At Shaw Centre, the focus is on much more than hosting events and staying profitable. President and CEO Nina Kressler has made it her personal mission to ensure that giving back to the community is a big part of what happens at Ottawa’s largest convention and event facility. The Centre has been steadily expanding the charitable opportunities it offers to clients, which in turn builds relationships, inspires loyalty and increases client satisfaction.
“We now have three specific corporate social responsibility programs, designed to be flexible and easy for our clients to have a positive impact with minimal effort, while also engaging our staff in community volunteerism,” says Nina.
Helping clients leave a legacy
Shaw Centre’s Leave a Legacy program facilitates the donation of leftover materials at the conclusion of a conference, which benefits charities while also helping clients ‘green’ their events.
“If clients are interested, we endeavour to find a home for virtually any leftover materials. As an example, after the 32nd annual Ottawa-Gatineau Auto Show, 19 000 square feet of gently-used carpeting was once again donated to the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore,” explains Nina.
Another recent post-event donation highlights the impact – both local and global – that Shaw Centre’s Leave a Legacy program can have. Shaw Centre partnered with HOPE for Children Cameroon after the 7th annual One Young World Summit to facilitate donation and delivery of the conference’s excess pens, notebooks, water bottles and bags. As a result, more than 200 school children in remote African communities were given the opportunity to maximize their potential through the power of education.
Even small amounts of excess conference materials are valued, particularly when bundled. Ottawa’s St. Joe’s Women’s Centre was delighted to receive an assortment of housewares, clothing, décor, office supplies and reusable bags generously donated from the Global Internet Jurisdiction Conference, TD Road Show, University of Ottawa Heart Institute Conference, 105th Grey Cup Festival, Shopify 2018 Summit, and Canadian Blood Services’ Blood Donor Clinic – all held at Shaw Centre in Ottawa.
Changing the world, one meal at a time
When Mealshare was launched in Ottawa, Shaw Centre jumped on board financially as a founding supporter. In addition, they offer meeting organizers the option to donate meals to youth in need when selecting meal options for their own delegates.
A companion program called Tablée des Chefs now allows the Centre to be both socially and environmentally responsible by safely donating surplus prepared meals to the Shepherds of Good Hope and the Ottawa Mission.
Doing good is good for business
Shaw Centre’s strong focus on corporate responsibility is one of the value propositions that helps differentiate the facility from its competition. Already world-renowned for its impressive customer service, making a demonstrable commitment to ‘doing good’ is adding one more tool to Shaw Centre’s competitive arsenal.
