Guest Testimonials
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Testimonials
Testimonials
Hi Ammar and Heather!
I wanted to send my sincere thank you for all the support you’ve given myself and our team in the planning of our event as well as the execution.
This event was the most successful program we’ve had at the HCC and went very smoothly despite a few internet hiccups. We received many compliments on the food and several people with dietary allergies mentioned that of all the conferences they’ve been to, they felt their dietary allergies were handled the best at the HCC. They also felt that other programs/venues could learn from this event. Kudos to the chef, Heather, Mark and the team for ensuring everyone was looked after. A big thank you to your head of banquets (Jennifer I think her name was?) She seemed to really understand the audience and how stressed they were, and did everything in her power to create a stress-free environment for them which was appreciated. At all times your staff had a smile on their face and seemed truly happy to be of service.
We’ve made some notes on improvements for next year, and believe that chef has made some notes as well. We didn’t have time to have a debrief on Sunday before we left as we were concerned with the weather and all wanted to get home. I’m hoping we can do that with Mark, Chef and yourself Heather while the event is fresh in our minds. Heather I’ll reach out once I receive the final feedback from our participants so that I can add those comments to my own.
Thank you again!
Michele Schroder, PMP
Program Co-ordinator, Canadian Paediatric Review Program
Hi Heather,
I would like to thank you and your crew of HCC helping us achieved a successful LABC event.
We received so many great compliments from the attendees regarding the venue, food and services. Every detail was thoughtful and appreciated.
Please thank chef Debbie for us. She did an awesome job.
Sincerely,
Helen
Good afternoon Ammar,
Thank you to you and your staff for hosting us again this year. The event was very successful. As always your staff were very professional and took great care of us. Thank you. Looking forward to next year’s event. Have a wonderful day… Michele Schroder, Program Coordinator – Canadian Paediatric Review Program
Dear Ammar,
A BIG thank you to you and your staff……especially Laura McNally who has been so helpful throughout the entire process! She helped calm much of my anxiety and was super attentive to all our needs. I am very appreciative and on behalf of our Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, it has been an absolute pleasure working with you. Hope to work with you all again in the future.
Kind regards,
Claudia
Hi Laura & Beverly,
I know Alex already sent an email to say thank you, but I need to say it again and again.
We cannot thank you enough for all the hard work you & your staff put into our special day. It’s been almost a week, and we are still getting compliments from what a wonderful night it was. It was amazing to hear how much fun everyone had and how it was the ‘best wedding we’ve ever been to’. We’ve had compliments on how organized it was, how much food there was, and how much space we had. It was the BEST.
So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you SO much.
All the best!!!
Alex & Cass.
“I just wanted to extend a sincere thank you to each and every one of you! From the beginning, our original meeting with you, Marisa, to our last interaction with Mark to even picking up the stuff on Sunday, you were all amazing. The ceremony space looked beautiful! I hope you got lots of pictures so that future brides can envision what can be done with the space! It looked amazing!
The reception room looked fantastic. Everyone loved the lounge area as we had many out of town guests that used the lounge area to get caught up and chat. The terrace was a hit for the smokers as the place is huge and walking outside may have been an issue. I absolutely cannot say enough to each one of you.
Marisa, you were so accommodating and instilled confidence in us regarding your team! Laura, you were so helpful and accommodating and provided us with great options and suggestions. Beverly, you were a superstar! Right down to giving me your cell number so that I could text you in case of an emergency or last minute things……this gave me so much comfort knowing that I could reach you if needed. Mark, you were great! You were so accommodating and making sure everything ran smoothly. Even the head server, she was great-checking in with us throughout the evening.
The food was great AND plentiful! The seafood in the late night table was a hit! You are all a class act!! I know that these days it’s all about “social media” so Michael and I will ensure to share our sentiments on social media. If there is anywhere else, or anyone else that we should let know about what a wonderful experience you all provided, please let me know. I would be happy to share this with them as well.
Thank you all so very much for your part in making sure that our wedding was a success. Pulling it off with only 4 weeks leeway was no small feat and because of your professionalism and dedication, we did it without a hitch!!!
Thank you all again and I hope our paths cross again, in the future!”
Sincerely,
Laura & Michael Le Page
“Thank you for making our New Year’s Eve ball and blast. I cannot say enough about your service, the staff is amazing. The chef is absolutely fabulous, he worked so well with us to make the food great. Thank you again for everything”
Vinnette Seaton
Hamilton Caribbean Women’s Group & Lyn’s Linstead Market
“Dear Laura and yo
“Hey Laura! Just wanted to thank you so much for the amazing night! Everything was perfect! Let the chef know that all guests are still going on about the food and how much they enjoyed every part of the evening! You guys did a fantastic job and so thankful for it!! It’s been a pleasure working with you!!”
April & Hunter
“Dear Laura and your crew at the HCC,
We wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for your role at the Annual Sport Volunteer Appreciation Banquet. Without you we would not be able to make this event so wonderful.
Having so many people come together to recognize the Volunteers in our great city is a testament to how valuable they are in our community and in creating a great city to live in.
We hope to work with you again next year.”
Sincerely,
31st Annual Volunteer Appreciation Committee.
“Debby,
I would like to thank you for all the considerations you gave to The Mission to Seafarers Southern Ontario.
Ammar and Laura were amazing to work with. They were very professional and helpful, as were the staff on Tuesday. It made everything run so smoothly.
Thank you and your staff again for everything.”
Gina Rosen
Mission to Seafarers Southern Ontario
“Dear Laura,
Please allow me to extend warmest thanks to you and your team, on behalf of Dean Ishwar Puri and the Faculty of Engineering, for the exceptional service provided by the Hamilton Convention Centre and the event services staff. Many of the graduates and their families commented favourably on the ‘Fireball Cake’, the atmosphere, and the responsiveness and professionalism of the staff. For our graduates, Convocation is such a special day, and it is made more memorable through this Convocation Reception.
We look forward to next year’s reception with you.
Sincerely”
Arlene Fajutrao Dosen
McMaster University | Faculty of Engineering
“I have to extend a huge thank you again to all of the staff at the convention centre. We could not have done this without them. On a side note to that, Laura and Ammar are my dream team. The HCC is extremely lucky to have them.
Another big thank you for coming on as our partner and diamond sponsor. We do look forward to continue building our relationship with everyone at the HCC.
I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I can’t wait to start planning the next one!!!”
Shana Otter
Three Lions Productions
“Debby, Laura, Mike, Mark and Ian,
On behalf of the Development team here at the YWCA, I want to extend our sincerest THANKS. Your expertise, talent, and attention to detail helped to create a spectacular and memorable event for our 800 guests last night! It is such a pleasure for our team to feel that we truly are “partners” in this event and that you care deeply in making Women of Distinction an event that our community will remember.
We wanted to share some good news, it looks like we have surpassed our goal of raising $100,000 which is an unbelievable achievement for this organization and we could not have done it without you!
Thank you again”
Debbie
YWCA Hamilton
“On behalf of the Docs on Ice Tournament and the Hamilton Academy of Medicine, I wanted to thank you and your staff for all your help Friday night at our Docs on Ice 2017 Banquet.
We’ve had nothing but positive reviews on the food and service of your staff. I appreciate all your help to ensure it was the best evening possible. Don’t know what I would do without you!!
Thanks again!”
Maryann
Hamilton Academy of Medicine
“Hi Laura,
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind following our wedding AKA the best day ever! I need to express my sincere gratitude for your patience, kindness, professionalism, and expertise in bringing all elements together for our wedding last Saturday. The staff was wonderful, the rooms were beautiful, the service was flawless, and the food was amazing — literally everything about the day was perfect from beginning to end. In your hands, we were so well taken care of. I gave you a shout out in my speech but you may have missed it! I wanted you to know how much Sam and I and our families appreciated everything but specifically you and all your help. You also have a wonderful way of putting people at ease that was so appreciated throughout the planning process. I’m afraid with being pulled in so many directions that night, the comment cards probably weren’t filled out as well as they should have been. If you’d like to direct us to an online version if available we’d be happy to fill them out. Please share this note with your boss or whomever you report to. They need to know what a gem they have on staff!”
Love & thanks,
Kelly DeBono
“Ammar and Laura,
I again can’t thank you guys enough. You made my job so easy!
We were blown away by the exceptional service and staff at the HCC by Carmen’s. Not a single detail was missed, and everything was on point.
We can’t wait to work with you guys again, and you are the ONLY team I would recommend to anybody for their event!”
Shana,
Three Lions Promotions
“Our Kiwanis Convention was a great success and we want to thank you and all your staff. They helped us all week with many changes that arose. Everything we needed your great staff provided for us and we had a great time working with them. You are very fortunate to have people that are hardworking and professional. I personally had a lot of fun working together with everyone.
You and everyone at the Convention Centre contributed to our success and for that we thank you so much.
Thank you from all the members of the Kiwanis Club of Hamilton Inc.”
Co-Chairs Don Turner and Ron Burshaw,
Kiwanis Club of Hamilton
“I just wanted to say a big thank you to the team at HCC by Carmen’s… your on the ground staff could not have been more helpful. Nothing was too much trouble for them. Everyone from move in Paul, to putting out extra chairs Ian, were brilliant. Ian especially was so incredibly accommodating. I was so impressed with how everyone worked to make our weekend a success. I love to surround myself with Can Do people, who bring solutions, not problems. Your entire team at HCC are Can Do people. Thank you! You guys are awesome!”
Paul Meade,
Totally British Festival
“On behalf of the Hamilton Academy of Medicine, I’d like to thank you and your staff at the Hamilton Convention Centre by Carmen’s for all your help yesterday at our 98th Annual Clinical Day.
We appreciate all your help to ensure our day was a great success. We’ve had nothing but positive feedback from all our guests. Thanks again for everything!”
Maryann
Hamilton Academy of Medicine
“It was an absolute pleasure working with you on the Tim Hortons event! You and your team are joyful, efficient, helpful without question, and so pleasant to work with! You make my job so much easier! Thank you!”
Robert J. Bostwick,
Visions Display Inc.
“It was SUCH a great evening, and your staff were UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!! I can’t sing their praises enough. You really came through for us with flying colours and people are still talking about the amazing food!”
Suzy Polgar,
Jewish National Fund – Regional Ontario
“I wish to thank you and your staff for an extra special meal and evening. The food was excellent.”
Barbara Downie,
Bell Girls Reunion
I would like to thank you & your entire team for your support of our MAD4MADDIE Fundraiser. It was a real pleasure to work with Debby Russ, Ammar Balika, Melissa Clemens and Mark McSporran. We had so many compliments regarding the venue and the quality of the meal. The wait staff went out of their way to serve our guests in a cordial manner. I am happy to report that our event exceeded all of our monetary expectations. Thanks again for your tremendous support of our community.
Rosanne Leddy,
MAD4MADDIE
“MANY thanks or hosting us over the past week!!! We wanted to highlight several of the HCC by Carmen’s staff that really stood out in our view. They all certainly made substantial contributions to seeing our conference successful, making us feel welcome, and ensuring that the facility was an enabler!
Jamie – he was always around, checking in with us to ensure smooth flow, while not being “under foot” in the office. Perfect balance! Problems and changes were dealt with professionally, and he was able to give us solutions to problems quickly when they arose, including changes to the dining room when a plenary speaker unexpectedly demanded changes. There was NO impact to our schedule, despite the major change we needed. He also mobilized staff to assist in moving our business center, due to a lack of traffic, in only 3 minutes! Working with us he was able to accommodate a quick change to one of our sessions, despite part of a room flooding. Finally, it was very reassuring to me to see him walking the floor, first thing (0608h) to ensure everything was proper. His calm, happy demeanor was comforting to us as a customer – everything in hand and fixable. He is a great example of customer service and focus, and a real asset to the HCC by Carmen’s.
Ian – as one of our key daytime contacts, Ian was able to seek out solutions very quickly for us. After a glass of water was spilled though one of our laptops (the fault of one of our participants), Ian procured a fan for us to use to help us dry the unit. He was always on hand during “crises”, helping to move, rearrange, get or take away. And always with a smile.
James – as our evening floor contact, he was easy to find, and was on the lookout for us. Of note was how he handled the setup of the business center. Several tables were required, which appeared and were “dressed” before the vendor representatives realized it, which allowed them to complete their work on Monday evening. In turn, this allowed the earlier opening of services on the Tuesday morning – a boon to our participants.”
Paul,
United Way Centraide Canada
National Conference 2013
“First of all thank you very much for being available to take my calls at ‘various’ timings, especially the weekend. I truly appreciate that.
Yesterday, all went really well. Your staff was wonderful especially Mark who was there all the time and assisted with smile and great service orientation. There was one time, during break out room sessions, when we rotated the groups; each group left some mess particularly in the “lounge’ rooms. I understand this part was missed in all our communication and planning, however, it was handled really well by your staff. Overall, it was a great day and we are really thankful to you Ammar and the rest of your team who helped us in accomplishing this yesterday.”
Naila Qazi,
Hamilton Health Sciences
“The meeting went very well and there was plenty of positive feedback on the venue. The manager on duty was very attentive to our needs and was checking in with me regularly. The staff that provided the service for the event were very professional and also extremely helpful when I had questions.
Big thanks and props also go to Jessica in helping get the event organized and set up to ensure everything went smoothly – her help was much appreciated.”
Mike,
Meridian Credit Union
“On behalf of the Ontario Liberal Party, I would like to offer my sincere thanks to you and your staff at the Hamilton Convention Centre by Carmen’s. The weekend was a great success and flowed perfectly due in no small party to your team on the ground.
It is never easy to accommodate those last minute needs and changes – but you and your staff handled our event beautifully and professionally.
Congratulations to you and your team for your terrific work and patience. We could not have done it without your help.”
“I want to thank you for all your support for the Young Parent Conference! Mark and Jessica were amazing and always there to help! Dave was great, as was Gerben…he was so helpful!
It was a great experience to work alongside the Hamilton Convention Centre by Carmen’s.”
Chris,
Good Shepherd
“Thank you to your staff and believe that the OBOA Delegates do not react so positively to each facility in that manner. As a team we did very well!
You are tops in my book and Melissa was great to deal with. Thanks to Marc, David. Rose, Ian, bartender Rick and all the wonderful staff. Paul from Stronco did a marvellous job as did Gerben who is a rising star. Good people!
You are as our professional designation notes “The Step above!”
Ronald M. Kolbe,
Chief Administrative Officer, Ontario Building Officials Association
