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.
