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STRATEGY AUDIT JOONDALUP RESORT IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS Prepared by: 18 th November 2018 TACTICAL MARKETING SPECIALISTS DEBORAH IEVERS PGrad MSc (Marketing) AsBBus (Business) Tel: (08) 9206 5773 Mobile: 0401 003 631 Email: [email protected] www.redivy.com.au

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Page 1: IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS - Red Ivy

STRATEGYAUDIT

JOONDALUP RESORT

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS

Prepared by:

18th November 2018

TACTICAL MARKETING SPECIALISTS

DEBORAH IEVERSPGrad MSc (Marketing) AsBBus (Business)

Tel: (08) 9206 5773Mobile: 0401 003 631Email: [email protected]

www.redivy.com.au

Page 2: IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS - Red Ivy

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY“You can’t sell a secret”

Opened in April 1996 as an extension to the Joondalup Resort Golf and Country Club, Joondalup

Resort hotel and event venue is well known in the Western Australian hospitality and golf industries

for it’s award winning golf course and it’s reputation for being unique, credible and sustainable in

the minds of the both it’s consumers and it’s suppliers.

Currently Joondalup Resort has a range of eleven fully equipped conference venues, secretariat

and break out rooms, including the state-of-the-art Lakeview Ballroom, accommodating groups

from six to 900 delegates; on-site spacious accommodation rooms for multi-day conferences;

award-winning 27 hole championship golf course, available for networking and corporate golf

days; and on-site team building activities to entertain and inspire delegates.

In a market that is in crisis due to a downturn in the local economy and a decline in business

spend, Joondalup Resort has maintained it’s market position and secured just over $2.4m revenue

from business events in the 2015-16 financial year (Gleeson & Ievers, 2016) of which approximately

50% was from repeat clients (Gleeson & Ievers, 2017).

While enjoying a competitive advantage due to it’s large indoor exhibition facility, recent upgrade

in technology across the complex and it’s ability to cater for up to 230 players per corporate golf

event, Joondalup Resort’s marketing and sales departments lack structure, which is having a direct

impact on future income.

In order to counter this, opportunities are open to Joondalup resort in the form of rebranding the

Lakeview Ballroom, modernising brand elements and building on customer loyalty to become the

venue of choice for businesses in the area.

This in-depth report focuses on Joondalup Resort’s position within the Exhibition and corporate

event venue industry and market, as well as their target market and competitive advantage over

other suppliers in order to assess the viability of these opportunities.

“A vision without a strategy remains an illusion.”~Lee Bolman.

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Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................2

Table of Contents ...............................................................................................................................................3

1 Company Background ....................................................................................................................................4

1.1 Business Event Facilities ........................................................................................................................4

1.2 Lakeview Ballroom ..................................................................................................................................5

2 Market Analysis ...............................................................................................................................................6

3 Customer Analysis ..........................................................................................................................................7

Table 1 - Target market for Joondalup Resort corporate and conference venues .......................................7

3.1 Marketing Personas ................................................................................................................................8

4 Market Orientation .........................................................................................................................................12

5 Value Proposition ...........................................................................................................................................12

6 Market Position .............................................................................................................................................12

7 Competitor Analysis ......................................................................................................................................13

David Porter’s 5 forces model - Exhibition and conference venue industry ...............................................13

7.1 Competitor SWOT analysis ...................................................................................................................14

7.2 Competitive advantage .........................................................................................................................15

8 Capabilities ....................................................................................................................................................15

9 SWOT Analysis ..............................................................................................................................................16

Figure 1 - SWOT analysis overview ............................................................................................................16

9.1 Strengths ..............................................................................................................................................16

9.2 Weaknesses ..........................................................................................................................................17

9.3 Opportunities ........................................................................................................................................17

9.4 Threats ..................................................................................................................................................18

10 Marketing strategy evaluation .....................................................................................................................18

Reference List ..................................................................................................................................................19

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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1. COMPANY BACKGROUNDJoondalup Resort was opened in April 1996 as a boutique Resort, which was built as an expansion

of Joondalup Country Club and its spectacular championship 27 hole golf course, which is currently

Australia’s number one golf resort and WA Golf Industry’s Metropolitan Golf Course of the year 2017.

Well known in the Western Australian hospitality and golf industries, the Resort was the vision of two

Singaporean businessmen, Dr TK Low and Mr Peter Kwee, who still own the resort today along with

fellow Singaporean Mr James Chan. The Resort comprises 70 resort style accommodation rooms,

a bistro style restaurant, British style pub, a café overlooking the 27 hole Championship golf course,

and eleven state of the art event venues with a maximum capacity of 900 for cocktail functions.

(Ievers, 2017)

Joondalup Resort employs over 100 full and part time staff led by an executive management team

of departmental heads.

Joondalup Resort’s mission across all business units is “To create environments that are a home

away from home and to deliver unique, personal experiences that make guests feel connected,

valued and recognised (Joondalup Resort, 2016).”

As Joondalup Resort has several business units, this analysis focuses on the Corporate Conference

& Event Venues Business Unit of Joondalup Resort.

1.1 Business Event Facilities

In its inception, Joondalup Resort boasted eight event venues with capacities of 6 to 180. As the

need for business event venues grew, the Resort transformed an outdoor wedding marquee venue

into a permanent structure allowing for expos, business and special event dinners and conferences.

Business events make up 62% of the Resort’s event revenue. (Gleeson & Ievers, 2017)

In October 2013, the Lakeview Ballroom, designed by Perth Architect Christou Design Group, was

opened to provide an exceptional and unique event. This facility boasts 6 metre high floor to ceiling,

wall to wall windows overlooking the lake and golf course, customizable LED lighting, a purpose

built secretariat office. Its capacity for a seated dinner is 500 and up to 900 for a cocktail function.

In 2014 the Lakeview Ballroom was awarded a commendation for Commercial Architecture Award

from Australian Institute of Architects.

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1.2 Lakeview Ballroom

Joondalup Resort’s main selling point along with its stunning surroundings, is its state of the art

Lakeview Ballroom and its ease of access. In comparison to Perth CBD venues and other corporate

facilities in the local area, the Lakeview Ballroom’s unique selling points include:

• Beautifully manicured, natural and tranquil surrounds with a unique Koi fish pond and families of

kangaroos and ducks amongst the wildlife that wander freely around the facility,

• Abundance of natural light from 27m long, 6m high glass windows at both ends of the facility

with an uninterrupted view over the lake and golf course on the West facing side.

• Customisable LED strip lighting allowing corporate brand colours to be displayed

• Smart lighting and air conditioning systems allow optimum conditions.

• Its own reception area, secretariat room, bar and foyer.

• Ground level, drive-in wide loading bay enabling flexibility and easy set up of events, car

launches, expo equipment and much more

• Easy access: Located only 5 minutes from the freeway, the Resort is exceptionally easy to reach

from all directions. Complimentary transport to/from the Joondalup Train Station (direct line from

Perth CBD) and VIP pick ups from the Airport or any CBD location are also available.

• Free parking for every event delegate/guest, enabling a huge cost saving to Companies

considering venues in Perth CBD

• Exclusivity – Having just 70 accommodation rooms means that a conference group has the

ability to reserve all accommodation.

• Personalised and dedicated Event Executive for each corporate event.

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The Exhibition and Conference Centre industry Australia-wide has performed relatively well over

the past five years in spite of a downturn in economy. Additionally, the number of businesses in

the industry has risen, which has widened the market supporting revenue growth.

As a result of these positive trends, revenue is expected to increase by 2.1% over the next five

years, potentially reaching $11.3 billion. This includes an expected 1% rise in 2017-18 as growth

in interstate and international business tourists increases industry demand (Ibisworld, 2018).

Western Australia is a fast growing commercial demographic and whilst it is normal for industries to

fluctuate throughout the years, using Australian Bureau of Statistics information and data from the

City of Joondalup and Greater Perth, it shows that between 2013 and 2015, businesses with 20-199

employees grew by 12% with the biggest growth industries being construction, financial services

and real estate. However, between 2015 and 2017, businesses with 20-199 employees dropped

by 14% overall with the largest 3 increases being in the local retail, administrative and construction

industries (Economy.id, 2015). This shows the need to shift the marketing focus in order to become

the venue of choice and market leader for local businesses within the City of Joondalup.

Interstate and international companies that travel to Perth represent only a small segment of the

target market based on the limited accommodation rooms at the Resort. As such, Joondalup Resort

appears not devote many resources to competing in this market segment, however they remain

open to them by providing discounted rates on accommodation partners in the immediate area

(Joondalup Resort website). This approach has won the Resort large events from prestigious clients,

including an international residential conference from Mitsubishi (Gleeson & Ievers, 2017).

2. MARKET ANALYSIS

STATE OF THE

BUSINESS EVENTS

INDUSTRY REPORT

Dr Marg Deery

Tourism and Business Events International

September 2013

Report Commissioned by The Business Events Council of Australia

*Photos provided courtesy of the Association of Australia Convention Bureaux Inc.

2012

w

Crow

n Reso

rts Limited

Annual R

epo

rt 2017

ANNUAL REPORT 2017

crownresorts.com.au

CRL091.1 - AR17 COVERS_AW.indd 1 14/9/17 11:22 amContentsContents

Next Contents End |

Previous | StartContents Next End |

Economic Snapshot

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Until recently, Joondalup Resort employed a Director of Sales & Marketing to oversee the promotion

of products and events across the Resort. The DOSM in conjunction with the Graphic Designer was

responsible for assessing current market trends, brand guardianship, design, advertising, campaign

management and develop strategies to attract various customer segments.

The target markets for attracting and growing the number of business events held at Joondalup

Resort are detailed below.

3. CUSTOMER ANALYSIS

Target Market Key CharacteristicsHow Joondalup Resort meets their

expectations

Businesses in the Perth Metro area with employee base of 20+ staff

(82% customer base)

Hold meetings off-site

May not have their own function spaces

Hold staff celebrations e.g. Christmas, end of financial year

Typically will have one person sourcing venues & organising events

Motivated by efficiency, accuracy and promotion favourable image

Provides various function spaces of different sizes, suited to any size group

Provides public events that companies may attend or able to develop specific event in line with client needs

All events professionally organised for the client in timely manner with high level of accuracy to provide peace of mind and relieve pressure on company’s event organiser

City of Joondalup location Provides top class venue close to their place of business

City of Stirling location Provides easy to reach alternative to CBD venues

Perth CBD location Provides retreat style venue to escape Perth CBD without long travel times or high travel costs

National corporates: Businesses delivering events and travelling to Perth for single or multi-day business events

(11% customer base)

Require accommodation

May choose venue based on promotional material alone as unable to complete site visit

Requires local area information for delegates

70 on-site accommodations rooms plus partnerships with other local accommodation providers if needed.

Able to send imagery, video and virtual tours to interstate clients

Supplies information on local attractions both online and in print

Table 1 - Target market for Joondalup Resort corporate and conference venues

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Target Market Key CharacteristicsHow Joondalup Resort meets their

expectations

International companies: Companies with a base in Perth looking for residential events

(2% customer base)

Require accommodation

May choose venue based on promotional material alone as unable to complete site visit

Requires local area information for delegates

70 on-site accommodations rooms plus partnerships with other local accommodation providers if needed.

Able to send imagery, video and virtual tours to interstate clients

Supplies information on local attractions both online and in print

Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs)

(5% customer base)

Working on behalf of client, motivated by commission & ease of doing business

Requires timely response to event needs due to (often) strict deadlines

PCOs are treated as any other client, receiving an accurate proposal delivered in a timely manner. As with clients, PCOs are offered a site visit to further help their understanding of the venue’s facilities

3.1 Marketing Personas

The key distinction between a buyer persona and a target market is the focus. On the following

pages are 3 buyer personas which are fictional, generalized representations of the Joondalup

Resort target market, focusing on their requirements, goals and values rather than geographics,

demographics and psychographics.

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SAMANTHA JONES - EXECUTIVE PA

GOALS AGE: 32

COMPANY INFORMATION

GENDER: Female

LOCATION: Perth CBD

CHILDREN: None

INDUSTRY: Mining

LOCATION: Sorrento

BUDGET: $25,000+

MARITAL STATUS: Single

EMPLOYEES: 200+

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

CHALLENGES

OBJECTIONS & ROLE

Samantha’s Goals:• Find venue with on-site corporate

golf, accommodation and team building facilities.

• Ensuring venue has state-of-the-art conference and audio visual facilities.

• Ensuring all dietary requirements can be catered for on-site by venue.

• Ensuring delegates will be comfortable and relaxed during summit.

• Organise airport pick-ups for interstate delegates.

Media:• LinkedIn • Business magazine• Industry websites• Blogs

Influences:• Managers• Peers• Professional Associations• Bloggers• Social Media Influencers

Samantha has a busy work schedule allowing her limited time to organise the summit.

For this reason she prefers to make arrangements and communicate via email.

With a large number of delegates attending, Samantha has to correlate travel plans and airport pick-ups for interstate delegates and dietary requirements for all delegates.

Possible objections:• Can Joondalup Resort cater for 150+

delegates?• Can Joondalup Resort cater for 63

interstate delegates?• Is there enough parking or public

transport for local delegates?

Role in purchase process• Samantha is the decision maker for

the event. • She is very specific about what she

wants before purchasing.• Samantha wants value for money

while maintaining the service / product quality.

TASKTo organise the annual Leadership Summit for a mid tier mining company with both local and interstate delegates

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PEGGY CAMPBELL - RECEPTIONIST

GOALS AGE: 38

GENDER: Female

CHILDREN: 2 (11yrs & 14yrs)

LOCATION: Joondalup

MARITAL STATUS: Widow

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

CHALLENGES

OBJECTIONS & ROLE

Peggy’s Goals:• To stay within budget.• To research private event vs public

event with a sit down or buffet dinner followed by dancing.

• To research live bands vs DJ.• To research venues offering

Corporate Christmas Parties catering to multiple companies at one event.

• To book a Christmas Party that will appeal to all (or most) staff members.

Media:• Facebook• Industry Websites • Specialty Publications

Influences:• Colleagues• Friends• Previous event organisers• Social Media Influencers

Peggy is challenged with organising a Christmas Party that will be seen a favourable by attendees.

She has a relatively busy work day with little time for research.

She has to receive and correlate RSVP’s within a given time-frame in order to confirm venue booking.

Possible objections:• Can additional attendees be added

after booking confirmation?• Will the venue stay within budget or

are there ‘hidden’ costs associated with the event.

Role in purchase process• Peggy is not the decision maker

in the business and has to get approval from her manager to make purchases.

• Even though she is not the decision maker, Peggy can influence the purchase to a point.

LOCATION: Joondalup CBD

INDUSTRY: Financial

BUDGET: $10k - $12k

EMPLOYEES: 26 - 199

COMPANY INFORMATION

TASKTo find a suitable venue and organise the company’s annual end of year staff Christmas Party

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JAMES WATSON - SMALL BUSINESS OWNER

GOALS AGE: 56

GENDER: Male

CHILDREN: 2 (28yrs & 31yrs)

LOCATION: Sinagra

MARITAL STATUS: Married

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

CHALLENGES

OBJECTIONS & ROLE

James’ Goals:• To increase brand loyalty amongst

his client base.• To increase market reach by

encouraging delegates to bring a guest.

• To network with current and potential clients in a relaxed, non business environment.

Media:• LinkedIn• YouTube• Industry websites• Professional Publications

Other:• Conferences

Influences:• Peers• Professional Associations• Oldest son

James has recently moved to bigger premises and needs to increase his customer base to keep the company viable.

He needs to be able to entertain clients on a budget, while maintaining quality and value.

James is time poor and, other than invitations and RSVPs, he needs a full service venue for peace of mind.

Possible objections:• How much of James’ income can

be used on for marketing and entertaining?

• Do James’ clients have enough free time to attend a weekday corporate golf event?

Role in purchase process• James is the primary decision

maker in the business, however he discusses all purchases with his son prior to committing to the purchase.

• He is extremely cautious when making purchases and very conscious of the price point.

LOCATION: Wangara

INDUSTRY: Printing

BUDGET: $5,000

EMPLOYEES: 5 - 20

COMPANY INFORMATION

TASKTo organise an affordable annual end of financial year corporate golf day for major clients and their guests

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The corporate event market in Perth, Western Australia is in crisis at the moment after a severe

downturn in the economy. Up until 2012 hotel rooms and event venues were at a premium for

most of the year (Acott, 2018), however due to the decline in the mining boom and increase in

new hotels and venues in Perth, corporate event operators are increasingly focusing on their

market positioning to gain competitive advantage.

According to Ibisworld’s latest industry research report, there are no companies with a dominant

market share in the Exhibition and Conference Venue Industry within Australia (Ibisworld, 2018),

however, for the most part Joondalup Resort holds a strong position within their target market in

that they are perceived as unique, credible and sustainable in the mind of the average consumer.

In the 2015-16 year, Joondalup Resort secured just over $2.4m revenue from business events in their

market segments (Gleeson & Ievers, 2016). Approximately 50% of corporate event business is from

repeat clients, indicating not only a solid loyal customer base, but also a growth in new business,

mainly based on reputation and word of mouth from current clients (Gleeson & Ievers, 2017).

Joondalup Resort’s main, and only local direct competitor offering similar services is Novotel

Vines in Swan Valley, a less prestigious family friendly hotel, spa and Golf Resort, which is

perceived as being a more affordable business venue than Joondalup Resort.

Indirect competitors located in Perth have localized transport with both hotel accommodation

and conference facilities but lack a wide-open, resort style, green environment with on-site golf

course. The leading competitor for Perth corporate venue operators being Crown Perth with

182,000 patrons attending their convention facilities in 2016, up 16% in spite of a downturn in the

local economy (Crown Annual Report, 2017).

6. MARKET POSITION

It is Joondalup Resort’s physical environment, its unique offerings, award winning function centre

and uncompromising commitment to service that allows event organisers and delegates to relax,

retain focus on their event and immediately unwind afterwards. Attending an event or conference

at Joondalup Resort isn’t considered work, but instead an escape from the daily grind where

learning, networking, celebrating and planning become a thoroughly enjoyable retreat, leaving every

individual refreshed and rejuvenated.

5. VALUE PROPOSITION

Although Joondalup Resort attempts to meet the needs and desires of its customers through its

product mix, it is in fact not market orientated. This is highlighted in their marketing collateral and

product orientation – where the focus is on establishing selling points for existing products and

services as opposed to marketing the consumer experience.

4. MARKET ORIENTATION

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7. COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

MICHAEL PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL - EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE VENUE INDUSTRY

Supplier’s Power Barriers to Entry Competitive Rivalry Threat of Substitutes Buyer’s Power

• Suppliers have a major impact on delegate rates charged by the venue due to the cost of products supplied.

• Suppliers have the ability to negotiate the best rate between venues, especially in the corporate entertainment and team-building industry.

• Barriers to entry across the industry are moderate for small meeting venues.

• Barriers to entry in the conference and expo industry are high due to significant financing required to construct large buildings, along with the high cost of land these are often built on.

• It is then difficult to build a profitable ROI on the capital investment, as the venues need to build a reputation and relationships with event hosts before they will succeed.

• Rivalry within the industry within Western Australia is high due to the decrease in demand for corporate event venues.

• Venues are cutting prices to almost cost as well as offering free venue hire in order to claim business.

• The threat of substitutes within the industry is fairly low due to the inability of other types of venues to cater for mid to large conferences and expos.

• The biggest threat to conference venues is the Government funded Business Station as a more affordable substitute to privately owned venues

• Due to the decrease in demand, buyers have an increased ability to negotiate lower day delegate rates or complementary venue hire with venues.

• If a service is not up to the buyer’s standard, they can have an adverse effect on a venue by posting a negative review on social media or Google Reviews.

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Rendezvous Hotel - SWOT AnalysisSTRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

WEAKNESSES

THREATS

• Reputation for being an excellent conference venue

• Close to Perth CBD with ample free public transport available for day delegates.

• Beach and shopping facilities in close proximity to the hotel.

• Partnership with local businesses to become venue of choice through special rate agreements.

• Annual live music event on the beach in conjunction with the city council.

• Upgrade conference audio visual and WiFi facilities across the complex.

• Lack of on-site parking for delegates with alternative off-site parking being at a premium and expensive.

• Out of date conference audio visual and WiFi equipment necessary for seamless presentations during conferences.

• Hotel complex is dated and in need of modernising.

• Downturn in local economy meaning business are spending less.

• New hotels being built in close proximity adding to the perception of the complex being dated.

• Multi industry conference venues, eg. Optus Stadium, Crown Hotel & Casino, Joondalup Resort & Country Club (Golf Course), allowing for diversity when hosting conferences.

LOCATION: Scarborough

MAIN INDUSTRY: Hotel

CONFERENCE PRICE POINT: $55 - $79 pp

DINING: 2

EVENT VENUES: 6

MAX CAPACITY: 240

ON-SITE PARKING: Limited

NO OF ROOMS: 103

COMPANY INFORMATION

CONFERENCE FACILITIES

Novotel Vines Resort - SWOT AnalysisSTRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

WEAKNESSES

THREATS

• Excellent price point for accommodation encouraging more delegates to stay overnight after a conference.

• Reputation for being an affordable, full service conference facility.

• On-site spa and mini golf as entertainment for families to joining interstate delegates.

• Partnership with local businesses to become venue of choice through special rate agreements.

• Partnership with local and interstate sports teams to become the venue of choice for golf tours / social golf while on tour.

• Host national golf tournament appealing to professional golfers.

• Located away from the city with limited access to public transport

• On-site restaurant expensive with limited menu options.

• No indoor expo facilities on-site for wet season bookings

• Limited corporate golf player capacity as they have an 18 hole golf course.

• Downturn in local economy meaning business are spending less.

• Increase in newer, bigger inner city venues close to public transport.

• Larger venues offering cheaper delegate rates and free venue hire.

LOCATION: Swan Valley

MAIN INDUSTRY:Hotel & Golf

CONFERENCE PRICE POINT: $55 - $75 pp

DINING: 4

EVENT VENUES: 9

MAX CAPACITY: 300

ON-SITE PARKING: Limited

NO OF ROOMS: 163

COMPANY INFORMATION

CONFERENCE FACILITIES

7.1 Competitor SWAT Analysis

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8. CAPABILITIES

7.2 Competitive advantage

Competition is at the core of the success or failure of a business, and also determines the

appropriateness of activities or services offered that can contribute to it’s bottom line and

performance. The attributes that allow Joondalup Resort to outperform its competitors and give it a

competitive advantage are:

1. Joondalup Resort boasts a large indoor exhibition facility enabling customers to confidently book

their expo anytime during the year without having to make contingency plans in the event of bad

weather. This facility is the only venue with an on-site golf course in Greater Perth that has a

ground floor access and is large enough to accommodate multiple vehicles.

2. Due to a recent upgrade in technology across the Joondalup Resort complex, conference

hosts, delegates and guests now have access to the latest available technology for audio visual

purposes along with newly installed and configured WiFi supplying a consistently strong signal

across the Resort complex with no dead spots allowing uninterrupted access to the internet for

communication and wireless equipment connection.

3. Unlike it’s competitor’s 18 hole golf courses, the Joondalup Resort 27 hole golf course caters

for up to 230 players per corporate golf event, the largest golf course capacity in Greater Perth

alongside a high capacity function centre.

Capability Description Strength

TalentHighly experienced team of greenskeepers maintain both

the golf course and resort surroundsAward winning golf

course

InnovationRecent upgrades to the WiFi technology and hardware in

all areas of the Resort complexConsistent WiFi across

the complex

Staff LoyaltyStaff turnover at Joondalup Resort is low with most permanent

staff exceeding 5 years employment with the Resort.Knowledgeable and

dependable staff

Consistent brand identityA consistent look and feel is used across all external and

internal communicationsEasily identifiable

amongst competitors

SustainabilityJoondalup Resort undertake an authentic commitment to

ethical and sustainable business practicesLow environmental

footprint

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9. SWOT ANALYSIS

9.1 Strengths

1. Reputation for being unique, credible and sustainable in the mind of the average consumer

which can be leveraged in marketing and sales

2. The only full service corporate function event venue with conferencing and expo facilities,

team building, restaurants, pub, corporate golf and accommodation all on-site.

3. The only full service corporate function venue in Greater Perth providing conference and expo

venues that have the ability to cater for up to 900 delegates in the largest venue.

4. Consistent WiFi connection strength throughout the Resort complex and extra large

accommodation rooms, to facilitate consistent communication ability and wireless

connectivity for all guests and delegates.

Figure 1 - SWOT Analysis overview

Established prestigious brand

Ideally situated out of the city with green spaces

Golf and driving range facilities

Full service corporate function destination

Lack of structure in sales & marketing

Perceived as older style resort and facilities

Autocratic, archaic management team

Public transport accessibility

Rebrand and relaunch function centre

Build on customer and brand loyalty

Improve on superior customer service

Build on unique features including green sustainable ethos

Downturn in economy

Increased competition in Perth

Loss of customer base

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9.2 Weaknesses

1. Due to the resignation and non replacement of the Director of Sales and Marketing, Joondalup

Resort lacks structured within it’s sales and marketing abilities Due to the lack of structure

and planning within the department, sales and marketing methods are out of date and are no

longer effective in a digital age, resulting in a loss of potential business. A lack of structured

marketing has resulted in diminished visibility within the industry by potential clients. “You

can’t sell a secret”

2. Hotel and facilities, with the exception of the Lakeview Ballroom, are dated and in need of

renovations. Brand elements, although steeped in tradition, are out dated. Both issues detract

from the historical equity of the Resort by appearing shabby instead of traditional.

3. The Resort is run by an autocratic, archaic management team which inhibits innovation within

the Resort and amongst staff.

4. Joondalup Resort’s brand equity lies with it’s reputation as a world-class golf club, supported

by the prestigious member’s golf club house which is evident in their member satisfaction,

sought after member’s shares and positive customer experiences, however the resort lacks

the same brand equity perception with their other products such as accommodation, bistro

and event facilities.

9.3 Opportunities

1. Rebrand and relaunch the Lakeview Ballroom as the Lakeview Function Centre or Joondalup

Resort Function Centre. In doing this market reach for the function centre would be increased

by widening it’s appeal in the corporate market, but at the same time retaining the wedding

& special event market. The Lakeview Ballroom is currently perceived only as an additional

ballroom within the Resort complex instead of as a complete stand-alone, state-of-the-art

function centre. Rebranding the Lakeview Ballroom as a function centre will increase it’s

equity to the Resort, open up new marketing opportunities and, with the right marketing

strategy in place, ultimately increase the Resort’s return on investment.

2. Closure of local businesses catering to corporate clients within the City of Joondalup allows

Joondalup Resort the opportunity to build on customer and brand loyalty to become the

venue of choice for businesses in the area.

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10. MARKETING STRATEGY EVALUATION

3. Rebrand and relaunch Bistro 38 as a public restaurant by developing a modern brand

personality incorporating new advertising, new promotions and signage, thereby revitalising

the brand and breaking away from perception of only being an in-house food outlet.

Rebranding Bistro 38 as a public restaurant will increase it’s market share within the

local market resulting in increased equity for the Resort as well as an increased return on

investment.

9.4 Threats

1. The current downturn in the local economy has resulted in less business spend on

conferencing, corporate events and exhibitions.

2. New hotels opening in Greater Perth with newer, more technologically advanced conference

facilities and more accommodation capacity to cater for a higher number of delegates.

The Resort puts forward superior service as their main marketing message and is a core value of

the brand. This comes across strongly in their printed and online presence with the Resort’s core

values easily identifiable through their marketing communications. The best marketing is quality

service manifested through word of mouth.

While targeted marketing adds value and is inclusive, from a mass-marketing perspective,

Joondalup Resort uses a full complement of channels where traditional marketing activities been

supplemented, and in some cases replaced, by digital marketing approaches

The Joondalup Resort marketing strategy includes promoting a holistic experience, maintaining

marketing consistency, understanding guests, examining website efficiency, increasing online

marketing, maintaining previous guests, and creating strong industry relationships through digital

and traditional channels with the primary method of developing business-based relationships being

one-on-one contact.

Face-to-face selling has been reintroduced though is not as successful as consumer trade shows

and print advertising in the form of newspaper advertising, magazine advertising, and brochure

distribution is widely used.

Marketing Campaigns differ substantially between seasons with seasonal all-inclusive corporate

product offerings shown to positively influence value perceptions among guests.

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A variety of internal marketing methods are used for cross promoting on-site corporate facilities

and activities. The most popular methods include brochure stands in guest rooms, informational

signs and posters, digital promotional screens near income-generating outlets, restaurant table

tents, brochure racks and in-house television stations.

E-mail communication is done in three basic formats: the electronic newsletter, the follow-up

or exit survey, and a marketing focused communication. Marketing emails or email blasts are

typically sent out on a monthly basis. Email address are collected via sign-ups for alerts and

discounts on the website, when reservations are made either online or over the telephone, through

comment and feedback cards, and at various Resort outlets through loyalty cards and electronic

competition sign-ups.

The current marketing strategy, although mostly effective, does not align with the strategic

business plan.

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REFERENCE LISTAcott, K. (2018) Perth hotel room glut risks jobs, businesses. Retrieved August 6, 2018, from

PerthNow News web site: https://www.perthnow.com.au/business/perth-hotel-room-glut-risks-

jobs-businesses/

Crown Annual Report (2017) Retrieved November 15, 2018, from https://www.crownresorts.com.au/

CrownResorts/files/4b/4b6605a0-dded-422a-9b3c-515854df365b.pdf

Economy.id (2015) Number of businesses by Industry. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://

economy.id.com.au/joondalup/number-of-businesses-by-industry?sEndYear=2015&IndkeyNieir=

23701&BType=400

Gleeson, D. & Ievers, D. (2016) “Joondalup Resort Business Event Venues, Market Size, ”, Western

Australian Tourism Awards Submission 2017, Section 3, p21

Gleeson, D. & Ievers, D. (2017) “Joondalup Resort Business Event Venues, Tourism Excellence”,

Western Australian Tourism Awards Submission 2018, Section 1, p1

Gleeson, D. & Ievers, D. (2017) “Joondalup Resort Business Event Venues, Target Market”, Western

Australian Tourism Awards Submission 2018, Section 3, p19 - 20

Ibisworld (2018) Australia Market Research Report. Retrieved 18 November, 2018 from https://

www.ibisworld.com.au/industry-trends/market-research-reports/thematic-reports/exhibition-

conference-centres.html

Ievers, D. (2017) “Function room capacities and maps”, Work, Stay, Celebrate, Play, Issue 2, p19

Joondalup Resort (2016) “Mission” One Page Strategy, Issue 1