Morial Center Is 100-percent Back

Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 1/22/2007

More than a year after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast and forced the closure of New Orleans' Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the facility is now fully operational — and flaunting a $60 million facelift.

The Intl. Workboat Show (Nov. 29–Dec. 1) marked the return of Halls A, B and C, which include 357,624 square feet of exhibit space and 41 meeting rooms.

Three of the center's 12 exhibit halls opened last February, and eight more became available in June. Renovations included new flooring, carpeting and furnishings, and a complete hospital-grade cleaning of kitchens, concessions and restrooms.

Most of the $60 million recovery funds came from the center's insurance provider, Zurich North America. The center's governing board, the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, allocated $7 million for improvements that weren't covered by insurance.

In more good news for the city, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, refurbished and reopened, not only underwent extensive repairs, but added 8,000 sq. ft. of meeting space for a total of 35,000 sq. ft.

The 527-room hotel is on the edge of the French Quarter and is providing rooms for a number of conventions, including this week's Meeting Professionals Intl.'s Professional Education Conference, Jan. 20–23.