Cool Runnings Ltd (CR), is an organiser staging events on behalf of clients across Tasmania. Before the onset of COVID-19, beginning 2020, CR's stated strategic objective is to: 'provide advice and access to resources in the creation, staging, promotion and operation of events.'

It then communicated this objective externally, through a variety of advertising and promotional materials during early 2020.The company defined a client strategy as follows:

1. CR focuses on growing revenue and profits through increased support to its existing clients

2. Customer loyalty: 'We want the customers to visit us throughout the year and come to CR for the complete range of their event organising needs.'

3. To create loyalty:

• Our Brand must satisfy the customer's aspirations and goals, and
• Our advice and support must promote customer loyalty.

4. We must do superb job of defining our customers' needs.

The engagement with clients was considered extremely important.Key attributes were availability of consultants in the offices in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, and Burnie on short notice. Professional on-site visits are considered essential.High quality, in-office engagement was captured by an explicit vision of the five elements of the 'perfect engagement':

1. Great looking offices with professional impact

2. Clients welcomed by knowledgeable, friendly consultants

3. Clear communication of agendas, minutes of meetings, and action lists

4. Event organisers with good event organising knowledge

5. A sincere thanks and diarising of the next meeting

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, CR experienced a massive decline in the number of clients visiting their offices, with some events being cancelled. CR did not qualify for the Job keeper grant and have decided to reduce their number of offices, and to embark on a voluntary employee redundancy program. In the later part of 2020, CR experienced a resurgence in customer interest in organising events. However, the nature of engagement with customers have changed to mostly zoom meetings, with several recurrent events now being staged online.

To be sustainable, the company determined that it would have to reinvent itself in offering services to their clients. The company also identified a clear need to be 'socially responsible' in arranging safe and secure events which are compliant with government directives on public gatherings. CR was reasonably successful in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in servicing a few new customers which filled the void left by cancelled events to some extent.

The table below summarises the target and actual performance for 2020. Target Actual Objectives Measures performance performance Financial perspective Operating profit changes from Increase shareholder value productivity improvements SO $40,000 Operating profit changes from growth in existing customer services $500,000 $-200,000 Customer perspective Increase growth of existing Market share in providing customer services market share services to existing customers 90% 95% Internal-business-process perspective Improve professional impact of offices Number of stores 75% 100% Communication of meeting agendas Days' notice 5 days 2 days Learning and growth tive Percentage of employees trained Develop professional office in professional office engagement skills engagement with clients 90% 30% Percentage of employees trained 15% (1 st Enhance customer service in event organisation 85% quarter)