Nouveau Event Planning: The Wedding Extravaganza

Since 1988, Nouveau Event Planning has been operating the largest wedding expo in Windsor, Canada, an event called the Wedding Extravaganza. In 2001, the Wedding Odyssey became the second wedding expo in Windsor, and started to pose a significant threat to the Wedding Extravaganza. Now in 2011, the owner of Nouveau Event Planning must make strategic decisions involving pricing, customer retention, and selection of an appropriate target market. She must also determine the best course of action for the exhibition through analysis of the competitive landscape and future potential of the wedding industry.

The key point of this case is for students to learn to react to a competitive threat without an unnecessary escalation. They should avoid taking dramatic action that will destroy the value of the market, while defending the firm’s competitive position. The teaching objectives in this case include:<ul><li>Analysis of the customer segments and determining the best segment to target in the competitive landscape.</li><li>Determining the best pricing strategy to ensure the highest potential revenues for the exhibition, as well as understanding how the purchasing decision is made by potential customers.</li><li>Analysis of different growth opportunities and the impact these endeavours could have on the competition.</li><li>Analysis of the competitive reaction to each opportunity and understanding the importance of these reactions.</li><li>Understanding how to differentiate from the competition without entering vicious competition. </ul></li>The case can be used in marketing management and competitive analysis courses at all levels: undergraduate, MBA, EMBA, and non-degree executive programs. Students will understand the importance of trying to maintain growth while dealing with the competitive pressures from new entrants.

• Competition
• Differentiation
• Market Analysis
• New Entrants, Event Planning
• Wedding Industry
• Canada