Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/26753
AREA GUIDES theArgus Spa in Franklin (nail,massage and facial treatments as well as a variety of salon services), Avery Island/Tabasco (nature conservatory and country store), Cajun Jack’s Swamp Tours (swamp boat tours of the Atchafalaya Delta – a wilderness teeming with exot- ic birds, wildlife and fish), Cypress Bayou Casino/Shorty’s (casino with over 1,350 slot machines, 50 table games, seven restaurants and top enter- tainment), and Oaklawn Manor (circa 1837 mansion was the centerpiece of a sugar plantation). WHOYOUGONNACALL? Cajun Coast VCB – (800) 256-2931 www.cajuncoast.com SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER Shreveport-Bossier is full of relaxing modern conveniences wrapped in wel- coming Southern charm.They take care of their visitors like family, filling you up with their tastiest food and treating you to as much entertainment as you want. Known as Louisiana’s Other Side, here you’ll experience a mix of wide-open Texas spirit and spicy Cajun attitude. They took the best of big Texas and the tastiest of Louisiana and blended it into their own brand of entertainment and fun. Shreveport-Bossier City’s multi-pur- pose convention center offers more than 350,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and is equipped with a 100,000-sq. ft. exhibit hall/ballroom, 30-ft. ceilings, 10 break- outs seating 160 people theatre-style, and full kitchen and service in all areas. An attached 313-room Hilton Hotel has just recently opened. With more than 8,500 hotel rooms and numerous unique, alternative meet- ing sites, the area can easily support your event. Shreveport-Bossier is, of course, a gambling destination with sev- eral casino hotels throughout the area also equipped with meeting space. WHOYOUGONNACALL? Shreveport-Bossier CTB – (888) 45-VISIT www.louisianasotherside.com NEW ORLEANS The New Orleans experience con- tinues to flourish with all the cultural riches, sensual indulgences and unpar- alleled service that visitors have come to expect. The historic and cultural ambiance that has attracted countless visitors for decades is as rich, charm- ing, and welcoming as ever. The freshly renovated New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center features 1.1 million sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space, while the nearby Superdome boasts more than 166,000 sq. ft. of column free main floor space and the ability to seat over 70,000. There are more than 38,000 hotel rooms in the city that range from quaint bed and breakfasts to elegantly appointed high-rises. The Louis Armstrong International Airport is located just 15 miles from the Central Business District and the French Quarter. WHOYOUGONNACALL? New Orleans Metro CVB – (800) 672-6124 www.neworleanscvb.com Skyline of Shreveport, LA viewed over the Red River from Bossier City. 56 New Orleans Parade Photo Credit: New Orleans Metro CVB Black Meetings & Tourism January/February 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Photo Credit: Raymond Truelove