Meorient: Critical Choices on the Road to Digital Transformation

Zhejiang Meorient Business Exhibition Co., Ltd (Meorient) was founded in 2010 with the vision of building the world’s leading digital exhibitions company and establishing China’s first-class national exhibitions brand. This case examines Meorient brand’s internationalization platform construction and growth by embracing and harnessing digitalization. With years of experience in overseas markets and accumulated resources in various industries, Meorient has served more than 200,000 Chinese enterprises and helped Chinese manufacturers connect with the global market. Under the leadership of co-founder Fang Huansheng, Meorient established a research and development team in Hangzhou in 2018 dedicated to the integration of big-data analytics and foreign trade matchmaking systems. In 2019, Meorient Exhibition was listed on the Growth Enterprise Market board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and became the first Chinese exhibitions company to be listed. Over three years, the company continued to refine its digital services, culminating in the creation of a distinctive digital service matrix.<br><br>A business expansion avenue emerged for Meorient following the shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. With precautionary measures and travel restrictions severely limiting offline (in-person) exhibitions globally, Meorient harnessed digital infrastructure to launch a digital exhibitions platform. To facilitate business growth in the face of substantial uncertainty and establish a global competitive edge, Meorient needed to promptly devise strategies to launch and facilitate the online exhibitions platform, and had to convince exhibitors and buyers to embrace its innovative digital products.

<div style="font-size: 0.94em; line-height: 1.4;"><p align="justify">This case can be used in strategic management and marketing management courses and modules at the MBA and executive MBA levels. It can also be used in digital marketing and business-to-business (B2B) courses at undergraduate and graduate levels.<br><br>This case aims to guide students through the past, present, and future of Meorient, and to demonstrate how embracing a digital strategy created a significant competitive advantage in a conventional industry and allowed the company to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger and poised for growth. Through in-depth analysis of Meorient’s business model and development strategy, this case helps students understand the core value proposition of the exhibitions industry and demonstrate how to choose and adjust a digital strategy in a rapidly changing market environment. Moreover, the case provides insight into how the modern service industry can continuously enhance value for both exhibitors and business consumers through digital transformation. Through the case analysis and discussion, students will learn how digitalization can be integrated with strategic analysis tools—including PEST; Business Model Canvas; the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions industry operations model; strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT); vision, strategy, organization, and digital technology (VSOT) digital upgrading and transformation framework; and value, scarcity, irreplaceability, and organization (VRIO).<br><br>After analyzing the case and working through the assignment questions, students will have the opportunity to:<ul><li>Gain insights into the origin and evolution of exhibitions enterprises in tandem with China’s economic development.</li><li>Analyze Meorient’s digital transformation journey, examine the characteristics of each phase, and understand how digital technology and the core business complemented each other throughout the company’s evolution.</li><li>Explore factors influencing the company’s response to emergencies, emphasizing how Meorient seized opportunities during critical moments.</li><li>Acknowledge the significance of modern service enterprises adapting their product strategy and business models in dynamic environments, delving into how Meorient formed and sustained its core competitiveness.</li></ul>

• digitalization
• big data
• sales