Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1511108
B M & T ••• November/December 2023 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 54 regional conventions and meetings, as well as major events such as Essence Music Festival, Jazz & Heritage Festival, Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four. With one of the largest convention facilities in the country located just steps from many of the 1,500 world-renowned restaurants, you are guaranteed an unfor- gettable experience. The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is home to America's largest contiguous-space exhibit hall with 1.1 million sq. ft. of prime exhibit space plus 140 meeting rooms, 4,000-seat the- ater, 30,000-sq. ft. ballroom and a 60,300-sq. ft. divisible, column-free ball- room with 25,000 sq. ft. of pre-function area. The venue is the sixth largest con- vention facility in the nation and consis- tently ranks in the country's top ten facili- ties that hold the most conventions and tradeshows annually. In New Orleans, hotels are more than where you park your suitcase – they're a place to meet, eat, network, recharge and get great ideas about what to experience when your time is your own. New Orleans has more than 26,000 hotel rooms, most within a walkable 2-mile radius of down- town and the French Quarter New Orleans' compact geographic footprint makes it easy to navigate between hotels and meeting facilities, as well as explore iconic neighborhoods like the French Quarter, Warehouse District, and the Bywater / Marigny. Many cultures made New Orleans: Cajun and Creole. French and Spanish. German. Latino, Irish and African. Along the river, in the streets, on the porches and under the eaves, newcom- ers settling in the Crescent City built upon their own native traditions to fashion the distinctive and elaborate culture the entire world knows as New Orleans. Whether it's the accent, the food, the music or the architecture, this city is one of the most unique in the world thanks to the contributions made by the people who built it. Conference attendees and leisure travelers alike can discover more about the cultures that created modern New Orleans. There are pocket museums dedicat- ed to saluting these cultural and ethnic treasures all around town, casting a light on the transformative powers that came together to form New Orleans, America's true melting pot. History lies in the streets of New Orleans, with a few bearing the names of local Civil Rights leaders and promi- nent Black New Orleanians. Boulevards, parks, public spaces, playgrounds and theaters are named in honor of activists like Oretha Castle Haley, A.L. Davis and others who spent their lifetimes fight- ing racial injustice in America. Conference attendees can learn their histories and visit these spots during their time in NOLA. • • BATON ROUGE • • Baton Rouge is Louisiana's Capital City and the best place to have an authentic Louisiana experience during your next meeting or convention. This destination highlights the unique music, culture and outdoors that both visitors to Louisiana and locals alike enjoy. With French, Spanish, Creole and Native American roots, this city is rich in its diverse culture. Nicknamed the "Red Stick," Baton Rouge houses over 300 years of history, much of which can be tasted in the food, seen in the architecture and learned through this state's history. Located in downtown Baton Rouge along the banks of the Mississippi River, the Raising Cane's River Center expansion has transformed the down- town area. The entire complex, includ- ing the existing Arena and Theatre for the Performing Arts, as well as the new Exhibition Hall, includes more than 200,000 square feet of new and Raising Cane River Center photo credit: Raising Cane's River Center • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans 693 Courtyard New Orleans French Quarter-Iberville 230 Doubletree by Hilton New Orleans 367 EXHIBITION FACILITIES Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Total Space 1.1 million sq. ft. Largest Hall 179,789 sq. ft. Largest Ballroom 60,300 sq. ft. Meeting Rooms 140 WHO YOU GONNA CALL? New Orleans & Company 800 672-6124 www.neworleans.com