A Color Palette of Life and Culture
This city was crafted from unforgettable moments
By Eming Piansay
Come for the meetings. Stay for the second lines and the food.
Meeting planners will not be left wanting in New Orleans. Known for Creole culture and jazz music, New Orleans is a canvas of life, history, expression, culinary delectables and magic. Whether you catch a second line, which often takes place during weddings and funerals, or you find yourself at an acclaimed chef’s restaurant, the experience will undoubtedly leave its mark.
Insider’s Quote
“New Orleans is Built To Host. Our dedicated hospitality community services logistically complex events with excellence and provides unparalleled partnerships to organizers and unforgettable experiences for attendees. Cutting-edge meeting facilities, world-class attractions, museums and a wide range of hotel accommodations collectively establish New Orleans as a premier destination for conventions and meetings.”
– Stephanie Turner, Senior Vice President of Convention Sales and Strategies, New Orleans & Company
5 Reasons Planners Love New Orleans
From Dec. 21 to 30 visitors to New Orleans can take part in the NOLA ChristmasFest. Housed at New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the event will feature a 52- by 140-foot ice-skating rink. The event will also feature two miles of lights, inside and outside, and children will be able to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus along with Rudolph and the whole reindeer gang.
From now until October 29th, 2024, visitors can check out the Renaissance NOLA Artist Network. an event focused on giving back to the creative artists of New Orleans. On Tuesdays, from 6pm to 9pm, a movie night is hosted at The Domino. On Sundays from 12pm to 4pm, the Twelve Mile Limit holds an open-mic brunch.
Read More: New Orleans: Meet, Eat and Feel the Music
New Orleans Museum of Art is featuring the exhibit, “Debbie Fleming Caffery: In Light of Everything,” which includes 100 dramatic black-and-white photographs installed in three spaces throughout the museum. The photos were taken in the American South, Mexico and France between the 1970s to the present.
Get a taste of what life was like in New Orleans during the holidays in the 19th century. Visit the Hermann-Grima House, featuring Federal style and Creole architecture. Guests can take a tour to learn about the facility that functioned as slave quarters, culinary traditions, the men and women who lived there and how they celebrated the holidays.
Until Dec. 24, you can take part in the holiday-themed Ghost Tour of the French Quarter. This family-friendly tour fits nine people per group and requires advanced booking.
5 Great Places to Meet in New Orleans
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is a neighbor to the French Quarter and only a few minutes from the Mississippi River. The Convention Center has partnered with Hilton New Orleans Riverside to provide meeting planners with ample resources, space and amenities.
137,923 sq. ft. of event space, 5 meeting rooms and 1,622 guest rooms.
Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans is in downtown New Orleans, near the Mississippi River. Guests can dine at two signature James Beard-awarded restaurants of chefs Alon Shaya and Donald Link and follow up with a visit to The Spa, which offers French beauty techniques.
28,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, 12 meeting rooms and 341 guest rooms.
Caesars Entertainment is investing $325 million in Harrah’s New Orleans at the foot of Canal Street. It will reopen in 2024 as Caesars New Orleans with all-new 340 room hotel tower, food court and full exterior and interior architectural design enhancements.
16,700 sq. ft. of meeting space, 11 meeting rooms and 450 guest rooms.
Hyatt Regency New Orleans offers guests and planners eight on-site dining outlets, a state-of-the-art media and sports bar and a rooftop pool. The hotel is within walking distance of Caesars Superdome and the Arts District.
200,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, 70 meeting rooms, 1,193 guest rooms and 95 suites.
New Orleans Marriott and Sheraton New Orleans Hotel operate cooperatively on either side of Canal Street. New Orleans Marriott offers views of the Mississippi River and Downtown from many of their rooms. Sheraton New Orleans Hotel also offers views of the river along with the French Quarter.
83,965 sq. ft., 50 event rooms and 1,333 guest rooms.
105,996 sq. ft., 60 event rooms, 56 breakout rooms and 1,110 guest rooms.
This article appears in the December 2023 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
