NSO Divisions

by Katherine Marks

Every year members of the Community Action Association team come together to find a venture that they feel will not only be a substantial help but will also utilize their abilities. In the past, the organization has traveled to Mexico to help build sidewalks in underdeveloped areas. They have also taken part in local community service projects. This year the team chose to create a community service project that would benefit the country of Morocco. However, the G.O. (Global Outreach) Morocco project that they developed was unlike any that had come before. After doing a sizeable amount of research on the country, the team came up with their mission. The students found that one of the Moroccan government’s economic goals was to boost its travel and tourism revenue. This was a sizable challenge for a group of 11 people to take on. It was by far the most complicated project the group has ever participated in.

The team continued their research to find a creative way to drive tourists to the country.
It was during this research that they happened upon a massive, multi-player online society called Second Life. The technology behind Second Life allows individuals to create an avatar, or online version of themselves, and explore the ever-changing virtual world that has been created. The G.O. Morocco team first explored the virtual world and then incorporated it into their plan to build travel and tourism in Morocco. The team felt that if they could create a virtual representation of Morocco in Second Life, then people would be able to experience some of the country and whet their appetite to see more. The online society is free to join, so anyone interested in the experience would not have to pay anything to visit Morocco on the web. The technology would capture the finest parts of Morocco. Its marketplaces and historical landmarks are just a few of the areas that would be featured. With their plan formed and the bulk of their research complete, they were on their way to Morocco.

During their visit, which took place in June, the group of 10 students and three NSO advisors stayed in a house in Skhirate, located approximately half an hour from the capital city of Morocco, Rabat. The team continued to work long hours developing the business plan once in Skhirate. It was important that they continue their work in Morocco in order to capture the feel of the country. Only after experiencing Morocco’s strengths and weaknesses would they be able to properly represent it on Second Life. The next step was to present their business plan to the National Tourism Office of Morocco as well as the CEO of Technopark, a technology innovation business. The reviews were great. The Moroccan officials were impressed with the team’s creativity and believed the plan the G.O. Morocco team had formulated could indeed work. The plan was considered an overall success.

For the duration of the program, the G.O. Morocco team relied on their teamwork. They credit their success to their ability to work together. The team was made up of students from the College of Business, The Hospitality College, and The School of Technology. The student team consisted of Carly Bedford, Robyn Birkedal, David Retamales Toro, Josh Graff, Bjorn Minde, Kyle Pouliot, Chris Hempel, Joseph Erhard and Owen Pitz. The NSO advisors were Hilary Mason, Instructor of Computer Graphics and New Media, Mehdi Moutahir, Professor in the College of Business and Director of the Larry Friedman Center for Entrepreneurship and Shabri D’cruz, Market Research Analyst in the University Provost Office. This incredibly dedicated team represented Johnson & Wales and NSO in a professional and inventive manner.

With a great showing of the idea under their belt the team will now further develop their plan. It is the hope of both the team and the travel and tourism industry of Morocco that their plan will come to fruition. The potential for the G.O. Morocco group as an actual business team is clear. With their innovative concepts and solid teamwork it appears that this group is not just successful in academia but also in the business world.