The Center Market Research

The Center Market Research: Identifying Brides Concerns

Courtney Todd
University of Cincinnati

The Center Market Research

Abstract
On Saturday, October 1st , 2011, The Center held its first wedding. Although, I wasnt employed
at The Center for its opening, a year and a half later I started as an Event Coordinator. As an
employee at The Center who regularly toured prospective brides around the venue, I noticed
similar patterns in potential clients behavior. The patterns suggested The Center did not possess
the qualities the brides wanted for their wedding day. I surveyed and facilitated a focus group
with three brides that toured The Center with me this past fall, but decided to book at another
reception venue in Greater Cincinnati. I recorded the brides statements and expressions during
the focus group to organize data that expressed similar patterns between the three brides
answers regarding The Centers accommodations. The result of this study confirmed that policies
in place at The Center affected the venues sales for 2014. I will discuss my first hand research
by making connections with the brides statements and presenting the data in categories relating
to common venue topics, such as: alcohol policies, vendor policies, and pricing policies.
Introduction
The purpose of this research is to identify the reasons brides are not reserving dates with The
Center. Once this is explained it will be easier to identify the venues target audience. On
October 1st , 2011 The Center hosted its first wedding. Weddings are the most common event
held at The Center, however, there is an occasional corporate event held during the week. Two
years after opening, The Center does not have every Saturday reserved in 2014 which is the most
common day to host a wedding. Direct competitors refer The Center daily because they receive
inquiries for dates they already booked. Potential clients for The Center hear about the venue
from previous clients, competing venues, or vendors that have worked in The Center. The
majority of potential clients have not heard about The Center via promotional materials or the

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venues website. Employees at The Center conduct tours daily with brides. The tours show the
potential clients around the space and answer any questions they have about the venue. Other
event venues in Greater Cincinnati are reserved every Saturday in 2014 and cant hold as many
tours as The Centers employees schedule daily because they host more events.
The Center has multiple policies in place to protect the newly renovated venue. The Centers
pricing policy is a base rental fee for the space which starts at $4,101 for 4 hours. A bride can
add an hour of event time at $500. There are additional charges if brides want to rent out
additional rooms located in the venue. The only items included in the base rental fee are tables
and chairs for up to 300 guests, the Dome Room, and the Ballroom. The Dome room is used for
cocktail hour and the Ballroom is used for sit-down dinners. There are 5 side rooms that can be
rented for an additional $200 per room. The Bridal Suite is an additional $500. The
miscellaneous items that The Center charges for are easels at $10 a piece, a podium at $40, and
AV equipment at $100. Also included in the base rental is 7 hours of set-up and tear-down for
the event. If the client wishes to purchase more set-up and tear-down hours they are charged $75
per hour.
Since there are no preferred vendors for the venue, The Center requires a Certificate of
Insurance from each vendor working events. The Certificates of Insurance protect The Center if
damage has occurred by the clients hired companies during the events set-up and tear-down. If
a vendor creates damage in the venue and does not comply with charges, the client is held liable
for any incurred repair costs.
Recently, The Centers owners bought a liquor license. The license allows The Center to buy
alcohol from assigned distributors by the state of Ohio. Employees at The Center have control on
how much the alcohol is marked up before selling to clients. Competing venues in Greater

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Cincinnati have pointed out to our potential clients that the alcohol policy at our venue costs less
than other venues in Greater Cincinnati. The Center has a stock list that changes monthly due to
the distributors price changes and product availability. Employees at The Center send clients a
stock list monthly and the client can order as much alcohol as they wish as long as they
understand our buy back policy. They can also special order items that are not on our inventory
list. However, remaining special order items will go home with them at the end of the event
except liquor. The Center can buy back any unopened product and the client can take home any
beer and wine they choose that theyve ordered off our stock list. All liquor must stay on the
premise due to Ohio Liquor Laws.
The focus group and survey were created to find out why brides are not booking with The
Center. Is it the policies? Is it the location? Is it the price? After organizing data and finding
themes within the data, there are patterns that suggest various reasons for brides to book at
competing venues in Greater Cincinnati.
Literature
In the effort to facilitate a successful focus group, I researched social scientists studies on the
focus group method. Particularly looking at Richard Kruegers, Focus Groups: A Practical Guide
for Applied Research, I discovered steps to take during the focus group discussion that would
help me gather information and apply the information in a research study.
For instance, Krueger states that, focus group interviewing is about paying attention, being open
to what people have to say and being nonjudgmental (Krueger, 30). By following this
information, any bias in my study is easily eliminating and any information is easily received.
Krueger states that, it is about being careful and systematic with the things people tell you
(Krueger, 30). During the focus group, I needed to be composed, attentive, and lack emotion.

The Center Market Research

As an employee at The Center, it was extremely important for me to focus on what each bride
was sharing with me, however, it was just as important to show no emotion. Emotion can lead to
dishonesty in a focus group study which causes unwanted bias and can lead to misinterpreted
answers.
Krueger states, Through focus groups we have gotten tiny glimpses of worlds that we otherwise
do not experience (Krueger, XV). With my focus group study, we will receive information that
we otherwise would not have if we didnt hear first-hand accounts from brides that toured The
Center and chose to reserve a date at a competing location in Greater Cincinnati.
Methods
The focus group was facilitated in a small restaurant called Ingredients located in The Westin
Lobby in downtown Cincinnati off Fifth Street. The restaurant is a quiet space and its typical
customers are business cliental. The three brides I chose for the focus group were from different
areas of Cincinnati, so it made sense that the focus group would be held in a centralized location
like the middle of downtown across from Fountain Square.
Each bride toured The Center with me and communicated with me via email and phone
conversations. Their names are: Sam, Shannon, and Haley. Sam is 27 years old and lives North
of Cincinnati. Shannon is 24 years old. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon. However, she
grew up in Cincinnati and her family is located on the Westside. Haley is a native of Louisiana
and moved to Cincinnati two years ago. She is 25 years old and currently lives on the Eastside.
All three brides shared two common factors before the focus group began; each bride toured
The Center and they all decided to reserve a date at another location in Cincinnati.
I contacted each bride after they told me they were no longer interested in the venue and asked
them to take part in a focus group and survey relating to The Center. Each bride was told they

The Center Market Research

would receive a $5.00 gift card to Starbucks. The brides agreed and when we arrived at
Ingredients, I bought them a coffee before we sat down for the focus group discussion.
Before conversation started, I provided overview of the study and explained how their
participation would help me understand why they didnt reserve a date with The Center. They
were informed that a friend of mine would be taking notes while they were openly discussing
topics and they were also told that their statements would not be held against them. I handed
them a consent form for a signature and made sure each was signed before any dialogue relating
to The Center began. A copy of the consent form is located on page 11 listed under Appendix A
of this research study.
During the focus group, I had a list of questions ready for discussion. Below was the list:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What were your initial thoughts about The Center?

After the tour, did you have a definite yes or no for reserving a date with The Center?
What do you think about The Centers pricing policy?
What do you think about The Centers alcohol policy?
Do you like that The Center does not have preferred vendors?

Every question was answered whether I asked it, or a bride brought it up. As the brides were
openly discussing The Centers policies, I wrote down verbatim what they were saying. After the
focus group ended, I organized data by finding common themes with each brides answers to my
questions on The Centers policies.
A survey was handed to each bride after the focus group. I asked them to complete it to the best
of their knowledge and told them their answers would help me better understand their statements
in the focus group discussion. I arranged the data received from the surveys by tallying repeated
answers. A copy of the survey is located on page 13 listed under Appendix B of this research
study.

The Center Market Research

Focus Group Results
Below is the list of questions I asked during the focus group with corresponding answers from
each bride. The statements are verbatim from Sam, Shannon, and Haley.
1. What were your initial thoughts about The Center?
Sam: New and I love that it had huge bathrooms.
Shannon: Clean, modern, and huge.
Haley: I thought The Center was very contemporary and beautiful.
2. After the tour, did you have a definite yes or no for reserving a date with The Center?

Sam: Yes, I knew I wanted to book with another venue.

Shannon: I did not want to book with The Center after the tour.
Haley: I knew when I walked in that The Center wasnt for me, even though I thought it
was pretty and unique.
3. What do you think about our pricing policy?
Sam: Very expensive since everything is not included.
Shannon: I agree with Sam. The price is too high for only two rooms to be included.
Haley: Yes. I agree and I thought you guys were nickel and diming when you had to pay
for extra set-up hours especially when its during business hours.
4. What do you think about The Centers alcohol policy?
Sam: I still dont understand it.
Shannon: I was given different information by every Event Coordinator that works for
The Center so I didnt trust the policy.

The Center Market Research

Haley: Yeah, Im still not sure I am clear on it either. Its good alcohol pricing though
compared to other venues, but I dont get what you buy back.
5. Do you like that The Center does not have preferred vendors?
Sam: Yes, it makes it easy to create your own wedding.
Shannon: No. I would rather there be preferred vendors because it takes less time to
plan and everything seems more secure.
Haley: Yes. I think it makes your wedding truly yours.
The data above suggests that there was only one disagreement between all three brides. On
question 5, Shannon disagrees with the other brides when she stated, No. I would rather there be
preferred vendors because it takes less time to plan and everything seems more secure.
Whereas, Sam and Haley liked that The Center was a blank canvas.
Below is a table that distinguishes the group consensus and single variance during the focus
group discussion. These were major policies and concerns about The Center.
Group Consensus
Alcohol Policy

Group Variation
No preferred vendors

Pricing Policy
Blank canvas venue
Table 1
This table shows that all three brides agreed and shared the same opinion on every single topic
except one policy at The Center. Shannon disagreed with Sam and Haley once during the focus
group discussion when The Centers vendor policy was introduced. Shannon stated, I would
rather there be preferred vendors because it takes less time to plan and everything seems more
secure. Sam and Haley liked that The Centers vendor policy allowed them to choose

The Center Market Research

companies they wanted to hire instead of being assigned companies to work their event. Sam
stated, It makes it easy to create your own wedding. Likewise, Haley stated, I think it makes
your wedding truly yours. Interestingly, Shannon is from out of town whereas Sam and Haley
are residents in the Greater Cincinnati area. This data suggests that Shannon may not have time
to hire and communicate with various companies due to distance and availability.
Survey Results
The below table shows the total budget for each brides wedding based on their answers from the
survey they completed after the focus group discussion.
Shannon

Haley

Sam

$ 25,000-$29,999

$20,000-$24,999

$15,000-$19,999

Table 2
Surprisingly, all three brides have different budgets for their wedding. Below are percentages
each bride will spend from their wedding budget to cover the cost of The Center base rental fee.
Shannon

Haley

Sam

13%

16%

20%

Table 3
Shannon has the highest budget at $29,999 for her wedding and therefore she has the lowest
percent going towards her venue if she booked with The Center which costs about $4,000 for the
base rental fee.
Haley falls in between Shannons and Sams wedding budget at $24,999. She would spend 16%
of her budget at The Center if she reserved a date.

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10

Sam has the lowest budget for her wedding at $19,999 and consequently will spend most of her
budgeted money on the venue if she booked with The Center.
The data suggests that if each bride added money to their total wedding budget, The Center
would appear more affordable. Please note that I took the maximum amounts Shannon, Haley,
and Sam were willing to spend on their wedding to find the above percentages.
The below table shows the budget each bride is willing to spend on their wedding venue.
Shannon

Haley

Sam

$5,000-$6,999

$3,000-$4,999

$3,000-$4,999

Table 4
Shannon is willing to spend the most on her venue, up to $6,999. This data isnt surprising
because she has the highest wedding budget at $29,999. Considering the price of The Center and
Shannons wedding budget, she will have the lowest percentage spent on the venue. This
suggests that The Centers price is not the main reason Shannon did not reserve a date with The
Center.
Haley and Sam are willing to spend up to $4,999 on their venue. However, their total wedding
budgets are different. Haley is willing to spend up to $ 24,999 and Sam will spend up to $19,999.
Since Haleys and Sams minimun price for their venue starts at $3,000, it suggests that The
Centers price was a factor for them to reserve a date at another location.
However, considering the maximum dollar amount Haley and Sam are willing to spend on their
venue which is $4,999, we can determine that price is not the only factor they did not reserve a
date with The Center. In fact, The Centers price falls within each brides venue budget.

The Center Market Research

Discussion
After reviewing common themes discussed during the focus group, price was not the only factor
for the brides to book at another venue. The Centers base rental fee fit into all three brides total
wedding budgets. In fact, Shannons, Sams, and Haleys venue budget is higher than The
Centers base rental fee.
Based solely on Shannons, Sams, and Haleys responses, the alcohol policy, vendor policy, and
pricing policy at The Center is what led the brides to choose other venues to host their wedding.
Below is a breakdown of The Centers major policies that each bride agreed was concerning
during the focus group discussion.
Alcohol Policy
Each bride did not understand our alcohol policy. In fact, I was asked to explain the policy
during the focus group discussion. Based on their concerns, I dont think they trusted our policy.
They would rather pay more for alcohol at another venue and feel secure in their decision.
Shannon said, I was given different information by every Event Coordinator that works for The
Center so I didnt trust the policy.
Pricing Policy
The Centers price fits in each brides budget. However, they felt like they were being nickel and
dimed. Sam stated, Why do I have to pay for extra set-up hours if Im setting up during normal
business hours. Haley piggy backed off her comment and said, I didnt understand that either
and I also think that if you buy an extra hour of event time, you should allow an extra hour of
set-up time at no additional cost. Based on Sams and Haleys comments, The Centers
additional costs were a factor for them to book at another location.
Vendor Policy

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Certificates of Insurance required for each vendor concerned Shannon, Sam, and Haley. They did
not understand the policy. In fact, Shannon said that, An Event Coordinator at The Center told
me they didnt understand Certificates of Insurance either, but it was still required. I claim that
this made Shannon insecure about reserving a date with The Center; she was worried that the
employees didnt understand their own policies.
Shannon, Sam, and Haley were worried about being held liable for damage that occurred during
their events set-up and tear-down if they werent involved. Shannon stated, I didnt like the
word liable. She was referring to the Certificate of Insurance policy which explains that the
bride will be held liable if their vendor does not provide a Certificate of Insurance. Based on
Shannons statement, I think using a word like liable in a policy for a bride that is already
paying a lot of money for her wedding is another reason she felt insecure about reserving a date
with The Center. Sam and Haley agreed with Shannon. Haley said, I dont want to pay for
damages after the wedding if I didnt cause them. Likewise, Sam said, I agree. Especially if I
am already paying a lot of money for the venue. Based on their answers, The Centers policies
are concerning to them because of word choice and little explanation. In other words, the Sam,
Shannon, and Haley do not trust the venues operation.
Limitations
Focus Group
There were limitations with the focus group I facilitated. As an employee at The Center, I had to
eliminate bias during conversation. For instance, I had to make sure I didnt show any emotion.
However, there were a couple instances I shook my head in agreement with the brides. This may
have swayed them to answer dishonestly.

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Another issue was missing information during the focus group. For example, each bride thought
parking would be an issue when they toured The Center. However, Shannon, Sam, nor Haley
brought up parking as a factor for them to not reserve a date with The Center.
Survey
The questions asked in the survey could present bias. Asking questions about money can make
participants feel uncomfortable which could sway them to answer dishonestly. I asked each bride
to fill out the survey after the focus group to eliminate dishonest answers. However, I cant be
certain that the brides answered the survey honestly.
Further Study
In order to fully understand why The Center is not reserved for 2014, it is necessary to conduct
further research. Perhaps researching competing venues in the Greater Cincinnati area will
provide The Centers staff with policy information that has attracted brides to reserve dates with
them.
Focus group research is insightful. In the future, it is important to have somebody who is
completely unbiased towards the study to facilitate the discussion. To make sure there is no
missing information after the focus group, I suggest bringing a recorder so you can play back
what exactly was said.

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14
Source

Krueger, Richard A, Casey,Mary Anne. (2009). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied
research. Los Angeles: SAGE.

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15

Appendix A
Consent to Participate in Research
The Center Market Research: Identifying Policy Concerns
You are asked to participate in a research study conducted by Courtney Todd, a student, from the
Professional Writing Department at University of Cincinnati. This study is being done as a requirement
for my Masters Degree in Professional Writing. Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary.
Please read the information below and ask questions about anything you do not understand, before
deciding whether or not to participate.
OPTIONAL: You have been asked to participate in this study because you toured The Center and
decided to reserve a date at another location to host your wedding reception in 2014.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study is to examine why The Center isnt reserved for
the year of 2014.
PROCEDURES: If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will be asked to communicate in a
focus group with two other participants that toured The Center in Fall 2013. During discussion, A
colleague and I will record your statements. Following the focus group discussion, you will be asked to
complete a short survey.
POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS: There are no potential risks by taking part in this study.
However, if you are not comfortable answering a particular question, you may choose to respond with,
no comment.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO SUBJECTS AND/OR SOCIETY: There are no benefits by
participating in this study.
COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION: By participating in this study, you will receive a $5.00
gift card to Starbucks, or coffee before the focus group discussion begins.
CONFIDENTIALITY: Any information that is obtained in connection with this study and that can be
identified with you will remain confidential and will be disclosed only with your permission. This study
will not be published.
PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWL: You can choose whether or not to be in this study. If you
volunteer to be in this study, you may withdraw at any time without consequences of any kind or loss of
benefits to which were entitled.
Identification of Researcher: If you have any questions or concerns after this study, you may contact
Mary Beth Debs at mbd1951@cs.com

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16

I understand the procedures described above. My questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I
agree to participate in this study. I have been given a copy of this form.
________________________________________
Printed Name of Subject
________________________________________

_________________________

Signature of Subject

Date

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17
Appendix B
Survey Questions
The Center Market Research

Directions:
Answer the questions below. If you select other, please explain.

1.) What is the total budget for your wedding?

$5,000-$9,999
$10,000- $14,999
$15,000- $19,999
$20,000- $24,999
$25,000-$29,999
Other:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2.) What is the budget for your wedding venue?
$1,000- $2,999
$3,000- $4,999
$5,000- $6,999
Other:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.) Does your wedding venue have preferred vendors?
Yes
No

Other