Calgarians would be excused for thinking that there was a major Hollywood film opening at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on May 14, and the glitz and glamour of the red carpet was impossible to miss.

Yet those who walked the carpet on Wednesday evening weren’t A-Listers that grace the pages of tabloids and gossip blogs, instead they were the frequently unsung heroes of Calgary’s tourism and hospitality sector.

The 62nd annual White Hat Awards was their opportunity to dress to the nines, and be recognized in style for the work that they do for the $2.9 billion sector of the city’s economy.

One of the night’s semi-finalists, Shawna Suitor, said that for many of the attendees it meant that for an evening they were being served rather than doing the service themselves.

“Most of us, we all have a uniform when we’re working and we don’t see each other outside of this. Then when you see everybody, all their hair down—because you have to pull it back when you’re serving food—everybody’s out and feeling good,” Suitor said.

“Everyone’s out to have a good time, and it’s just fun to have recognition in the service industry, which is something that a lot of people don’t seem to realize is as much work as it is.”

Record number of nominees for 2025

One of the night’s winners, Destiney Whitney, who took home the award for exceptional leadership for her work as the general manager of the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex, said it was a shock to see her name on the screen and then to be called to the stage to accept her award.

“I’m like, ‘oh my gosh, they’re doing this right now.’ And, yeah, it’s just been an overwhelming feeling. I love this city, and I love the tourism that we bring,” Whitney said.

“I just remember looking up to the rafters and seeing everyone cheer… I thank you all, because we’re in this industry together.”

She said that being a part of Tourism Calgary meant that the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex was able to host 10 out of 64 major events in the past year.

She said that impact meant that people were also able to become better educated about Tsuut’ina and the growth that community has been having and how they are supporting the Calgary and area economy.

The evening saw a record number of Calgarians, some 999 nominated for 19 different awards, including the Mayor’s White Hat Award, which recognizes exceptional impact in the tourism industry.

Tourism Calgary CEO Alisha Reynolds said that what tourism does is provide a much needed gift for the Calgary community.

“We believe the gift we have in tourism and hospitality is to bring people together. This is the ultimate bridge, regardless of what’s going on outside any geopolitical issues aside, we specialize in bringing people together, rising above, bringing out the best of humanity and creating opportunities for people to connect with one another,” Reynolds said.

“Tonight is really a celebration of us loving every person who comes to Calgary.”