Black Meetings and Tourism

Black Meetings & Tourism February/March 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 15 new economic activity at no cost to the American taxpayer. The U.S. Travel Association estimates that a one-percent increase in the U.S. market share of world international travel would add $15 billion to the U.S. economy, $1.3 bil- lion in new federal tax revenue and $1.1 billion in new state and local tax revenue. Without travel promotion, overseas travel to the United States is expected to decline by more than three percent in 2009 according to the Department of Commerce. In addition to travel promotion and air travel improve- ments, U.S. Travel endorsed several tax, transportation infrastructure, public lands infrastructure and travel facili- tation improvements in the bill. PCMA'S ANNUAL CONVENTION WAS PROOF POSITIVE NEW ORLEANS IS MORE READY THAN EVER Over 3,000 of the meeting world's most discriminating professionals convened in New Orleans for the PCMA's 53rd Annual Meeting and the attendees were effusive with their praise of New Orleans allaying the lingering percep- tions that the effects of Hurricane Katrina have not been overcome. The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center had been readied over the last 12 months with almost $8 million in improvements in addition to the $60 million renovation after the storm. Recipient of PCMA's Dis-tinguished Meeting Profes-sional of the Year Award, Susan Katz declared, "New Orleans is back and better than ever. The city, hotels and especial- ly the convention center have never been in better shape." Katz, is director of corporate events for True Value, has conferences scheduled for New Orleans in 2009 and 2010. "Most important, the pride in the city and service from every- one you meet is evident which has always been a hall- mark of New Orleans. We couldn't be more excited about com- ing back", she continued. The attendees encountered New Orleans' themes at every turn beginning with the registration desk, fashioned in the likeness of the iconic Café Du Monde French Market Coffee Stand, where they were handed a bag of beignets to start the day. Plenary Sessions were conducted in the Center's 4,000 seat theater where one of New Orleans most decorated jazz musicians, Irvin Mayfield, acted as master of ceremonies, with his New Orleans Jazz Orchestra providing musical interludes between speakers. The opening and closing receptions, held at Mardi Gras World and the Louisiana Superdome respectively, were both festivals of New Orleans food and music. The recent- ly relocated Mardi Gras World, now adjacent to the Convention Center, featured a Voodoo Lounge, a New Orleans Nights Musical Extravaganza and the Grand Oak Room which afforded the gathered a quite refuge under a painted starry night sky, surrounded by grand oaks Under the expansive roof of the Superdome on the play- ing field of the New Orleans Saints, New Orleans music roy- alty entertained the group including the famed Neville fam- ily and the Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas, while 29 restaurants offered tastes of their signature cuisines. As the party ended, the celebrants "second-lined" out in fine New Orleans tradition, waving white handkerchiefs over their head as they loaded the shuttles to their respective hotels. At the Convention Center, the lobby was sprinkled with mimes, jugglers and stilt walkers from the streets of New Orleans, which were perfect complements to the new deco- rative banner program the Center recently installed. Additional aesthetic, technological and functional upgrades are planned for 2009 totaling $12 million. The meeting planner will enjoy additional opportunities to reduce cost and generate revenue with the new additions. A 10-gigabyte Internet backbone will be one of the main features that will provide the meeting planner with unlimit- ed technological opportu- nities to extend program- ming to attendees and exhibitors. There will be only three Centers in the country that will feature such a powerful system. The Centers two ball- rooms, both in excess of 30,000 sq. ft., will be reno- vated, two executive cyber cafés will open, and a card- key system will be installed to all 140 meeting rooms among other improve- ments. Attendees of PCMA's Annual Meeting could not have left New Orleans without knowing that the City has never been more ready to conduct meetings and conven- tions. Most of the 20,000 hotel rooms, all within walking distance of the Center, have been totally renovated in the last four years. Almost 3,000 hotel rooms are in the imme- diate vicinity of the Center providing the meeting planner a full range of options for their attendees. There is little doubt that the predicted dividends from hosting PCMA's Annual Meeting will be realized. New Orleans is more ready than it ever has been. Irvin Mayfield's New Orleans Jazz Orchestra

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