style,” says Burger. “My advice is to stay open-minded, be flexible in your approach and be prepared to put in extra effort when needed.”

The COIL course was supported in part by a Title VI grant program, CIBE (Centers for International Business Education), administered by the U.S. Department of Education.