OTTAWA, May 3, 2023—Last night, Ottawa Tourism hosted members of the local tourism community at the inaugural Shine On Awards to recognize customer service excellence and celebrate the front line tourism industry. The event was held at the Canadian Museum of History and included a networking event attended by Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, followed by an awards presentation.
Award presenters included The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Federal Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance; Steve Ball, President of the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association; Colin Morrison, General Manager of the Ottawa Embassy Hotel and Suites; and Stefanie Siska, C’est Bon Ottawa Co-owner, President and General Manager.
The Shine On Awards were developed by Ottawa Tourism to recognize excellent service in all areas of front line hospitality. Nominations were compiled throughout the year (2022) and judged by a panel of industry experts to determine winners in each category, as well as a final Shine On Grand Prize Winner.
The following winners were recognized for their exceptional service:
- Claudia Robley, from the Holiday Inn & Suites, Ottawa Kanata, in the “Exceptional Service: Hotel” category.
- Abdul Moalin, from Les Suites Hotel, in the “Exceptional Leader” category.
- Laura Cordon, from the Nordik Spa-Nature, in the “Exceptional Service: Attraction” category.
- William Ellam, from the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, in the “Exceptional Service: Guest Relations” category.
- Karen Cole, from the Ottawa Airport Authority, in the “Exceptional Service: Heart of House” category.
- Nicole Giguère, from the Fairmont Château Laurier, in the “Exceptional Service: Restaurant/Culinary” category.
- Andrew Wing, from the Escape Tours and Rentals, in the “Exceptional Service: Tour Services” category.
Claudia Robley was the Shine On Awards Overall Grand Prize winner. Robley, who is an overnight employee at the Holiday Inn & Suites Ottawa Kanata, was recognized for her efficiency in ensuring the cleanliness of the hotel, while keeping a positive attitude at work and helping any colleagues with their own tasks whenever she is able. In recognition of her dedication and hard work, Robley was awarded a two-night stay at the Fairmont Château Laurier, donated by the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association, giving her the much-deserved opportunity to rest and relax for a weekend and experience downtown Ottawa.
“Ottawa Tourism is proud to recognize our resilient tourism industry, and the amazing front line staff who create stellar visitor experiences day-in and day-out,” says Michael Crockatt, President and CEO of Ottawa Tourism. “We are happy to create this opportunity for employers to recognize and celebrate in front of industry peers the fantastic work their employees do that contributes to the success and reputation of our destination.”
The Shine On Program includes the Shine On Awards as well as the Shine On Academy, an online training tool including customer service best practices, destination knowledge and information about the tourism industry. Ottawa Tourism encourages employers to nominate their employees for a 2023 Shine On Award. Nominations are now open! Visit www.ShineOnOttawa.ca for more information.
You can find and download photos recapping the event by following the link below.
Courtesy of Ottawa Tourism.
About Ottawa Tourism
Through its values of inclusivity, trust, collaboration, and innovation, Ottawa Tourism pursues its vision to be one of Canada’s most visited, sustainable, vibrant, and appealing urban destinations, as well as the tourism authority for key economic development and city-building decisions in Ottawa. Before the pandemic, the industry welcomed an estimated 11 million visitors annually and generated $3 billion in economic output.
For more information, please contact:
Vladimir Jean-Gilles
Communications Manager, Ottawa Tourism
613-237-5150, ext. 1138
vjeangilles@ottawatourism.ca
