The Barton International Group at Wichita State recently took a trip to China, where it spent a week studying the Chinese market.

According to juniors Blake Krier and Matt Slagle, who have served as BIG’s co-chief executive officers since March, they saw the trip as a good opportunity to learn about Chinese culture.

“They have huge emerging markets in China,” Krier said. “They make lots of supplies for the world.”

In the past, BIG worked primarily with the Hispanic market. Krier and Slagle said this trip was a way to study a much different market.

Twenty-two members of BIG went on the trip. Eleven of the students went to China a week early, staying in Beijing from Aug. 12-19, where they had an opportunity to sightsee. Junior Lauren Durano, the head of BIG’s operations department, was among the group of students in Beijing.

“There was a much different culture there,” Durano said. “It was crowded, and there were people everywhere. It was a great way for us to bond in a different environment.”

Durano said it cost students $900 for the trip. In addition, she said the students who went to Beijing had to pay an extra $900.

“For the Shanghai trip, most of the cost was paid for by the business school,” Durano said. “We had to pay $900 for our plane tickets.”

According to Krier and Slagle, the sightseeing places included the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China and the Summer Palace, site of the 2008 summer Olympis.

“I think the best thing we did while sightseeing was seeing the Great Wall because it’s such an ancient piece of history,” Durano said.

The students who did not travel to Beijing for sightseeing arrived on Aug. 20, and joined the rest of the group in Shanghai. They spent the remainder of their trip studying the Chinese market and culture.

“We visited several companies including Textron, Black and Decker, Suzhou Industrial Park, and BAO steel, which is the largest steel producer in the world,” Slagle said.

The group also visited a children’s home where each of them donated money out of their own pockets to help those in need.

Slagle and Krier said one of the best parts of the trip was being able to have Q&A sessions when they were visiting companies.

“We got to ask the questions we wanted to, and we were hearing from people who knew the answers,” Slagle said.

After a week in China, the group returned to Wichita on Aug. 28.

For Krier, the trip was worthwhile.

“We were able to see a whole other culture,” Krier said. “It was a great learning experience.”

Durano agreed and said she was grateful to go on the trip.

“I was so grateful I was able to experience this and make memories,” Durano said. “The best thing about the trip was being able to ask questions to see how to do business in China, and be able to compare it to the United States’ market and seeing the similarities and differences between the markets.”

Krier said BIG is hoping to take another international trip next summer. Durano said she would love to go on future trips with BIG.

“It’s a great group,” she said, “It provides opportunities that are difficult to get in any other way. We’re able to get hands-on and out-in-the-field experiences.”

In addition, this month BIG is recruiting future members. Durano said applications are due on Sept. 21.

“We are able to offer experiences to people interested in studying marketing,” Durano said. “I really encourage anyone interested to apply.”

Krier said recruitment is open to all students, not just business students.

“We want diversity in the group,” he said.

Slagle said students who have the opportunity to study abroad, as he and other BIG members recently experienced, should go for the opportunity.

“This group really opens your eyes to the world,” Slagle said. “Before I took the trip, I just wanted to stay put, but now, all I want to do is travel the world and study other places.”