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B M & T ••• November/December 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 33 AREA GUIDES African-American music. Fly into the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport or if you are driving find the city off Interstates 10 and 12. • • NEW ORLEANS • • Meetings in New Orleans, like every- thing else in this city, stay with you long after you've unpacked your conference materials. More than just meetings, they can be game-changing gatherings that inspire free-flowing ideas and forge deep connections. You're company when you're here, and are welcome back anytime! The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is an essential com- ponent of what makes the city's major business events so successful. With 1.1 million sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space, 140 meeting rooms, a 4,000-seat audito- rium and a 60,000-sq. ft. Great Hall, the facility is routinely voted one of the nation's top facilities by meeting planners At the next industry event you attend after coming here, you'll find yourself telling the person beside you in the buffet line, "One time, in New Orleans …" And, chances are, they'll counter back with their own New Orleans story – a tale of energetic collaboration, constructive dis- ruption and reinvention of previously held norms. Here you don't just get lanyards at the registration table – you get Mardi Gras beads. Meet and greets have a musical beat. There's nothing like a jazz brunch with a brass band and a second line parade to set the heart beating for an energizing day ahead. The culture here is real and as rich as the andouille and crab gumbo. Between sessions, put on your com- fortable shoes and get ready to hit the cobble-stoned streets running. Get your fill of James Beard award-winning cuisine. Soak up the city's art, architec- ture and music. Breakout sessions here might include Cajun and Creole cooking classes, a cocktail walking tour, or a couple of hours at an Indy style racing track where they can take a Ferrari or Lamborghini out for a spin. After the sun goes down, you can net- work into the night on Bourbon or Frenchmen streets. Considering New Orleans or your next meeting? Be sure to reach out to Executive Director Essence Banks and her team at the New Orleans Multicultural Network for all the support and assistance you'll need to make your event a memorable one! The Louis Armstrong International Airport is located just 15 miles from the Central Business District and the French Quarter. • • SHREVEPORT• • Located in beautiful northwest Louisiana, Shreveport-Bossier is a mix- ture of spicy Cajun attitude and the wide-open Texas spirit. Experience 24- hour resort-style casinos, riverfront entertainment, family-friendly festivals, and mouthwatering food. Shreveport-Bossier offers affordable hotels, flexible meeting venues includ- ing the 350,000-sq. ft. Shreveport Convention Center, 21 additional unique off-site meeting venues, 10,500 hotel rooms, immersive group experi- ences, and that famous Louisiana cui- sine that visitors love. Travel around northwest Louisiana to learn about the culture through its historic places. The scenic byway tour, Boom or Bust Byway, is a great way to see places like the Caddo Lake Drawbridge and Vivian Railroad Station Museum. Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV) services customers with flights com- ing in and out of the Shreveport- Bossier area. The airport is designated as a hub served by: Allegiant Air, American Eagle Airlines, Continental Express Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Arrive at the airport 1 to 1 1/2 hours ahead of time. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Shreveport-Bossier CTB – 800 551-8682 www.Shreveport-Bossier.org • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Harrah's New Orleans Hotel 450 Doubletree by Hilton New Orleans 367 Four Points by Sheraton French Quarter 186 EXHIBITION FACILITIES The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Total Exhibit Space 1,000,000 sq. ft. Meeting Rooms 140 Largest Ballroom 60,000 sq. ft. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? New Orleans CVB – (800) 672-6124 www.neworleans.com New Orleans Black Chamber of Commerce www.NORBChamber.org New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Photo Credit: New Orleans CVB