PRODUCCIONES RAKIMCHILE – CANADA [email_address] Sirope de Savia de Arce la miel de la Vida

Formed in 1984 : Le Club des Talons Hauts (The High-Heels Club) Guy Laliberte : President and CEO Grown from 73 employees in 1984 to 2100 employees in 2001 Laliberte in charge of creative productions. Daniel Gautier in charge of partnerships and financing. Headquartered at Montreal Founders philosophy: “I will never go public”

Formed in 1984 : Le Club des Talons Hauts (The High-Heels Club)

Guy Laliberte : President and CEO

Grown from 73 employees in 1984 to 2100 employees in 2001

Laliberte in charge of creative productions.

Daniel Gautier in charge of partnerships and financing.

Headquartered at Montreal

Founders philosophy: “I will never go public”

Opera and ballet with circus format, without the star performer and animals Street performers, clowns, acrobats & gymnasts combine to present feats, create theatre and dance dramas Music in a Latin-sounding language – designed to transcend cultural boundaries Globalized to the core Staffing Content Audience 1987 - Los Angeles Festival 1990 – Europe 1992 – Asia Diversified its commercial activities 1998 – Opened its first store in Florida 1999 – “Cirque du Soleil Images” released its first feature film and its first television special 2000 – Created an IMAX large-format film production, distributed by Sony Pictures Classics

Opera and ballet with circus format, without the star performer and animals

Street performers, clowns, acrobats & gymnasts combine to present feats, create theatre and dance dramas

Music in a Latin-sounding language – designed to transcend cultural boundaries

Globalized to the core

Staffing

Content

Audience

1987 - Los Angeles Festival

1990 – Europe

1992 – Asia

Diversified its commercial activities

1998 – Opened its first store in Florida

1999 – “Cirque du Soleil Images” released its first feature film and its first television special

2000 – Created an IMAX large-format film production, distributed by Sony Pictures Classics

Oberacker, the conductor (-) Came from Broadway Previous exposure – highly creative costuming, lighting and dance Very low starting salary 12 hours of rehearsal every week without remuneration Loved the central role in the performance every night Gonzalo Munoz, the clown (+) 300% pay raise over his previous work Valued the noneconomic benefits, such as Language Training “ Cirque works hard to keep artists happy” : hired a master clown in New York to train Trained in different places and techniques

Oberacker, the conductor (-)

Came from Broadway

Previous exposure – highly creative costuming, lighting and dance

Very low starting salary

12 hours of rehearsal every week without remuneration

Loved the central role in the performance every night

Gonzalo Munoz, the clown (+)

300% pay raise over his previous work

Valued the noneconomic benefits, such as Language Training

“ Cirque works hard to keep artists happy” : hired a master clown in New York to train

Trained in different places and techniques

Company knew that if their employees are not happy, they cannot perform. Best possible training made available to them Single artists never recruited. Food given extra attention – to give the feeling of home. Headquarters had all the latest facilities for the employees Shuttle Services Customers was driving the business worldwide “ When a customer enters the big top, he will have an experience he will never forget” Ticket prices always priced appropriately Newer markets were identified, and the shows staged in front of them Due to demand there are permanent as well as yearly shows all year around

Company knew that if their employees are not happy, they cannot perform.

Best possible training made available to them

Single artists never recruited.

Food given extra attention – to give the feeling of home.

Headquarters had all the latest facilities for the employees

Shuttle Services

Customers was driving the business worldwide

“ When a customer enters the big top, he will have an experience he will never forget”

Ticket prices always priced appropriately

Newer markets were identified, and the shows staged in front of them

Due to demand there are permanent as well as yearly shows all year around

Positives “ Working for Cirque is like working for the Red Sox in Boston or Disney World in Orlando” Shuttle service from house to work Amazing kitchen – lavish with food served on tour Best possible working conditions for everybody Negatives Historically, low on the pay scale compared with other companies Now it has adjusted to the mean

Positives

“ Working for Cirque is like working for the Red Sox in Boston or Disney World in Orlando”

Shuttle service from house to work

Amazing kitchen – lavish with food served on tour

Best possible working conditions for everybody

Negatives

Historically, low on the pay scale compared with other companies

Now it has adjusted to the mean

Strengths Employees wanted to work with them Proactive top management Generated ‘WOW’ feeling for the customers Opportunities The whole world was their market Untapped talent potential Potential to offer different formats Weaknesses Could not effectively replicate the offering across borders Over dependence on one man (Guy Laliberte) Lower than usual pay scales Threats Employee Turnover a perennial problem Constant need for reinvention Possibility of replication of offering by competitors

Strengths

Employees wanted to work with them

Proactive top management

Generated ‘WOW’ feeling for the customers

Opportunities

The whole world was their market

Untapped talent potential

Potential to offer different formats

Weaknesses

Could not effectively replicate the offering across borders

Over dependence on one man (Guy Laliberte)

Lower than usual pay scales

Threats

Employee Turnover a perennial problem

Constant need for reinvention

Possibility of replication of offering by competitors

Eliminated Star Performers or “ Key Players” Animals from a circus Traditional employee management policies Created Theme based entertainment A global fan following Feeling of Thrill and Excitement Unique and distinct venues Close knit culture amongst employees

Eliminated

Star Performers or “ Key Players”

Animals from a circus

Traditional employee management policies

Created

Theme based entertainment

A global fan following

Feeling of Thrill and Excitement

Unique and distinct venues

Close knit culture amongst employees

Cirque du Soleil an organization that has turned the old into new has adhered to the founders vision all along keeps its employees topmost priority successfully manages growth and innovation creates and captures new demand manages its extraordinarily diverse workforce creates “loyal employees” through “job satisfaction” multiple themed touring and fixed shows all over Is amongst Canada’s most valuable companies

Cirque du Soleil an organization that

has turned the old into new

has adhered to the founders vision all along

keeps its employees topmost priority

successfully manages growth and innovation

creates and captures new demand

manages its extraordinarily diverse workforce

creates “loyal employees” through “job satisfaction”

multiple themed touring and fixed shows all over

Is amongst Canada’s most valuable companies