What s New in New Orleans Hospitality Industry September 2016

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1 Media Contact Maria White What s New in New Orleans Hospitality Industry September 2016 RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS- New Orleans was named the number one city for International Visitor Growth in o The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Travel & Tourism Office, a section within the International Trade Administration announced a 37% increase in international visitors to New Orleans and a 36% increase in international visitors to Louisiana. New Orleans has been selected to host the 66 th NBA All-Star Game 2017 for the third time in 10 years. The game will be played on Sunday, February 19 th at the Smoothie King Center. Allegiant Air has announced non-stop flights from Concord, NC to New Orleans with fares as low as $45 beginning on November 18, GLO Airlines has announced its fifth non-stop flight destination from New Orleans to Huntsville, AL beginning on September 30, o This new flight to Huntsville, AL will be offered three days a week on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans has announced their 40 th Anniversary Season offerings, including the Performing and Visual Arts Season that will highlight interdisciplinary; spirit of forward-thinking dreamers. o The CAC 40 th season began in August and will continue through June 30, UPCOMING EVENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS The inaugural New Orleans Daiquiri Season is set to take over New Orleans for the month of September. o Formerly the New Orleans Daiquiri Festival, the Tales of the Cocktail team is bringing back the festival as a season with 30 days of special events and tastings across New Orleans. Southern Decadence, the largest LGBT event in New Orleans, returns to New Orleans French Quarter for its 45 th year August 31- September 5 for a weekend of parties, concerts, parades and revelry. o New Orleans is a major destination for LGBT travelers, affirming the

2 history of diversity, tolerance and inclusiveness in welcoming all. Louisiana Seafood Festival will welcome a weekend full of seafood, live music, celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, an arts village, family activities and more to the City Park Festival Grounds September 2-4. o This festival celebrates the fresh and flavorful bounty of seafood in Louisiana. o Advance tickets are $8 per day or $22 for a weekend pass. Tickets will increase to $10 per day at the gate, with proceeds extending support to flood victims in Louisiana. Jazz in the Park returns to Armstrong Park on September 8 th offering much more than a live concert series, with local music, artwork and lots of food vendors. o Jazz in the Park will occur every Thursday from 4-8 p.m. through November 3, The 4 th Annual Downriver Festival will celebrate Oysters & the Future of Our Coast along the Mississippi River with live music, cooking demonstrations, presentations and panels on Saturday, September 10 th from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Old U.S. Mint and the French Market. Throughout the week of September 12-18, Restaurant Week New Orleans, formerly We Live to Eat Restaurant Week," offers discounted menus across the city. o Restaurant Week New Orleans offers lunch menus for $20 or less, as well as dinner and brunch menus for $39 or less. The 8 th annual New Orleans Burlesque Festival will host parties, discussion panels, burlesque workshops and the Queen of Burlesque competition September The inaugural Fried Chicken Festival will take place on September 25 th in Lafayette Square with over 20 restaurants offering their take on the celebrated southern staple. o The festival will celebrate National Chicken Finger Day from 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. with family-friendly activities, live music throughout the day and of course, lots of fried chicken. o Vendors will compete to win the title in the Best Fried Chicken Contest, judged by local and national food experts. Festivals will continue through October with some big names and local favorites: o Hosted by the Contemporary Arts Center, Art for Arts Sake will welcome over 30,000 guests to stroll the Warehouse District art galleries, gift shops and exhibits along Julia Street and Magazine Street on October 1 st. o Tremé Fall Festival returns October 1-2 for the second-annual

3 celebration of this cherished New Orleans neighborhood through live music, food, arts, building projects, free health screenings and tours of St. Augustine Church and more. o Oscar -qualifying New Orleans Film Festival, presented by the New Orleans Film Society, returns for its 27 th year October o The New Orleans Film Festival received more than 4,000 submissions from 115 different countries and will be showcasing a lineup of 200 films. o The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival will bring local and regional art vendors, live music and lots of great barbecue with an emphasis on Louisiana cuisine to Lafayette Square October o New Orleans official Halloween Parade, the Krewe of Boo will roll Saturday, October 22 from the Marigny Neighborhood to Downtown New Orleans. o October 23 rd will mark the 10 th annual Oak Street Po-Boy Festival with live music, local merchants and more than 50 vendors offering their best po-boy. o Halloween weekend brings the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience October 28-30, with an impressive lineup of artists including G-Eazy, Band of Horses, Kevin Gates, Mutemath and more. For a full list of festivals, click here. RESTAURANTS Chef Emeril Lagasse s newest restaurant in New Orleans, Meril, will open its doors on September 24 th. o Meril is the first new restaurant in New Orleans for Chef Emeril Lagasse in almost two decades. o Chef Will Avelar will be at the helm in the kitchen. He most recently served as sous chef at Emeril s Delmonico. o It is named after the celebrity chef s daughter and will have a menu inspired by meals Lagasse enjoys cooking at home for his family, dishes he s enjoyed while traveling as well as inspiration from years of experience. o The restaurant is located in the New Orleans Warehouse District and will be open daily for lunch and dinner. AWARDS New Orleans continues to garner national and international attention as a world-class destination. Recent honors include:

4 One of the Top 5 Music Destinations in the World by Elle UK. The Number 1 City for Food in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure. o New Orleans was also ranked "No. 7 City in the World" and No. 2 among "The Best Cities in the U.S." in Travel + Leisure s World s Best Awards One of 2016's Top Labor Day Destinations by HotelPlanner.com. New Orleans restaurant, N7, named in "Top 10 Best New Restaurants in America" by Bon Appétit. One of the "Friendliest Cities in the U.S." by Condé Nast Traveler. For a full list awards, click here. AIRPORT Construction has begun on a new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, set to debut in o This $826 million project will feature 30 gates, a 2,000-car parking garage, a central utility plant and a ground transportation staging area. o The new terminal is projected to have a $3.2 billion annual economic impact on tourism in New Orleans. The airport has also added a variety of new flights: o Allegiant (One new twice-weekly departure to Concord Regional Airport beginning November 18, 2016) o GLO Airlines (Three times weekly departure to Huntsville International Airport beginning on September 30, 2016) o Condor (One new twice-weekly departure to Frankfurt, Germany, beginning May 3, 2017) o Allegiant (One new twice-weekly departure to Tulsa International Airport, May 26, 2016) o GLO (Two new seasonal weekly departures to Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, June 24-September 5, 2016) o JetBlue (One new daily departure to Fort-Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, beginning September 29, 2016) o Branson AirExpress (Return of seasonal air service four times weekly to Branson Airport, May 26-August 14, 2016) Condor will begin seasonal nonstop flights from Frankfurt, Germany to New Orleans twice weekly on May 3, o This will be New Orleans first nonstop flight to Europe since the 1980s and will connect New Orleans passengers to more than 120 other cities in the Eastern hemisphere through Condor s partner airlines.

5 o Flights will depart on Wednesdays and Sundays on a Boeing ER aircraft with 259 seats. o The flight is estimated to bring nearly 10,000 people to New Orleans annually. MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine Annual Meeting September o This annual meeting is the premier event for Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic medicine professionals; it will host guest speakers, workshops and educational sessions focusing on all realms of electrodiagnosis neuromuscular diseases and neuromuscular ultrasound. o Projected attendance: 1,200 ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. ServiceMaster Experience September o For the first time, the inaugural ServiceMaster Experience will bring all cleaning, home maintenance, pest control and lawn fertilization brands together to showcase services through a state-of-the-art, interactive mobile exhibit. o Projected attendance: 1,400 Water Environment Federation (WEFTEC) September o WEFTEC is North America s largest meeting of its kind, offering water quality professionals from around the globe the opportunity to learn water quality education and training. o Projected attendance: 18,000 ADDITIONAL PR AND COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT: Images of New Orleans B-roll footage Request assistance with a press trip Story angles 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 decisionmakers 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

6 the country, the New Orleans CVB celebrates its 56th anniversary in For more information, please visit follow us on Twitter like us on Facebook (Visit New Orleans) and follow us on Instagram (VisitNewOrleans). ###