“Artwaale” events: designing a sustainable business model

Learning outcomes The case provides students with information on a sustainability-focused event company and asks them to position it with a correct value proposition. After working through the case and assignment questions, students should be able to learn the following: Case overview/synopsis In 2017, Bishnoi started Artwaale as an initiative to convert her hobby into a sustainable event business. She desired to create a goal-oriented and sustainable business model. She knew that Indian customers were accustomed to shiny events. Her event company offered locally sourced products with recycled options, but they were less attractive than single-use products. Bishnoi faced significant hurdles in aligning with the company's sustainability goals, which impacted her ability to secure clients, as she could not deliver the glittery, shiny effects that non-environment-friendly products could provide. The event management industry, flooded with misleading practices, compromised services and pricing strategies. The local event organizer market was saturated and precisely competitive. Undisputedly, customers valued sustainability but hesitated to adopt it. In September 2025, Bishnoi faced critical questions about the future direction of the company's sustainability strategy: How should she design her service business model to ensure her business's success? How should she position her sustainable services in consumers' minds? What sustainability strategy should Bishnoi pursue in the future? Complexity academic level The case will cater to business management students pursuing a graduate or postgraduate management program. The case is suitable for use in undergraduate management programs. The case can be used in Sustainable business courses, Marketing Management, Event Management and Corporate and Social responsibility courses. The case can be used to teach topics such as sustainable business models and strategies for managing and building a sustainable business. The prerequisite for this case is a basic understanding of marketing concepts and awareness of sustainable businesses.