Plan Your Meetings

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New Orleans: Authentic, inviting and exciting

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Watch for:

  • Plans are underway by new owners to renovate The Hyatt Regency and reopen it in 2009 as a venue for small conferences, adding 50,000 square feet of exhibit space and doubling the amount of ballroom space. The additions would support two conventions at the same time, each with 600 guests. Plans include 1,184 hotel rooms, the pre-Katrina number.
  • Also in the planning stages — Louisiana’s first condo hotel, the Royal Cosmopolitan. Renovations to the 100-year-old building, originally the Cosmopolitan Hotel, at 121-25 Royal St., are projected to cost $50 million and include a new 26-story addition. The new facility is scheduled to open in late 2009. Plans call for 131 hotel units, meeting space and a spa/fitness center.
  • The former Wyndham Canal Place is now a Westin and is undergoing a $22 million renovation.
  • The Hilton New Orleans Riverside has received over $66 million for a series of ongoing improvements, expected to continue through the end of 2008. The Marriott New Orleans Hotel is undergoing a $38 million renovation; a $6.5 million, brand-new lobby and restaurant were unveiled in October 2007. Other hotels that are being refurbished include the Baronne Plaza and the Prince Conti Hotel, both in the French Quarter and both with space for small meetings.
  • The Fairmont New Orleans, an iconic downtown hotel, was sold to Dimension Development Company Inc. of Natchitoches, La., which purchased the 114-year old hotel for $17 million, and plans to spend $100 million in refurbishments to the 500-room property and convert it to one of Hilton’s premium hotels in its Waldorf Astoria Collection chain.
  • The Professional Convention Management Association is expected to draw 3,000 meeting industry leaders to New Orleans Jan. 10-14, 2009, for its annual convention.
  • JetBlue Airways now offers nonstop service between Boston and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
  • The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans has been renamed the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in the center’s promotional and advertising material; its legal name remains unchanged.
  • The International House is undergoing a complete redesign of its lounge and lobby, spearheaded by owner Sean Cummings and L.A.-based designer LM Pagano, who has designed interiors for Johnny Depp and Nicolas Cage
  • The 122-room Hilton Garden Inn New Orleans Airport and the 106-room Fairfield Inn New Orleans Airport will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation helmed by new owners Trans Inns Management.
  • New attractions include the Audubon Insectarium, the largest free-standing U.S. museum dedicated to insects, and the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, which is available for private events.
  • New Orleans is in the process of reorganizing its CVB. Stayed tuned…
  • The Museum of the American Cocktail will open in July 2008 in the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.
  • The International House boutique hotel is launched green initiatives, and is leaving the lights and radios turned off until guests check in. The hotel also offers popsicles by request, any time of the day.
  • The CVB is expanding its sales force by opening regional offices in Atlanta and St. Louis, Mo.
  • The New Orleans CVB and the New Orleans Morial Convention Center introduced “Extraordinary Experiences,” a program offering complimentary space, food and beverage, marketing resources and more for meetings held during certain months from now until 2011. Stay tuned…
  • The Astor Crowne Plaza is scheduled to open three new 700-sq. ft. meeting rooms in November 2008 after completing renovations.

Want to keep it green?

Currently, the contemporary International House is the only member of the Green Hotels Association. New Orleans’ first boutique hotel, it uses indigenous materials in the décor: Vases in the rooms are crafted from a local apothecary’s mineral water bottles, photos of local musicians are on the walls, a history book of New Orleans is on the desk. If you have a small group, stop at the hotel’s attractive Loa Bar (named for a voodoo deity or divine spirit), a popular spot for visiting celebrities.

Looking for off-beat or unusual meeting venues?

New Orleans is full of character, and that applies to its facilities, too. You’ll find gallery spaces, historic homes, attractions and restaurants that can enhance your smaller events. There’s also Mardi Gras World, the Audubon Zoo and Aquarium, and The National World War II Museum. The Foundry, situated near the Mississippi Riverfront in the city’s historic Warehouse District, boasts an open floor plan capable of accommodating groups of 100 to 1,000, and evokes the romance of the 19th century era of steamboats and horse-drawn wagons.

Want a venue with views?

French Quarter hotels tend to have fun, unusual outdoor venues. The Royal Sonesta has a tropical courtyard and wrought-iron balconies. The Hilton New Orleans Riverside has a Skyview Terrace overlooking the city. The Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel’s two ballrooms open up onto balconies overlooking Bourbon Street.

Want to say fast forward in the city known for its laid-back attitude?

The Pan-American Life Conference and Media Center has 21,000 sq. ft. of meetings space housing 14 multi-purpose rooms and a 250-seat auditorium with the latest technology. The University of New Orleans has several facilities: The Uno Lakefront Arena on the 90-acre ground of the University’s East Campus has a 10,000-seat arena, theater and Privateer Room; the Uno Lindy C. Boggs International Conference Center has an auditorium, amphitheater, conference rooms, boardroom suite and multipurpose rooms; and the Homer L. Hitt Alumni and Visitors Center has a grand ballroom, reception hall and conference rooms.

“You have many characters here, and people who enjoy talking to you. [There’s also] a spiritual aura in our city that brings comfort and warmth.”
— Russell Murphy, Concierge, Royal Sonesta Hotel

Want group activities?

Dining is No. 1. Many attendees will be familiar with the names of the most famous restaurants (and, in some cases, the chefs): Galatoire’s, Cochon, Antoine’s, Commander’s Palace, Brennan’s, Bourbon House, Mr. B’s, K-Paul’s, Palace Café, Lilette, Arnaud’s, Broussard’s, Muriel’s, Emeril’s, NOLA … We could go on and on (New Orleans boasts more than 1,000).

Want to team-build?

Cooking schools are hot, hot, hot. So is team-building through voluntourism, with opportunities available to help out at schools and libraries as well as with rebuilding efforts like Habitat for Humanity. At Mardi Gras World, your attendees can build mini-floats.

Want an adventure that will keep them talking?

Still high on the visitor list: post-Katrina disaster tours. Don’t be shy about your curiosity — locals point out that understanding what happened and the challenges that remain is important. Haunted cemetery tours are popular. Swamp and plantation tours, showing a way of life that no longer exists, leave a lasting impression as well. A list of tours by land, water and air is on the CVB Web site.

Want to give them a great outdoor break?

Head to the river, of course. First, stop at Café du Monde for a cup of café au lait and a bag of beignets, and your group will be content to watch the ships pass while absorbing the local scene. Better yet, if you have the time, take them on a steamboat or paddle wheeler cruise. You can arrange dinner and jazz cruises on the Mississippi, too.

Want to take them offshore?

The River Barge Excursion Lines, Majestic America (American Queen), Carnival Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Lines sail from New Orleans. Carnival Corp. plans to keep the 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy in New Orleans through 2010.

Want spousal, family or post-meeting ideas?

Magazine Street tours offer antiquing. The French Quarter has upscale shops, praline shops, voodoo houses, magic stores, and street performers, fortunetellers and artists. The French Market has covered and open-air stalls offering a cornucopia of jewelry, local music CDs, souvenir items, specialty foods and toys.

Want to share the best-kept local secret?

The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve consists of six sites in Louisiana, and three of them are in the metropolitan New Orleans area: the historic French Quarter’s Laura C. Hudson Visitor Center, the Barataria Preserve, and the Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery. Visitors can walk through a swamp and view wildlife; or take a walking tour of the French Quarter. Limited to 25 people, tours are on a first-come, first-served basis. Passes, limited to one per person, must be picked up in person on the day of the tour.

Want the ultimate New Orleans jazz experiences?

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band derives its name from Preservation Hall, the venerable, weathered music venue located in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter. The band has performed worldwide, spreading its mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans jazz. To this day, Preservation Hall has no drinks, air conditioning, or other typical accoutrements strictly welcoming people of all ages interested in having one of the last pure music experiences left on the earth.

Want to join the local nightlife scene?

Skip Bourbon Street and head “below” (down river from) the French Quarter. The Faubourg Marigny, or usually just Marigny, is a hip neighborhood with a few small hotels and many bed-and-breakfasts, as well as a number of good restaurants, coffee shops and music venues. Architecturally, the Marigny is known for its many styles of Creole cottages, most of which date to the 19th century. Frenchmen Street is the main nightlife district, with half a dozen live music clubs and as many restaurants in four short blocks.

Want locally made items for gift baskets?

You’ll find “New Orleans” or “Nawlins” on items from Hurricane glasses to T-shirts, but also consider pralines, jewelry, beignet mix, Creole seasonings, local cookbooks, chicory coffee and hand-blown glass items.

photo by Richard Nowitz, NOMCVB
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What you should know

Authentic, architecturally significant and considered a U.S. icon, New Orleans has always held a special place in the minds of travelers, both here and abroad. Since Hurricane Katrina, it also has an emotional hold that has brought celebrities and corporate America to the city, offering economic and hands-on support for its rebuilding efforts. Many are drawn to New Orleans for the wealth of “voluntourism” opportunities available during meetings. Once known mainly for its citywide conventions, New Orleans is enjoying new, shorter-term meetings business.

What will surprise you

A customer-service training program reinforces the high level of service in the city; all frontline workers such as taxi drivers and bellmen are encouraged to participate several times a year. The city’s hospitality campaign, “We’re Jazzed You’re Here,” resonates with groups — many of whom report that their positive experience proves its truth. The city’s reputation for dining has only grown post-Katrina, with foodies from all over the country discovering what locals have appreciated for a long time; the CVB claims the city has more one-of-a-kind restaurants than before and cooking classes are enjoying a surge of popularity.

The 411:

• 1.1+ million square feet of exhibit space in the New Orleans Morial Convention Center
• 32,000 guest rooms
• 900+ restaurants
• 137 flights to 37 cities per day

Things to see and do:
  1. Explore Jackson Square - Originally the Plaza d'Armas, Jackson Square is a National Historic Landmark in the heart of the French Quarter. It faces the Mississippi River, and is bounded by the St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo and the Presbytere on Chartres Street, and the distinctive Upper and Lower Pontalba Apartments, matching red-brick, block-long, four‑story buildings built in the 1840s along St. Peter and St. Ann Streets. Inside is its namesake, a statue of Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans. An iron fence bordering the pedestrian mall displays the work of artists, at times numbering 300 or more, who work at Jackson Square. Live music is a regular feature of the square. On the steps to the river walk, acrobats and magicians often perform.
  2. Streetcar charm - Take a trip into New Orleans' past on the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world with its mahogany seats, brass fittings and exposed ceiling light bulbs. Swaying along St. Charles Avenue through a tunnel of live oaks, the streetcar passes dozens of antebellum mansions, historic monuments, and Loyola and Tulane universities.
  3. Off the mall - Walk or ride along Magazine Street as it winds six-miles upriver, lined with antiques, furniture, clothing and gift shops. It’s a mecca for treasure hunters, and architecture lovers, who can see a progression of architectural styles.
  4. Arts galore - The Louisiana Children’s Museum, in the historic Warehouse Arts District, was rated the top children’s museum by the U.S. Family Travel Guide, released by the Zagat Survey in 2004. Located in a once-derelict warehouse, the Contemporary Arts Center presents an impressive array of programs encompassing the visual arts, music, dance and drama. Close by, The National World War II Museum honors the heroes of WWII, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art has the world’s most comprehensive collection of Southern art.
  5. Old Ursuline Convent - The Old Ursuline Convent is the oldest building in the Mississippi River Valley and the oldest surviving example of the French colonial period in the U.S. Tours begin at the Chartres Street Gatehouse and continue through the beautifully manicured formal garden.
  6. African American Museum - Located in Treme, the oldest surviving U.S. black community, the New Orleans African American Museum is dedicated to protecting, preserving and promoting the history, art and communities of African-Americans in New Orleans and the African diaspora. Housed in the Treme Villa, it is considered to be one of the finest examples of a Creole villa in the city; there are five restored buildings and exhibits change regularly.