Marketing Students at McNeese Get Hands-On Experience With The Stables at Le Bocage

McNeese State University marketing students teamed up with The Stables at Le Bocage to create a comprehensive marketing plan for The Venue at The Stables. 

Marketing associate professor Dr. MD Al-Emran offered an experiential learning opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students.  

“This immersive and hands-on experience provided students with an opportunity to apply marketing concepts they learned in the classroom to a real-world business challenge,” he said. 

The McNeese Small Business Development Center coordinated a tour of The Stables of Le Bocage. During the visit, the students learned about the business, the operations, customer service, event trends, marketing policies and the unique qualities of the venue. They met with John and Ginny Henning, owners and CEOs, Chip LeMieux, president, Jack Turton, chief of staff, Ashley Ivey-Atkins, director of marketing, and Lisa Dockens, event sales manager.  

Following the visit, the students worked to develop a detailed marketing plan tailored for The Venue at Le Bocage. Al-Emran encouraged the students to think creatively and strategically and to approach the assignment as consultants working with an active client.  

The project culminated in a marketing plan competition where the student groups presented their concepts to the leadership team from The Stables. 

Emily Brown, an MBA graduate student from Lake Charles, discovered that every business, no matter the size or industry, has room to improve.  

“From a marketing perspective, I learned how important it is to make sure that you are speaking directly to the audience that you want to engage with,” she said. 

“We are proud of our students as each group delivered a concise pitch and responded to questions,” said Morgan Turpin, dean of the College of Business. “This real-time feedback allowed students to refine their professional communication skills and gain exposure to industry expectations.” 

All the students who participated in the presentations received a ticket for Cowboy Christmas at The Stables of Le Bocage as a thank you for their hard work on the presentations. 

Turpin added that McNeese’s College of Business is committed to connecting academic learning with regional economic activity.  

“By working directly with The Stables at Le Bocage, McNeese students gained valuable professional experience while contributing fresh ideas and market-driven strategies to a local business,” she said.