NEW ORLEANS — Here are some notes about Mardi Gras from New Orleans & Company, a destination marketing organization that promotes New Orleans to the world:
- Strong Visitation – At New Orleans & Company, our primary focus always will be on selling, marketing and securing new business for the city and our members. We are pleased that those efforts are paying off with strong hotel occupancy this weekend, which means robust business for restaurants, attractions, musicians, artists, business owners and all those who make their living in the cultural economy. President’s Day falls on Lundi Gras, so we have been encouraging U.S. visitors to take advantage of the long holiday weekend here.
- Recycle Dat! – In 2023, we also are enhancing our commitment to sustainability. New Orleans & Company is pleased to partner with the City of New Orleans, Grounds Krewe and Can Manufacturers Institute with support from other nonprofits dedicated to resilience and sustainability to expand upon previous Carnival recycling efforts with the new Recycle Dat! Initiative. The goal is to increase awareness of the recycling of aluminum cans and beads at hub locations along the St. Charles Avenue parade route, as well as other locations around the city. During the first weekend of Mardi Gras parades, we collected a remarkable:
- 700 pounds of glass
- 505 pounds of aluminum, which roughly equates to 17,000 cans
- 2,200 pounds of beads and throws!
While there always will be more to do on sustainability, Recycle Dat! represents real progress and we are pleased to be part of it. Look for collection points this weekend at Gallier Hall, Academy of the Sacred Heart, New Orleans & Company and the Greater New Orleans Foundation Center for Philanthropy. For more, visit our Tourism Matters Mardi Gras issue, just published this week.
- Earning Positive Press – Another priority for 2023 is to accelerate our PR efforts. Our PR team secured an article with the Washington Post about Mardi Gras sustainability, which is featured here. Our Marcomm team is fully engaged hosting international film crews, social media influencers, travel journalists and securing interviews with national media outlets. I will be interviewed by CNN on Lundi Gras. On Mardi Gras Day, we are opening our office to our local TV partners for their morning broadcasts.
And, our Satellite Media Tour live on Tuesday beginning at 5:30 a.m. will feature 33 live TV interviews reaching millions of viewers in key markets all around the USA, including Chicago, Houston, San Francisco and Washington DC. Our message? Everywhere else it’s a normal Tuesday, but in New Orleans, it’s Mardi Gras, and you should plan a trip now, because nowhere else is quite like us. These interviews also are a priceless opportunity to reinforce why New Orleans is Built to Host all types of events. The masterful execution of Mardi Gras’ complex logistics is a truly remarkable story, which we are telling in a more focused way this year, such as this Associated Press article.
