MEORIENT:
CRITICAL CHOICES ON THE ROAD TO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
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pl
SYNOPSIS
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Zhejiang Meorient Commerce & Exhibition Inc. (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
n
resources in various industries, Meorient has served more than 200,000 Chinese enterprises and helped
tio
Chinese manufacturers connect with the global market. Under the leadership of co-founder Huansheng
Fang, 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 was listed on
lu
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,
So
culminating in the creation of a distinctive digital service matrix.
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.
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
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OBJECTIVES
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gain insights into the origin and evolution of exhibitions enterprises in tandem with China’s economic
development;
m
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
Sa
company’s evolution;
explore factors influencing the company’s response to emergencies, emphasizing how Meorient seized
opportunities during critical moments; and
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.
n
tio
lu
So
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
1. Summarize Meorient’s journey of transition from serving as an agency to self-organized exhibitions
and as an offline-online (O2O) through digital transformation. Describe its industry environment at
each stage and what factors contributed to Meorient’s development.
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
,2. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, what role did digital technology play in Meorient’s evolution? Why
did Meorient invest heavily in digitalization each year? Evaluate the digital initiatives it made and its
approach to business innovation, organizational change, and digital technology applications.
3. How did Meorient respond to the exhibitions industry’s shutdown during the pandemic? How did its
investment in digital technology allow it to survive and later thrive? How has its business model
changed after the pandemic?
4. What role does digitalization play in the exhibitions and conventions industry to achieve Meorient’s
vision of building the world’s leading digital exhibitions company? What unique differentiated
advantage does Meorient’s O2O system offer its customers? How does this differentiated advantage
position Meorient to challenge the market leaders in the future?
5. What insights does Meorient’s digital development journey offer?
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pl
m
Sa
n
tio
ANALYSIS
1. Summarize Meorient’s journey of transition from serving as an agency to self-organized
lu
exhibitions and as an offline–online offering (O2O) through digital transformation. Describe its
industry environment at each stage and what factors contributed to Meorient’s development.
So
To ensure students grasp the key factors driving Meorient’s development and the opportunities for its
growth, ask students to consider the macro-environment Meorient faced through a
PEST analysis, which evaluates factors relevant to the operational environment of a company. All these
factors can be referred to as external or macro-environmental factors present in a company’s operational
environment, influencing its strategy and development (see Exhibit -1).
PEST Analysis
Political factors are related to the stability of the government, tax and trade policies, tariffs, labour laws,
and other regulatory aspects that may affect a company’s operations. The government can support
companies that have a positive impact on society.
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
, EXHIBIT -1: PEST ANALYSIS OF MEORIENT’S TRANSFORMATION
Agency exhibitions as main Main business transformed to Digital transformation
business (2002–2013) self-organized exhibitions (2020–date)
(2014–2019)
Political Since 1998, China’s reform and Since the initiation of the Belt and On November 18, 2021, the
opening-up policies have Road initiative in 2013, Ministry of Commerce released the
continuously progressed, construction has progressed 14th Five-Year Plan for the High-
various economic components steadily. At the end of 2022, Quality Development of Foreign
have developed, and significant China signed more than 200 co- Trade, further emphasizing the
achievements have been made operation joint construction
agreements with 150 countries
and 32 international
organizations, leading to
increasingly close trade
connections.
e
pl
Economic
m
Sa
Social
n
tio
lu
So
Technological
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
CRITICAL CHOICES ON THE ROAD TO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
e
pl
SYNOPSIS
m
Sa
Zhejiang Meorient Commerce & Exhibition Inc. (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
n
resources in various industries, Meorient has served more than 200,000 Chinese enterprises and helped
tio
Chinese manufacturers connect with the global market. Under the leadership of co-founder Huansheng
Fang, 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 was listed on
lu
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,
So
culminating in the creation of a distinctive digital service matrix.
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.
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
, e
OBJECTIVES
pl
gain insights into the origin and evolution of exhibitions enterprises in tandem with China’s economic
development;
m
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
Sa
company’s evolution;
explore factors influencing the company’s response to emergencies, emphasizing how Meorient seized
opportunities during critical moments; and
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.
n
tio
lu
So
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
1. Summarize Meorient’s journey of transition from serving as an agency to self-organized exhibitions
and as an offline-online (O2O) through digital transformation. Describe its industry environment at
each stage and what factors contributed to Meorient’s development.
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
,2. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, what role did digital technology play in Meorient’s evolution? Why
did Meorient invest heavily in digitalization each year? Evaluate the digital initiatives it made and its
approach to business innovation, organizational change, and digital technology applications.
3. How did Meorient respond to the exhibitions industry’s shutdown during the pandemic? How did its
investment in digital technology allow it to survive and later thrive? How has its business model
changed after the pandemic?
4. What role does digitalization play in the exhibitions and conventions industry to achieve Meorient’s
vision of building the world’s leading digital exhibitions company? What unique differentiated
advantage does Meorient’s O2O system offer its customers? How does this differentiated advantage
position Meorient to challenge the market leaders in the future?
5. What insights does Meorient’s digital development journey offer?
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
ANALYSIS
1. Summarize Meorient’s journey of transition from serving as an agency to self-organized
lu
exhibitions and as an offline–online offering (O2O) through digital transformation. Describe its
industry environment at each stage and what factors contributed to Meorient’s development.
So
To ensure students grasp the key factors driving Meorient’s development and the opportunities for its
growth, ask students to consider the macro-environment Meorient faced through a
PEST analysis, which evaluates factors relevant to the operational environment of a company. All these
factors can be referred to as external or macro-environmental factors present in a company’s operational
environment, influencing its strategy and development (see Exhibit -1).
PEST Analysis
Political factors are related to the stability of the government, tax and trade policies, tariffs, labour laws,
and other regulatory aspects that may affect a company’s operations. The government can support
companies that have a positive impact on society.
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
, EXHIBIT -1: PEST ANALYSIS OF MEORIENT’S TRANSFORMATION
Agency exhibitions as main Main business transformed to Digital transformation
business (2002–2013) self-organized exhibitions (2020–date)
(2014–2019)
Political Since 1998, China’s reform and Since the initiation of the Belt and On November 18, 2021, the
opening-up policies have Road initiative in 2013, Ministry of Commerce released the
continuously progressed, construction has progressed 14th Five-Year Plan for the High-
various economic components steadily. At the end of 2022, Quality Development of Foreign
have developed, and significant China signed more than 200 co- Trade, further emphasizing the
achievements have been made operation joint construction
agreements with 150 countries
and 32 international
organizations, leading to
increasingly close trade
connections.
e
pl
Economic
m
Sa
Social
n
tio
lu
So
Technological
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
