Ottawa – Where Friendship and Business Come Together

Posted by:

Christine Melendes, CAE

Director, Member Relations, PCMA

In my opinion there are two ways to build truly successful business relationships.

1. You start with a business need and then develop a friendship with your partners. 
2. You start as friends, build a strong relationship first and then get down to business.

It is the later that I am fortunate to have experienced with my good friends and business colleagues in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  

It was the friendships that I have built with key members of the Ottawa Convention Centre team that caused me to have so much pride last week when I joined them to help celebrate the opening of the new Ottawa Convention Centre.  I was among a fine, distinguished group (1,300 of us) of people including Canadian dignitaries, the mayor, and many influential business people who all worked tirelessly to make the new Ottawa Convention Centre a reality.

Photo courtesy of Mathew Usherwood

I was fortunate to experience the great city of Ottawa the day before and the day leading up to the opening gala.  It is a very “easy” city to make your way through…not only is the city center compact and walkable, the people of Ottawa are warm, welcoming and beyond friendly.  Through walking the streets you connect with a city rich in history, but modern in everything the city offers…contemporary dining, nightlife and shopping.  

This is a city that has waited more than 20 years for a convention centre that would be a masterpiece, a crowning jewel, in a city that has for centuries been the hub of policy making, business building and community.  

It is that history, that sense of true pride in what was accomplished, that allowed me to sit back and enjoy watching my friends receive pats on the back, toasts, and hugs for a job well done.

Photo courtesy of the Ottawa Convention Centre

If you haven’t been to Ottawa, I suggest you put it on your “must visit” list for both business and leisure.  This is a city that gets business, gets conventions, and gets how both impact the local economy.  But most of all, this is a city with a beautiful new, modern convention centre where the team understands your business and is ready to help you succeed.  And I promise you, you will enjoy every minute you spend there!