The Ongoing New Orleans-Is-Back Story

In last week's issue of Tradeshow Week, we included a story about the American Library Assn. Annual Conference & Exhibition bringing 17,000 librarians to New Orleans. The news value there, of course, was the fact that the city and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center were able to pull off such a large tradeshow and meeting a mere 10 months after Hurricane Katrina.

We all saw the pictures of the Morial Center in the days following the hurricane, so it really does seem like quite a feat.

As editor in chief of TSW, I am probably also its most enthusiastic reader. There isn't a story that goes in the magazine or on the Web site that I haven't read countless times. Even before that, I'm also the one who usually makes a decision about whether something is newsworthy enough to include in the magazine.

I have to confess, over the last few months, I've wondered once or twice if our readers haven't had enough of the New Orleans-is-back story. Still, I can't help but give credit to all the individuals in New Orleans who are in the business of attracting visitors to town, and to all the companies and associations that have made the decision to return.

In an unrelated story also last week, we wrote of Bill Peeper's plans to retire after 23 years as the head of the Orlando convention and visitors bureau. In his interview with us, he said the most gratifying part of his job is standing on a corner when 15,000 people are in town for a meeting and thinking, "I helped make that happen. People have jobs because of this. People are prospering because of this."

Many people in or from New Orleans continue to face almost impossible obstacles in getting their lives and businesses back on track. Many do not have jobs yet, and most are not yet prospering again.

So, the part that those in the meetings business are playing in getting to what is likely to be a "new normal" is astounding. They are working very hard, but they are also in a position to look at the progress being made and say, "I helped make that happen."