Coach Kim Mulkey told the audience that if she could die on the court, she would. Mulkey has won four national championships and currently leads the Louisiana State University women’s basketball team. She is known as a tough and brash coach who demands excellence from her players. Her passion for her sport and her students showed in her keynote address.
“The electricity and the energy in that room were fantastic. She really spoke about what it means to be a leader, what it means to be motivational [and] what it means to keep going,” says Mia Matherne, EdD. “She was making it relatable to the hard work it takes to be a good teacher, a good school leader, and I think everyone received that well.”
Matherne is the executive director of teaching and learning for the Louisiana Department of Education. She helps plan the organization’s annual Teacher Leader Summit, which is a professional learning conference that brings together Louisiana birth-to-grade-12 educators and content experts.
This year, the summit welcomed a record 7,500 attendees to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. They attended 700 sessions over two-and-a-half days and had the opportunity to visit 100 vendors.
“Honestly, I don’t think there’s another place that could house us,” Matherne says.
It was the event’s 13th time in New Orleans. The city’s popularity and ability to host events of any size contributed to the organization’s repeat business.
“New Orleans has a culture that allows for a great time, no matter what you’re here for,” Matherne says. “Having [our event] here allows attendees a space to stay because of the plethora of hotel options, but also the fantastic after-hours events that a lot of the vendors and the agency host. People can go out and have a good time and feel safe while doing it.”
Matherne mentions that attendees also liked the ease of getting in and out of New Orleans and, once they’re on the ground, how walkable the city is.
“They overwhelmingly say that this is a great experience,” Matherne says. “And that’s why we keep getting larger every year.”
Built to host
The New Orleans & Company’s tagline is “Built to Host.” And as a perennial favorite city for groups and tourists, the organization has developed a positive reputation over time for helping events of all sizes. This is most evident with the National Football League’s Super Bowl, which has been played in New Orleans a record 11 times.
“We know the people at the NFL, as well as we know our customers with small meetings and large meetings,” says Stephanie Turner, senior VP of convention sales and strategies at New Orleans & Company. “It’s about being able to have strength in the community and expertise on execution, because if you don’t execute the small things, you can’t execute the big [things].”
There’s an assurance that comes from being able to host the Super Bowl, says Walt J. Leger, III, president and CEO of New Orleans & Company.
“We’re doing this Sail250 event. There are four [other] cities doing it: Baltimore, Boston, New York and Norfolk, Va.,” Leger says. “All four of the cities have nonprofits specifically dedicated to delivering these fleet events.”
But New Orleans doesn’t have a nonprofit leading it, Leger says. The CVB is the de facto organizer and execution arm. Its success comes from the organization’s experience in hosting various events.
“I think there is a confidence that comes from putting these events on year in, year out, that you see similar patterns, you address similar challenges, some smaller in scope, some larger in scope,” Leger says. “At the end of the day, when you’re working with a guest on what type of experience they’re trying to deliver for their attendees, it doesn’t matter if it’s 10 rooms or 10,000 rooms, the team knows what needs to be done and how to address it.”
The past and the future
Sail250 is a gathering of military and tall ships to help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. New Orleans was the inaugural host city, where seven international ships docked on the Mississippi River. The ships included the USS Farragut, the HNLMS Friesland Netherlands and the Rou Capitán Miranda of Uruguay.
According to New Orleans & Company data, 125,000 visitors participated in the Sail250 event between May 28-31, taking in ship tours and fireworks, among other activities.
“It was incredible to welcome ships from around the world and see families, residents and visitors come together along our riverfront for a truly memorable celebration,” Helena Moreno, New Orleans’ mayor, said in a press release. “Events like this give us a unique opportunity to showcase the culture, hospitality and spirit that make New Orleans unlike anywhere else in the world.”
That same weekend, New Orleans played host to the second edition of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony and awards. The event featured chefs, food journalists and hospitality leaders from the U.S. and Canada.
Several New Orleans restaurants were honored during the ceremony. Dakar NOLA was ranked No. 4 on the list, Emeril’s at No. 20 and Acamaya at No. 30. In addition to featuring world-renowned cuisine, all three restaurants offer space for group experiences.
“In the past few years, we at New Orleans & Company have worked to raise the profile of New Orleans as a global travel destination and a culinary center of excellence,” Leger said in a press release. “Selecting our city as the backdrop for North America’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony and its ancillary events is another reminder to the world of our culinary pedigree.”
Built to last
New Orleans is a city that continually evolves, showcasing its ability to host groups of any size. For example, the convention center updates embrace the city’s past while keeping attendees rooted in the present with contemporary art and charging stations for phones and laptops. And in 2030, a 1,000-room Omni hotel plans to open next to the center.
Then there are also places like the recently renovated Kimpton Hotel Fontenot. It added 12,000 square feet of meeting and event space to its blueprint, and the opening of the Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park offers event space for groups.
Openings and improvements like these prove that New Orleans is not just built to host, it’s also built to last.
Photos courtesy New Orleans & Company.
