Tourism Matters: Holidays New Orleans Style 2022

TOURISM MATTERS

Stephen Perry

Tourism Matters is published by Gambit for New Orleans & Company, the tourism and hospitality industry’s official destination sales, marketing and trade organization, responsible for driving over $10 billion of diverse annual business to the regional cultural economy. We attract leisure and cultural travel, business meetings, conventions, weddings, festivals, sporting and special events to New Orleans in a highly competitive global environment. Founded in 1960, New Orleans & Company is committed to celebrating the richness of our culture while creating jobs, building careers, and enhancing the quality of life for every New Orleanian.

504-566-5011 | 2020 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130 www.neworleans.com Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @Visit New Orleans

Executive Team

Stephen Perry, President and CEO

Walt Leger, III, EVP, General Counsel and Incoming CEO

Mark Romig, Chief Marketing Officer

Stephanie Turner, SVP, Convention Sales

Kim Priez, SVP, Tourism

Kelly Schulz, SVP, Communications and PR

Jeremy Cooker, VP of Marketing

Kevin Ferguson, VP of External Affairs

Tammie Boteler, VP of Finance

Brian Walker, VP of Information Technology

Laura Russett, Director of Administration

COVER PHOTOS

TOP LEFT BY

PAUL BROUSSARD

TOP CENTER BY PAUL BROUSSARD

TOP RIGHT BY RICHARD NOWITZ

MIDDLE LEFT BY PAUL BROUSSARD

MIDDLE RIGHT BY PAUL BROUSSARD

BOTTOM LEFT BY RHONDA COOK

BOTTOM CENTER BY PAUL BROUSSARD

BOTTOM RIGHT BY NIJMA RIVALDI

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW ORLEANS & COMPANY

PHOTO BY PAUL BROUSSARD

PHOTO BY BENJAMIN ASKINAS

A MESSAGE THE CEO from

Dear Friends of New Orleans Culture,

Welcome to the second issue of Tourism Matters, a partnership between Gambit and New Orleans & Company to showcase to you, our fellow citizens of the New Orleans region, the many good things happening in our tourism industry and cultural economy. Published quarterly, Tourism Matters will give you a behind-the-scenes look at our region’s most important industry, as well as the people of New Orleans & Company, and our partners, who drive it.

This issue also marks my last as President and CEO of New Orleans & Company. After 20 years, I will retire on December 31, 2022. I have had a lifelong love affair with the city of New Orleans and the entirety of my professional life has focused on my love of higher education and the culture of New Orleans.

Leading New Orleans & Company for two decades was the greatest privilege ever. I can never thank my colleagues, industry and board enough for the thrill of being their partner for so many years. Together we made New Orleans one of the most competitive cities in the country for visitors, conventions and major events, while overcoming 9/11, Katrina, the oil spill, COVID and more.

I want to leave you with a few final thoughts:

First, the employees of New Orleans & Company are simply the best in the nation. I have seen their talent, grit, and passion for this city and our guests, even in the face of unimaginable odds. It is no surprise they are regularly named by customers as one of the top five destination marketing organizations in the country.

Second, you are in good hands with my successor, Walt Leger, III, who takes over as President and CEO of New Orleans & Company on January 1, 2023. Walt is an accomplished attorney, former legislator and Louisiana’s youngest ever Speaker Pro Tempore of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He has served as Executive VP and General Counsel of New Orleans & Company since 2019 and quickly earned a stellar reputation with the US Travel Association, Destinations International and our customers around the world.

Walt was raised in St. Bernard Parish, where his parents instilled in him the spirit of public service and civic engagement from an early age. He is a graduate of Jesuit High School, LSU and Tulane Law School. Walt began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in New Orleans, specializing in the felony prosecution of violent offenders and narcotics traffickers.

During his legislative career, Walt passed more than 100 pieces of legislation and was one of the most prolific and successful members of his generation. He also was named legislative champion over 40 times highlighting his broad agenda to promote educational opportunities for children, reform the criminal justice system, support victims of crime, achieve tax and fiscal reform, improve connectivity and transportation, support economic development, promote affordable housing, and protect and restore our coastline.

Walt is committed to making New Orleans and Louisiana a better place to work, visit and live, especially as he and his wife, Danielle, raise their young daughters. With Walt at the helm and our strong coalition of partners, the future certainly is bright for New Orleans’ most important industry.

Thank you for 20 extraordinary years. God speed my friends. I will be cheering you on from afar.

Stephen Perry President and CEO New Orleans & Company

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW ORLEANS & COMPANY

Member Spotlight GETTING N.O. to M.S. Rau

M.S. Rau was re cently named first place winner of the “America’s Coolest Stores 2022” by the AGTA Spectrum Awards. We spoke to Rebecca Rau, M.S. Rau fourth-genera tion owner and VP of Acqui sitions, about the honor and how the family business has made it for 110 years.

» How did it feel when you heard the news about being named America’s Coolest Store?

This was truly an honor! We have been selling jewelry for a long time, but, from a client experience perspective, know we’ve been perceived as an antique and art gallery that also happened to sell world-class jewelry. It was only once we were able to pursue our largescale expan sion and renovation that it became possible to dedicate substantial retail space to our dazzling collection.

Being located in the French Quarter, there were histori cal elements of the building we wanted to preserve and structural limitations that had to be factored into the project—it truly feels like a feat that we were able to create such a unique experi

ence. I also feel sentimental about the fact that the jewelry boutique resides in the part of the building that has been part of the family business the longest – M.S. Rau, originally founded in 1912, has occupied 630 Royal Street since the 1930s. It’s an honor to give the space a facelift for the 21st century—and makes it more special that it was just named North America’s “coolest” jewelry store!

» Tell readers about your recent multi-milliondollar expansion and renovation.

Our fine art collection is now on display in expansive, museum-quality galleries on the second and third floor of the “new” building (622 Royal Street). It’s a highly controlled environment with impeccable lighting. The overall goal was to create a space worthy of the incredi ble inventory we put so much time and energy into sourc ing—and that the space and collection would complement each other.

We now have a room dedi cated to canes, intimate spac es to show off smaller collect ibles (“objets d’art”), and, in the jewelry boutique, a round room made of glass where

the most important gems are kept. People say we are like a museum with price tags. We are always buying and selling important pieces so I’d argue we’re more fun to visit on a regular basis because the col lection is constantly evolving!

» How was M.S. Rau started?

M.S. Rau was founded by my great-grandfather, Mendel Simon “Max” Rau in 1912. He had recently immigrat ed to the U.S. and set out to make a decent living with the aim to build something that could be passed along to his family. He started the busi ness with $250, so, while he always intended to sell nice, imported goods from Europe, his hopes were limited by his means that were humbler than ours today.

» How has your mission and vision expanded over the past century?

We used to be a store where locals and regional tourists purchased good quality an tiques. Now we are a gallery where the finest quality fine art, antiques and jewels are viewed and acquired by a worldwide audience. While we have our media partners and others to thank for increased recognition of our gallery and mission, our decision to start participating in international art and antique shows about 20 years ago certainly has broadened our horizons and brought many new clients and collaborators. We don’t pursue anything we can’t do with excellence, and have built a team in New Orleans and abroad that enables us to pursue lofty ambitions such as a large-scale exhibition.

PHOTO COURTESY OF M.S RAU

Employee Spotlight GETTING N.O. to Donna Glover

Ask any meeting plan ner in the country to name one of the best salespeople, and they will say Donna Glover. Learn how she helped put New Orleans on the map a host city for several markets, while growing to book citywide business, and now, passing on her knowledge to the next genera tion of leaders.

» Why did you choose convention sales for your career?

The idea of working with all people, from CEOs to a volunteer to plan a family reunion, provided opportu nities to put “heads in beds” while driving a large part of the city’s economy. I learned early on that relationships matter and earning a cus tomer’s trust will provide future opportunity.

» How did you start in this business?

I began in administrative roles, reservations at Hilton Riverside, catering, and convention services at the New Orleans Marriott. My last stop on the hotel side before joining New Orleans Tourist Commission in 1989, now New Orleans & Company, was director of

sales at the Ramada Cause way/St Charles.

In sales, my responsibility was to bring meetings and conventions to New Orleans, from the government and SMERF (social, military, education, religious and fraternal) markets. Several organizations were based in Washington DC. It was thrilling to see the intersec tion of politics and hospital ity, something that we deal with on a daily basis now.

I joined the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners and booked meet ings with National Urban League, National Bar, Blacks in Criminal Justice, Nation al Dental, Medical, Black Nurses, Black Law Enforce ment, NAACP, and Delta Sigma Theta, to name a few. I was a major part of planning the first Essence Festival, which continues to this day. These organizations helped put New Orleans on the map as a prominent convention destination.

My time in DC was dif ferent from New Orleans. I witnessed the SWAT team line up on Connecticut Ave nue during the World Bank Protest in April 2000, the Fall 2001 Anthrax attacks,

9/11, and the 2002 sniper at tacks. Little did I know those experiences were preparing me for another unimaginable tragedy … August 29, 2005.

» What did you learn from Hurricane Katrina?

Fortunately my home in New Orleans had minimal damage, so I was able to get right to work. We had to cancel $2 billion of con vention business and then overcome years of negative publicity about devastation in New Orleans. It was the professional challenge of a lifetime, but we did it. No group of people in the world are more resilient than New Orleanians.

» What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Your integrity and your word is everything.

» What advice would you give to someone just starting out in convention sales?

I would tell them to make the commitment and stick with it, even when times get tough. Our industry is so complex today with the pandemic, political division, intense competition from cities we have never consid ered competitors, etc. But if you honor your commitment to this profession and your customers, you will be a success.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW ORLEANS & COMPANY

Vice President, National Accounts and Tradeshows

Employee Spotlight GETTING N.O. to

Sallee Pavlovich

Vice President, National Accounts and Tradeshows

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW ORLEANS & COMPANY

For over 40 years, Sallee Pavlovich has devoted her life to bringing some of the world’s most prominent organizations to New Orleans for conventions and meetings. Learn how this dynamo rose from Intern to Vice President and is still going strong.

» Why did you choose convention sales for your career?

Actually, I did not, it picked me. For as long as I can remember, I loved to entertain and host people. I grew up in Plaquemines Parish but left the bayou for the mountains to go to the University of Denver because they had one of the country’s best hotel and restaurant management programs at the time. There I learned how to make a career out of hosting people and I was hooked.

» How did you start in this business?

I did lots of internships, working at hotel front desks, as a banquet server … anything I could do to learn.

I spent two years at the Den ver Convention and Visitors Bureau and with Holiday Inn National Sales and loved it. However, my big break was the opportunity to join New Orleans & Company (then known as the Greater New Orleans Tourist and Convention Commission) in 1980. My interview in New Orleans was during Mardi Gras! When I joined, I was one of only four salespeople, so it’s amazing to see the growth of our Convention Sales team today, with 30 professionals.

I moved around the coun try because of my husband’s career, but always returned home to New Orleans. Be cause so many of our asso ciation customers are based in Washington DC, I actu ally lived there for six years promoting New Orleans as a host city, which turned out to be a blessing, especially in August of 2005. When Hur ricane Katrina struck, I was able to maintain an office and home in Washington DC, assisting colleagues and customers.

» What did you learn from Hurricane Katrina?

I learned that anything is possible when you have total resiliency, faith and passion. Everyone was rooting for New Orleans to come back, and there was no doubt that it would.

Our convention custom ers showed how much they cared about us by making significant donations to hospitality employees and bringing or rescheduling meetings here to restore our economy. They even rolled up their sleeves and did volunteer projects to

clean and restore our neigh borhoods. It was remark able. They were doing it for love, not headlines.

» What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Listen. Sometimes sales people like to talk more than they listen. But the only way to make your customer successful is to truly listen to them and then help bring their vision to life.

» What advice would you give to someone just starting out in convention sales?

Listen!

Holidays New Orleans Style

BY CAL PALERMO

Holidays New Orleans Style, formerly known as Christmas New Orleans Style, is a guide to all things going on in the city during the holiday season. Originally created by the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, Holidays New Orleans Style is now under the direction of New Orleans & Company and French Quarter Festivals, Inc. The website, holiday.neworleans.com, and printed guide are worked on year-round to ensure when the holiday season comes around, both locals and visitors have a great resource to learn about everything happening in the city.

“Holidays New Orleans Style is a special guide we have run for over 30 years that helps showcase all the unique traditions that take place throughout the month of December,” said Mark Romig, Chief Marketing Officer for New Orleans & Company. “The website we created is a tremendous resource for a family to create a memorable trip to New Orleans or for a couple to plan that romantic holiday date.”

What makes the holidays in New Orleans so unique? Whether it’s longstanding traditions like Réveillon dinners and Celebrations in the Oaks or newfound traditions like NOLA ChristmasFest and Luna Fête, there is fun for all ages. Great weather mixed with countless activities makes New Orleans a must visit destination for the holiday season.

HOLIDAY FUN FOR THE FAMILY

Contrary to popular belief, New Orleans is home to an ice-skating rink. No, it is not outdoors. It’s located inside the Convention Center as an attraction during the 9th Annual NOLA ChristmasFest. Holiday décor, 300,000 square feet of carnival rides, ice slides, and Santa Claus will be available to attendees from December 21-30.

Luna Fête, a one-of-a-kind lights display along the Convention Center

Pedestrian Park, returns nightly December 15-18 and is free for attendees. Nearby buildings are engulfed in video projection-mapping while other areas are decorated with light activations and sculptures. Since its 2014 inception, Luna Fête has spotlighted some of the the best light artists in the world while also providing training to local artists.

PHOTO BY PAUL BROUSSARD

NOLA Christmas Fest at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

LONGSTANDING TRADITIONS

Celebration in the Oaks, a New Orleans family tradition for over 30 years, has become one of the most iconic holiday light festivals in the country. Starting after Thanksgiving and running through New Years’ Eve, City Park turns into a holiday wonderland of lights and amusement for families and the like to enjoy.

Speaking of lights, do not forget the beautiful hotel lobbies that will be illuminated with decorations. From the canopy of lights and rows of trees at The Roosevelt to Christmas Tree Land at the Royal Sonesta, the hotel lobbies provide a great photo opportunity for social media or the family Christmas card. Not only do hotels dress up their lobbies with beautiful light displays and décor but they also get into the holiday spirit by offering special Papa Noel rates. Be sure to check them out at www.holiday.neworleans.com/hotel-deals.

Another longstanding tradition that goes back a little further than Celebration in the Oaks is the Réveillon dinner. Réveillon is an adaptation of a traditional Creole holiday dining custom dating back to the 1800s. Some of the city’s most iconic restaurants offer special menus only offered during the holiday season, making Holidays New Orleans Style the only time guests can enjoy this authentic taste of New Orleans. A full list of participating restaurants is available at www.holiday.neworleans.com/food-and-drink.

Along with Réveillon, Caroling at Jackson Square is a beloved New Orleans holiday tradition that takes place the Sunday before Christmas Day. This year the caroling will be on Sunday, December 18, admission is free and the gates at Jackson Square will open at 6:30 pm.

PHOTO BY PAUL BROUSSARD

Celebration in the Oaks at City Park

PHOTO BY NIJMA RINALDI

A Revillion Dinner

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

On Sunday, November 27, a variety of New Orleans museum stores will take part in Museum Store Sunday in coordination with other museums across the country and the world. Starting on Museum Store Sunday and running through December 23, visitors can use a museum passport that they can scan at the 10 participating museums to get 20% off one purchase at each museum.

The participating museums include City Park, the Historic New Orleans Collection, New Orleans Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Southern Food & Beverage Museum, Hermann-Grima Gallier, Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, Sazerac House, the National World War II Museum and the Louisiana Children’s Museum.

“By visiting local shops on days like Small Business Saturday and Museum Store Sunday, you are supporting not only the city of New Orleans, but the people, the culture, the love that New Orleans gives to everyone who visits,” said Abbey Lewis, the Visitor Services Manager for the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. “Without the support, the city would feel a whole lot different.”

Visit www.shophnoc.com/pages/museum-store-sunday-passport for more information about the New Orleans Museum Store Krewe and how to get a museum passport.

For more information on events and activities throughout the month of December, visit www.holiday.neworleans.com

PHOTO BY PAUL BROUSSARD

The Roosevelt Hotel

BEYOND BEADS the New Orleans Welcomes The Miss Universe Pageant

New Orleans will get the chance to shine on the in ternational stage, when the city welcomes the 71th Miss Universe Pageant on January 14, 2023 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Miss Universe will bring contes tants and their delegations from 90 countries, fans, celebrity judges and performers, and hundreds of journalists and global influencers to New Orleans for more than a week to support our cultural economy.

“There is no place like New Or leans. This vibrant city has been at the top of our list to host for quite some time due to its rich cultural history, as well as its unique arts, entertainment, and culinary scene,” said Paula Shugart, President of The Miss Universe Organization. “I look forward to our delegates from all over the world getting to experi ence all it has to offer.”

What makes the prestigious op portunity so special for New Orle ans, is the Miss Universe event will bring positive global attention to the city as a destination, at a time where tourism leaders are work ing to return international visitor numbers to pre-pandemic levels.

Steve Harvey on stage with contestants

PHOTO BY BENJAMIN ASKINAS

“Hosting the 71st annual Miss Universe pageant is a rare, prestigious opportunity to positively showcase New Orleans to a global viewing audience in 165 countries and territories,” said Walt Leger III, Executive Vice President and incoming CEO of New Orleans & Company. “Miss Universe will bring contestants and their delegations from 90 countries, fans, celebrity judges and performers and hundreds of journalists and global influencers to New Orleans for more than a week to support our businesses and enjoy our culture.”

The pageant is widely respected around the world with a viewing audience of approximately 500 million and a com bined social media following of more than 21 million, which will help share the beauty, culture and diversity New Orleans has to offer.

The pageant has become more than just a beauty contest, with each contestant using their platform to champion social causes that are important to them, such as equity for

women and girls; healthcare; anti-bullying, etc. The dele gates and titleholders are leaders and role models in their communities; they develop personal and professional goals and inspire others to do the same.

During the highly anticipated event, the 70th Miss Uni verse, Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu, who brought the title back to India for the first time in 21 years, will crown her successor.

“My time as Miss Universe has been an incredible expe rience and I am so grateful for all the opportunities I have received as result of this platform,” said Sandhu. “I’m very excited that I will be crowning the next titleholder in New Orleans and that she will kick off her reign in such an exciting and special city known for its resiliency, music and grand celebrations.”

For those wishing to get tickets for the Miss Universe pag eant, please check neworleans.com for more information.

2021 Contestants at Masada National Park in Israel, site of the last Miss Universe pageant

PHOTO BY BENJAMIN ASKINAS

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS NEWS

New Orleans & Company is committed to giving back to our community and positioning the city for future success. Check out how the team is making an impact.

ZERO WASTE CHALLENGE

New Orleans & Company, along with the New Orleans Cham ber, partnered with LifeCity to launch a zero-waste challenge for the hospitality community. The goal was to divert as much waste from landfills as possible.

During the three-month chal lenge from July – October, there were 65 participating business es, and 1,600 tons of waste was diverted from landfills!

CONNECTIONS

As destinations around the country focus more on sus tainability and mobility, New Orleans & Company has con tinuously been in the forefront of the national dialogue. Our inaugural Connections Summit featured in-depth conversa tions around environmental sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry and the impact of accessibility in our

city. Expert panelists from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Split Second Foundation, and the City of New Orleans spoke about the progress made around the city, the challenges we still face and the impact these issues have on the city’s largest industry. We all share a vision to make New Orleans a better place to work, live and visit.

NOLA COALITION

New Orleans & Company under stands the importance of public safety for residents, our indus try’s workforce, and visitors.

To help create solutions, New Orleans & Company became a founding member of The NOLA Coalition. The NOLA Coalition is a diverse collection of over 430 private and public organizations to harness collective resources to create a safer and more pros perous New Orleans for all.

The NOLA Coalition supports near-term actions to reduce vio

lence, paired with investment in youth services to drive genera tional change.

In addition to public safety, we are also working closely with the City of New Orleans, Councilmember Leslie Harris, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, and Unity of Greater New Orleans to help find holistic solutions to address homelessness in our city and provide resources.

NOLA TALKS

NOLA Talks is an annual New Orleans & Company event with the intention of creating more opportunities for the commu nity to learn about the hospi tality and tourism industry. This year’s event was a panel conversation focused on small business entrepreneurship. We invited compelling speakers to share their experiences of starting a business in the city, the resources available, and advice for aspiring business

owners. Thank you to our amaz ing panelists: Gregoire Tillery of We Dat Chicken and Shrimp; Collin Ferguson of Where Y’art; Jonathan Floyd of Box of Care; Ashley Burton of Burton Tran sit; and moderator Andrea Chen from Propeller.

JOB FESTS

We hosted three Job Fests in different areas of the city to pro vide a comfortable and casual environment for job seekers to learn about our industry’s opportunities, network with employers, and begin a fulfilling career. This year, we hosted in partnership with the New Orle ans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Councilmember Oliver Thomas, and Councilmember Freddie King, III.

For more information about our upcoming events, job op portunities and to learn more about the hospitality and tourism industry, visit www.Community. NewOrleans.com.

PHOTO BY NEW ORLEANS & COMPANY

Leisure Events BE A TOURIST

Expressions of America at the National World War II Museum NOW

OPEN

Expressions of America is a first-of-its-kind nighttime sound and light experience celebrating the power of individual Americans to impact the world around them during a time of monumental conflict. Available exclusively at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans starting on Veterans Day 2022, Expressions of America will immerse audiences in written words, songs, and personal reflections of the everyday men and women who served our country in every way imaginable during World War II.

Generously presented by the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation, Expressions of America will uniquely combine the latest outdoor projection technology with wartime letters and oral histories from the Museum’s collection to allow audiences to experience the stories of the WWII generation like never before.

www.expressionsofamerica.org

2022 Bayou Classic

NOVEMBER 26, 2022

Bayou Classic is the historic gridiron rivalry between Gram bling State University and Southern University, encompassing a weekend series of entertaining and socially enriching events from November 25-30 in New Orleans, LA.

Caesars Superdome mybayouclassic.com

Celebration in the Oaks

NOVEMBER 26, 2022 –JANUARY 1, 2023

New Orleans City Park celebrationintheoaks.com

Children’s Hospital New Orleans

Holiday Parade

DECEMBER 3, 2022 Downtown - Canal Street

LUNA Fête

DECEMBER 15-18, 2022 Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Pedestrian Park lunafete.com

Saints vs. Falcons

DECEMBER 18, 2022

Caesars Superdome

Caroling in Jackson Square

DECEMBER 18, 2022

Jackson Square www.holiday.neworleans.com/ tradition/caroling-injackson-square

New Orleans Bowl

DECEMBER 21, 2022

Caesars Superdome www.neworleansbowl.org

NOLA Christmasfest

DECEMBER 21-30, 2022

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Pedestrian Park nolachristmasfest.com

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Caesars Superdome allstatesugarbowl.org

Big Night

New Orleans –New Year’s Eve

DECEMBER 31, 2022

Mardi Gras World bignightneworleans.com

Winter Conventions COMPANY’S COMING

December

American Society of Hematology (ASH)

The 64th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition

DECEMBER 10-13, 2022

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

The ASH annual meeting brings together hematologists from around the world to discuss hematology. During the four-day meeting, sever al educational programs and scientific sessions are held. www.hematology.org/meetings/annual-meeting

Journeymen Wrestling National High School Wrestling Showcase & Collegiate Wrestling Duals 2.0

DECEMBER 18-20, 2022

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Journeymen Wrestling Club is the home of amateur wrestling in the Capital Region, Upstate New York. Journeymen’s mission is to teach, promote, and showcase world-class amateur wrestling. The 2022 Wrestling Duals brings athletes from around the world together to showcase skills in competition.

www.journeymenwrestling.com

January

American Economic Association (AEA)

Allied Social Sciences Associations (ASSA)

JANUARY 6-8, 2023

Hilton New Orleans Riverside

The AEA, in conjunction with 64 associations in related disciplines

known as the Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA), holds a three-day meeting each January to present papers on general economics topics. www.aeaweb.org/conference

Informa Pop Culture Events Inc FAN EXPO New Orleans

JANUARY 6-8, 2023

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Experience the ultimate playground for Comics, Sci-Fi, Horror, An ime, and Gaming. Three BIG Days of citywide events, family-friendly attractions and world-renowned celebrities await. fanexpohq.com/fanexponeworleans

Varsity Spirit Corporation Mardi Gras Grand Nationals

JANUARY 14-15, 2023

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Varsity Spirit is the worldwide leader in all things spirit – including cheerleading, dance team and performing arts apparel, educational camps and competitions. While its heritage is rich and its traditions renowned, Varsity Spirit continues to be the innovative global leader in growing cheerleading’s influence and profile, impacting more than a million athletes each year. www.varsity.com/mgs/mardi-gras-grand-nationals

LRP Publications

National Future of Education Technology® Conference

JANUARY 23-26, 2023

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

For over 40 years, the National Future of Education Technology® Conference has been known to educators and technologists as the best place to engage with the thought leaders and pioneers who are leading the charge in classrooms, schools and entire districts. www.fetc.org

American Library Association

LibLearnX The Library Learning Experience

JANUARY 27-30, 2023

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

LibLearnX is an educational experience designed to motivate, inspire, and engage in discussions that will shape the future of libraries and their communities. www.2023.alaliblearnx.org

February

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) CATTLECON23

FEBRUARY 1-3, 2023

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

CattleCon23 is THE event for anyone in the cattle business! The Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show is agriculture’s premier event where the industry comes together to get down to business for the cattle industry. convention.ncba.org

Tampa Volleyball Events 2023 Music City Volleyball Championship – The Music City Championship

FEBRUARY 24-26, 2023

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Established in 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee, The Music City Championships was the only qualifying event in the city of Nash ville. After five wonderful years, we say goodbye to Nashville and hello to New Orleans where we will continue the music and volley ball tradition. MCVC Jazz Edition welcomes teams ages 11-18s to participate! It will continue to be a qualifier for the 18s divisions but will now be a qualifier for the Liberty division in the 17s-13s age groups. www.musiccityvb.com

PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER

MUSIC to EARS our

“Thank you New Orleans & Company for the business lead. The client’s conference was supposed to be held two years ago but was cancelled because of COVID. He and his group were very excited about finally getting to New Orleans and they ordered pralines from us. It is wonderful to have business like this coming back. Creole Delicacies has been a member of New Orleans & Company for a long time. We know how important you are to the tourism industry. I just wanted to thank you and tell you how much I appreciate the job you do.”

- LISETTE SUTTON, CREOLE DELICACIES

Tourism Matters New Orleans & Company 2020 St. Charles Ave. New Orleans, LA 70130

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