NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) reports New Orleans finished out 2015 with a slew of accolades touting the city as a world-class destination.
RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Hyatt House New Orleans/ Downtown debuted in New Orleans’ Central Business District in November 2015, bringing 194 extended-stay hotel rooms to the downtown area.
• Situated along the expanding Loyola Avenue streetcar line, the hotel is at the heart of New Orleans’ Sports and Entertainment District and is also just steps away from the French Quarter and burgeoning BioDistrict.
The Lafitte Greenway, a 2.6 mile bicycle and pedestrian trail connecting Armstrong Park in the Tremé neighborhood to City Park in Mid-City has opened to the public.
• This $9.1 million project has transformed one of the city’s most historic transportation corridors, formerly a canal and then a railroad, into a linear park.
• The Greenway includes a 12-foot asphalt path for cyclists and pedestrians, more than 500 shade trees, and LED energy-efficient lighting along the entire trail.
Idea Village, a nonprofit promoting entrepreneurship in New Orleans, is partnering with leaders of six other startup hubs in the U.S. to showcase entrepreneurs from each community and attract investment for ventures in those regions.
• Select entrepreneurs from New Orleans, Buffalo, Charleston, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Raleigh-Durham and San Antonio will participate in the Launch Pad PITCH, a March Madness-style pitch competition at the Collision global tech conference in New Orleans in April 2016.
• Each city will select three ventures to be showcased as a part of Launch Pad Pitch, where the chosen entrepreneurs will present to an audience of global investors.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS
The Mardi Gras season kicks off in New Orleans on January 6th, known as 12th Mardi Gras day is early this year on Tuesday, February 9th.
• Parades kick off two weeks before Mardi Gras day, bringing more than one million revelers to the streets of New Orleans and generating more than $840 million for the local economy annually.
• The Krewe of Rex chose the colors of Mardi Gras in 1872, with purple representing justice, gold representing power and green representing faith.
• An estimated 12,500 tons of Mardi Gras beads are thrown from Mardi Gras floats to eager crowds each year, and many krewes are known for their unique handmade throws, such as the Krewe of Zulu’s coconuts and the Krewe of Muses’ shoes.
• More than 500,000 king cakes are sold each year in New Orleans between January 6 and Fat Tuesday, and another 50,000 are shipped out-of-state via overnight courier.
The third annual King Cake Festival will celebrate New Orleans’ favorite Mardi Gras treat in Champions Square on January 31, 2016.
• Benefitting babies and children at Ochsner Hospital, this free festival begins with a one mile Fun Run at 9 a.m., followed by a fitness challenge.
• At 11 a.m., gates to the festival officially open, and festival-goers can enjoy king cakes from local favorites such as Haydel’s Bakery and Caluda’s King Cakes while enjoying the sounds of local musicians including Flow Tribe and the Bucktown Allstars.
Nuit Belge, a premier event pairing Belgian beers with dishes prepared by local chefs, will head to Generations Hall in New Orleans February 26, 2016.
• Fourteen restaurants, including Shaya, Emeril’s New Orleans, Cochon Butcher and Primitivo, will create dishes to be paired with acclaimed Belgian beers.
• The event debuted to such success in Nashville in 2015 that the event is going on tour, visiting Atlanta and Charleston in addition to Nashville and New Orleans.
The Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon will race through the Crescent City on February 28, 2016.
• Participants have the option of running a 10K, a half marathon or full marathon through the streets of downtown New Orleans, the French Quarter and New Orleans City Park and will run past live musical performances at every mile of the race.
• The weekend of events kicks off with a Health & Fitness Expo at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on February 26th and 27th.
• After the races, runners can enjoy the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series, featuring musical performances by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and J. Roddy Walston & The Business.
View a full list of festivals here.
HOTELS
In early 2016, Marriott’s Moxy Hotel will debut with 107 guestrooms in the former Quality Inn and Suites on O’Keefe Avenue in New Orleans’ Business District.
• The Moxy brand caters to millennial travelers, featuring high tech lounges, grab-and-go food kiosks, efficiently sized rooms and affordable rates.
• The first and only currently open Moxy hotel is located in Milan, Italy. Moxy’s U.S. debut in 2016 will include New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle in addition to New Orleans.
The Old No. 77 Hotel and Chandlery was named one of the “10 Best New Hotels in the Nation” by USA Today.
• USA Today partnered with a panel of hotel experts to hand pick the best hotel openings of 2015.
• Old No. 77 ranked third, behind the Envoy Hotel in Boston and The Press Hotel in Portland, Maine.
RESTAURANTS
Besh Restaurant Group will reopen the iconic Caribbean Room restaurant and direct food and beverage operations in Ponchartrain Hotel on St. Charles Avenue in 2016 when the hotel reopens after a $10 million renovation.
• Chef Chris Lusk, former chef de cuisine of Restaurant R'evolution, will oversee the return of the Caribbean Room, which originally opened in 1948 and was considered one of the most distinguished restaurants in New Orleans.
• In addition to the Caribbean Room, Besh Restaurant Group will reopen the hotel’s Silver Whistle coffee shop and the Bayou bar. The Silver Whistle will feature counter service and a ten-top table reminiscent of the original coffee shop, while the Bayou Bar will offer a casual tavern-style ambiance.
• In the coveted rooftop space of the hotel, Besh Restaurant Group will open a new rooftop bar featuring a 270-degree view of the Mississippi River and downtown New Orleans.
• The Ponchartrain Hotel originally opened in 1927 and attracted such icons as Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth, Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams in its heyday. The hotel is set to reopen in 2016.
The recently renewed Brennan’s Restaurant will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2016, kicking off a year of celebration for one of New Orleans’ most historic Creole restaurants.
• Executive Chef Slade Rushing will bring back refined renditions of favorite dishes from initial menus, including dishes like Frog Legs Bathurst and Crabmeat Lundi Gras, to be featured as specials during breakfast service. The specials will rotate throughout the year and will also feature vintage Brennan’s cocktails.
• Brennan’s Restaurant underwent a $20 million renovation in 2014 after being purchased by Ralph Brennan and Terry White. Brennan’s is famous for turning breakfast into an event as well as for its signature flaming Bananas Foster dessert.
AWARDS
New Orleans continues to garner international attention as a world-class destination.
Recent honors include:
• The “Most Visited Destinations Across the Globe” of 2015 by AFAR magazine, December 2015, ranking the city above large destinations including Portugal, Rome, Paris and New York City.
• The Washington Post’s food critic Tom Sietsema named New Orleans one of the “10 Best Food Cities in America,” with the Crescent City ranking ahead of Charleston, New York City and Chicago.
• Corporate and Incentive Travel’s “Award of Excellence,” recognized New Orleans as an ideal meeting destination for the fifteenth time, noting rich culture, unique meeting spaces and hotel and restaurant developments.
• Expedia Media Solutions’ named the New Orleans CVB’s partnership with the Travelocity Roaming Gnome in spring of 2015 the “2015 North American Most Innovative Campaign of the Year,” noting an integrated social media campaign and interactive landing pages.
• One of the “Top 10 Cities for Outdoor Enthusiasts” by SmartAsset.com in November 2015
• One of the “20 Best Places to Celebrate New Year's” by Fodor’s Travel in November 2015
• One of the “Best Big Cities in the U.S.” by Condé Nast Traveler in October 2015
• Louisiana was named the “Most Compassionate State in the Nation” by YouCaring.com based on the total number of fundraisers started on the site.
AIRPORT
Louis Armstrong International Airport, the fastest growing airport in the U.S., began construction on January 4, 2016, on a new terminal facility to be completed in 2018 and has added a variety of new flights, including:
• GLO (One new daily departure to Shreveport, December 2015, and two new daily nonstop departures to Little Rock and Memphis, November 2015)
• Allegiant (One new twice weekly departure to Pittsburgh, beginning February 19, 2016)
• Spirit Airlines (One new daily flight to Los Angeles, beginning April 14, 2016 and one new daily departure to Las Vegas, November 2015)
• Copa Airlines (One new nonstop departure to Panama four times weekly, June 24, 2015)
MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS
Meetings (3,000 or more in attendance) include:
Wizard World: New Orleans Comic Con | January 8-10
• Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Hayley Atwell, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Norman Reedus, Ben McKenzie and William Shatner are among the celebrities and industry professionals at the 2016 Wizard World Comic Con New Orleans, part of North America’s largest pop-culture touring expo, January 8-10 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Thousands of fans will be on hand to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, comics, cosplay, video gaming, television, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Top artists scheduled to attend are Peter Kuper, Gene Ha, Christos Gage, Billy Martin, Rafa Sandoval, Tom Cook, Sara Richard, Michael Golden, and Rob Guillory. Admissions start at $39.95, Kids 10 and under free.
• Projected attendance: 25,000
American Meteorological Society (AMS): Annual Meeting | January 9-14
• Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) is the nation’s premier scientific and professional organization promoting and disseminating information about the atmospheric, oceanic, hydrologic sciences. More than 13,000 members include scientists, researchers, educators, broadcast meteorologists, students, weather enthusiasts, and other professionals in the fields of weather, water, and climate. Today, AMS provides global leadership in the fields of water, weather, and climate sciences.
• Projected attendance: 3,500
Marketplace Events: Home & Remodeling Show | January 15-17
• Marketplace Events, formed in July 2008 – formerly operated as London-based dmg world media’s North American home show division – produces some of the most successful and longest-running home shows in the U.S. and Canada. The Home and Remodeling Show will feature presentations from top designers, home and garden experts and local chefs. Attendees include homeowners with ideas in mind and money to spend eagerly seeking inspiration and guidance for their latest projects.
• Projected attendance: 25,000
Volleyball Louisiana: Blastoff Tournament | January 16-17
• More than 175 teams will compete in this two-day tournament at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
• Projected attendance: 3,500
Urban Expositions: Halloween & Party Expo | January 22-25
• The Halloween & Party Expo is the industry event for Halloween, party and celebration! This is the one event where attendees can access a full selection of costumes, accessories, décor, party supplies, retail solutions and new connections for their business.
• Projected attendance: 8,000
American Correctional Association (ACA): ACA 2016 Winter Conference | January 22-27
• For more than 143 years, the ACA has championed the cause of corrections and correctional effectiveness. Founded in 1870 as the National Prison Association, ACA is the oldest association developed specifically for practitioners in the correctional profession with thousands of members from all over the world.
• Projected attendance: 2,500-3,000
Total Life Changes (TLC): Awards Show & Training | January 29-30
• Total Life Changes presents the TLC Awards Show & Next-Level Training is a 2-day journey designed to elevate TLC businesses and celebrate success.
• Projected attendance: 5,000
American Traffic Safety Services Association (ASTSSA): Annual Traffic Exposition & Convention | January 29-February 2
• ATSSA’s 46th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo is North America’s largest trade show for roadway safety products and services and the premier event for more than 3,000 roadway safety professionals and transportation officials representing 52 countries from around the world. Celebrating its forty-sixth year, the convention brings together business leaders, government officials, manufacturers, corporate roadway department personnel and all manner of people involved in nearly every aspect of roadway safety.
• Projected attendance: 3,100
The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau is a nationally accredited, 1,100-member destination marketing organization and the largest and most successful private economic development corporation in Louisiana. The CVB and its members influence thousands of decision-makers and millions of visitors to choose New Orleans through direct sales, marketing, public relations, branding and visitor services at our New Orleans headquarters and offices in Washington, D.C., Chicago and four foreign countries. Consistently recognized as one of the top five CVBs in the country, the New Orleans CVB celebrated its 56th anniversary in 2016.
