What is quintessential hospitality?

On my recent flight from London to Calgary, I was sitting near a woman with an emotional support animal—a beautiful Belgian Malinois named Ryder. Ryder successfully helped her cope with anxiety throughout the flight, and upon landing, I and a number of other passengers made way for the woman and her dog to disembark quickly.

It was an easy decision for me to make—waiting an extra 30 seconds to get off the plane meant nothing to me, but it clearly meant a great deal to her. It was a small but memorable interaction that got me thinking about what hospitality truly means.?

In many ways, the act of a few people moving out of this woman’s way on the plane was the first act of hospitality she’d received in Calgary—before she’d even exited the plane.?

During the recent brand launch for the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre , we introduced the key attributes that define the CTCC: boundless experiences, signature events, masterful design, collective responsibility—and quintessential hospitality

Quintessential hospitality is walking into the family-owned restaurant and being greeted by name because the owner remembers the typical order you place for your family. It’s walking down Stephen Avenue as a visitor to Calgary and having a stranger help you find your way to an event, because they’re eager to demonstrate how welcoming a city we are. It’s planning an event at the CTCC and having the salesperson ask how your kids’ piano recital went the previous week, because they’ve taken the time to get to know you on a personal level.

To me, quintessential hospitality requires our team, our partners and the surrounding businesses and organizations to come together to deliver an exceptional experience. It’s the result of intentional collaboration, meaningful connection, and a personalized approach to relationship building. And it’s the kind of experience we’re dedicated to creating at the CTCC and for Calgary.?

Quintessential hospitality is an invitation to become part of a community. To connect. To belong. And whether it’s on a plane or in a convention centre, it means you’re not a stranger anymore.?

It’s also something that each and every one of us can practice every day. So I want to know, where have you witnessed quintessential hospitality in Calgary? And what are you doing to demonstrate that same hospitality to others??