A few weeks ago, I was invited out to an event hosted by the Art Gallery of Hamilton at their Design Annex location. When I arrived at the storefront, I was greeted by a friendly staff member who asked if I was there for the party, and was directed to the event space at the back of the building. I was signed in at registration, and my husband (always a willing partner in crime for a night on the town in the Hammer) and I were each handed beautiful Design Annex reusable bags full of information and goodies. We were treated to a host of hor d’ouevres like quinoa and corn salad with chicken, fresh spring rolls, artichoke and cheese spring rolls, and more! We enjoyed a selection of beer, wine, and a couple of signature cocktails at the bar while looking at a gorgeous new display of art by Meredith Bingham (we even had the chance to meet the artist – and she was gracious and vibrant!) and enjoying music by DJ Russell Leo. After an hour or so of hanging out and enjoying the atmosphere, we had the chance to stroll around James Street North for Hamilton’s monthly art crawl. It was a perfect evening.
But not for the reasons you’d expect. I live downtown and can enjoy the art crawl anytime I like. I visit the Design Annex regularly, and I’ve been to my fair share of events at the AGH. And I’m no stranger to cocktail parties in this city. This one was different though, it had me feeling something I don’t get a chance to feel very often about a company – it was a sense of feeling that I was appreciated as a customer.
Of course, that was the whole point of the evening – it was AGH’s chance to hold a client appreciation night to thank their customers for their business and for me it worked. I got to see how they ran an event in the new location, taste some nibbles and drinks that were new to me, and speak with their staff in a more social context than I usually have the chance to. I got to get dressed up and go out on Friday night, and I loved the touch of holding the event during art crawl to highlight the arts culture in our city. In the past year, I’ve held 2 events at the AGH and they were both lovely, but the extra touch of client service really has me excited about the possibility of going back for more.
Usually I have the privilege of sitting on their other side of the table when it comes to customer service aligning with a brand – advising our clients on how they can create brand ambassadors, recommending approaches to on-brand interactions, and certainly by acting as an ambassador for KITESTRING with our clients. It was a real treat for me to see things from the other side of the fence and experience the AGH brand as a consumer instead. And from a marketing stand point, I have to say that I think the evening was spot on for brand alignment with the Design Annex – casual but classy all the way.
So, thanks to the AGH for the invitation and for allowing me the opportunity to step into another role for the evening. It’s wonderful to feel so proud of a connection to a brand in our city.
In the comments, I hope you’ll share your favourite local brand experiences and positive customer service stories!
*Please note that I was not paid or in any way incentivized to write this post. I was invited to the AGH client appreciation night at no charge to myself, but writing this blog was of my own volition.
