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The Raising Cane's River Center, sprawling along the Mississippi, offers adaptable space for everything from opu- lent summits to cultural galas. Just upriver, the Southern University Museum of Art introduces guests to African American artistry with a voice that doesn't lower or explain—it commands. In Baton Rouge, sessions gather under the hush of oak canopies, and receptions jump with brass-line swagger. This is a city that doesn't rehearse significance—it's on cue. New Orleans In New Orleans, events don't just happen—they erupt with sensation. Planners can conduct moments that sway with second-line parades, emanate through ancestral walking tours, and smolder in twilight hours drenched in Creole jazz. From the Tremé to the Marigny, Black culture doesn't sit behind velvet ropes—it dances through the streets, unfiltered, uninterrupted, and invigorated. The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, spread out along the Mississippi River, offers expansive space that turns gatherings into grand occasions. The facility is home to America's largest contiguous-space exhibit hall with 1.1 mil- lion sq. ft. of prime exhibit space plus 140 meeting rooms, 4,000-seat theater, 30,000 sq. ft. ballroom and a 60,300 sq. ft. divisible, column-free ballroom with 25,000 sq. ft. pre-func- tion area. Nearby, Mardi Gras World presents a landscape of spec- tacle, enveloping guests in the vivid traditions of float- making and pageantry. For smaller affairs, the historic courtyards of the French Quarter provide venues where iron-laced balconies and cobbled stone glorify every itiner- ary. In New Orleans, nothing stands still. The cuisine speaks in accents—crawfish étouffée whispering next to drumline beignets, while chefs stir ancestral memory into every roux. Black-owned lounges host symposiums backed by brass. Spoken word sets off in converted warehouses. Faith and flair share pews in neo-Gothic sanctuaries where gospel refrains become closing statements. This is a city where programs don't just daydream—they manifest. 30 B M & T ••• May/June 2025 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Shreveport Shreveport doesn't tap the mic—it owns the stage. Wrapped in musical lore and dusk-lit charm, this city delivers experiences that sustain both life and foundation. The Shreveport Municipal Auditorium offers more than acoustics—it offers legendary intensity. The Shreveport Convention Center brings atmosphere and agility, rising beside a riverfront skyline where rooftop lounges and art museums become executive oasis. Visual thinkers retreat to the R.W. Norton Art Gallery, where garden paths lead to oil paintings and candlelit collo- quiums. Shreveport doesn't just support an agenda—it beautifies it. For the planner who wants a city that checks all the boxes—this is the perfect stroke. Lafayette Lafayette doesn't entertain—it caters. This is where zydeco doesn't play around—it sets a serious agenda. Here, storytelling arrives plated and performed. Café patios become roundtables. Accordion melodies spill from alleyways into symposiums. Spoken word shares the bill with gumbo. Nothing is for show—everything is in sync. The Cajundome & Convention Center offers expansive space for galas, summits, and showcases—all within reach of live-music districts that keep energy high and conversations fluid. Art crawls, language festivals, and Creole culture centers give planners an atmosphere charged with joyous engage- ment. In Lafayette, your event won't just be remembered— it'll be revolutionary. New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Cajundome & Convention Center Shreveport Convention Center photo credit: wikipedia