Châteauform the home of seminars (A): Creating an outstanding customer experience – from good to great
Châteauform, a European provider of venues for company meetings, training events and workshops, was founded in 1996 by Jacques Horovitz, a marketing professor and international consultant. After observing how poorly hotels and event organizers catered to the needs of corporate customers, Jacques felt there was an opportunity to differentiate by designing and delivering all the elements that would transform an average company event into a unique and memorable experience. Since its inception, Châteauform has experienced double-digit growth every year (with the exception of 2009). By the beginning of 2013, it managed 37 sites, served clients in seven European countries and employed 865 people. Case (A), together with a PowerPoint slide deck and video supplements, examines Châteauform’s innovative business model, which allowed it to outsmart the competition and achieve rapid and sustained growth in a commoditized service industry. It investigates how Châteauform elevates an average, or “good enough,” customer experience “from good to great,” i.e. “from vanilla to wow” and truly delights customers. Case (B) provides an up-to-date overview of the key challenges Châteauform has faced since 2009, with many European countries in recession. It allows participants to (a) review the strategic decisions management has taken so far in order to respond to the economic downturn and (b) discuss future avenues for maintaining growth in a difficult environment.
Châteauform’, Travel and Leisure, Hotels and Restaurants
2013
Cranfield University
Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]
Harvard Business School Publishing
60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]
NUCB Business School
1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]
IMD retains all proprietary interests in its case studies and notes. Without prior written permission, IMD cases and notes may not be reproduced, used, translated, included in books or other publications, distributed in any form or by any means, stored in a database or in other retrieval systems. For additional copyright information related to case studies, please contact Case Services.
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
- Châteauform the home of seminars (A): Creating an outstanding customer experience – from good to great
- Châteauform the home of seminars (B): Navigating the economic crisis and preparing for the future
- Châteauform the home of seminars (A): Creating an outstanding customer experience – from good to great
- Châteauform the home of seminars (B): Navigating the economic crisis and preparing for the future
Case reference: IMD-5-0788 ©2013
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Case reference: IMD-5-0799 ©2013
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Consumer preferences are increasingly favoring brands with a strong local identity. The reasons for this trend include environmental concerns and challenges in our fast-paced, interconnected world. Global crises -- such as the COVID-19 pandemic, c...
The case study delves into strategic transformation and leadership transitions at Unilever since 2009. Unilever has been an industry leader of business sustainability. Paul Polman was a pioneer who introduced the idea that, by addressing social an...
Many companies overestimate customers’ appetite for sustainable products, flooding the market with offerings that don’t sell. The reality is, social and environmental benefits have less impact on purchasing decisions than basic product attributes ...
The case explores the efforts of Hamilton Mann, Group VP, Global Digital Marketing & Digital Transformation at Thales, to build a sales enablement platform as part of Thales’ larger digital transformation. “ContentFlix” aimed to be a one-stop sale...
in FamilyBusiness.org 28 October 2024
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD 17 October 2024
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in Harvard Business Review March-April 2024, vol. 102, issue 2, pp. 80-87
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications