New Orleans Still on the Road to Recovery

Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 1/16/2006

As the city's recovery continues, the New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center reopened last month, and organizers of another show decided to keep their event in the city.

Facility repairs are now complete at the 331-room Marriott, which sustained no water damage from Hurricane Katrina. All hotel services and functions have been restored, including personal event managers and executive meeting concierges.

"We have been working around the clock to offer the same level of service and business solutions to our guests," General Manager Joe Blanchek said. "We are excited about the prospect of providing renowned New Orleans hospitality to our guests once again."

Housed in a 150-year-old renovated cotton warehouse and only open since July, the hotel is located within the city's arts and warehouse district, steps away from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The property offers 24,000 square feet of meeting space and can accommodate in-house meetings of up to 450 attendees.

Meanwhile, the Chicago-based Natl. Assn. of Realtors last month reaffirmed its decision to hold the REALTORS Annual Conference & Expo Nov. 10–13 at the Morial center.

NAR President Tom Stevens said, "We can set no better example to the nation than by keeping our promise to New Orleans and its people to hold our 2006 annual meeting there."

The association will supply its 1.2 million members with continuous reports on the city's rebuilding efforts throughout the year to reassure them that it will be ready to host the show.

NAR expects the Hall-Erickson-managed show to generate $34 million in convention revenue for New Orleans.