What’s New in New Orleans’ Hospitality Industry – January 2016

• 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.
o 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.
o 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.
o 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.
o 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.
o 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 night. Mardi Gras day is early this year on Tuesday, February 9th.
o 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.
o The Krewe of Rex chose the colors of Mardi Gras in 1872, with purple representing justice, gold representing power and green representing faith.
o 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.
o 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.
o 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.
o 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.
o Fourteen restaurants, including Shaya, Emeril’s New Orleans, Cochon Butcher and Primitivo, will create dishes to be paired with acclaimed Belgian beers.
o 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.
o 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.
o 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.
o 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.
For a full list of festivals, click 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.
o USA Today partnered with a panel of hotel experts to hand pick the best hotel openings of 2015.
o Old No. 77 ranked third, behind the Envoy Hotel in Boston and The Press Hotel in Portland, Maine.

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
o 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.
o Projected attendance: 25,000

• American Meteorological Society (AMS): Annual Meeting | January 9-14
o 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.
o Projected attendance: 3,500

• Marketplace Events: Home & Remodeling Show | January 15-17
o 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.
o Projected attendance: 25,000

• Volleyball Louisiana: Blastoff Tournament | January 16-17
o More than 175 teams will compete in this two-day tournament at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
o Projected attendance: 3,500
• Urban Expositions: Halloween & Party Expo | January 22-25
o 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.
o Projected attendance: 8,000
• American Correctional Association (ACA): ACA 2016 Winter Conference | January 22-27
o 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.
o Projected attendance: 2,500-3,000
• Total Life Changes (TLC): Awards Show & Training | January 29-30
o Total Life Changes presents the TLC Awards Show & Next-Level Training is a 2-day journey designed to elevate TLC businesses and celebrate success.
o Projected attendance: 5,000
• American Traffic Safety Services Association (ASTSSA): Annual Traffic Exposition & Convention | January 29-February 2
o 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.
o Projected attendance: 3,100

More information:
www.neworleanscvb.com