NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has received a 2023 Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers. This is the first time the NOENMCC has been honored with this distinction in its 38-year history. IAVM will recognize the NOENMCC later this month at its 98th VenueConnect Annual Conference and Trade Show in Pittsburgh.
The Venue Excellence Award is open to IAVM members from each industry segment (convention centers, sports stadiums, arenas and performing arts centers). Nominated venues are evaluated in nine areas: operational excellence, customer satisfaction, sales and marketing, sustainability, financial integrity, innovations, safety/security, team building/professional development and service to the community. A committee of IAVM members chooses the finalists, and the IAVM board of directors approves the winners.
“This award represents the hard work and accomplishments of our entire team at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center,” said Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center president. “Receiving this high honor is a testament to our staff’s devotion to delivering exceptional events for our clients and memorable experiences for our visitors. This award recognizes our success in every element of our operation, from community service to financial integrity, from customer satisfaction to professional development and everything in between. Receiving the IAVM Venue Excellence Award has given us an opportunity to look back on all that we have achieved and look forward to the things we still want to do to continue our growth as a premier events venue and as an economic engine for our region.”
An anchor for the New Orleans tourism industry, the NOENMCC has generated more than $5.7 billion in taxes since its opening in 1985, produced over $90 billion in total economic impact and is responsible for supporting over 24,000 permanent jobs. In the past five years, the Convention Center has completed major facility upgrades as part of its ongoing $557-million ongoing capital improvements plan, achieved Gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, and launched a Small and Emerging Business Program to give more local and diverse companies opportunities to do business with the NOENMCC.
“IAVM’s Venue Excellence Awards are the highest honor a public venue can receive. The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has once again proven to be one of the finest convention centers in North America,” said Brad Mayne, president/CEO of the International Association of Venue Managers. “Congratulations to the exceptional venue staff on receiving this prestigious award and what this will mean to the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana.”
Representing public assembly venues from around the globe, the International Association of Venue Managers’ mission is to educate, advocate for, and inspire public assembly venue professionals worldwide.