Forever new orleans

OUR SOUL, OUR CITY, OUR FUTURE

Presented by the New Orleans CVB

August 7, 2007

SOUL OF THE CITY

THE KEY QUESTION:

Is the New Orleans Experience the Same?

YES! That authentic, sensory experience that people have come to love is alive and thriving. There is no need to wait. The time to visit is now.

2007 BRINGS MILESTONES …• Carnival Corp. to keep the Carnival

Fantasy in New Orleans through 2008; possibly through 2010

• 24NOLA.com, new website for visitors to experience New Orleans culture as locals do

• Robust attendance at festivals and cultural events: Mardi Gras 800,000; Jazz Fest 375,000; First annual Seafood Festival 40,000; ESSENCE Fest, 200,000

• RIMS Annual Conference, 10,000 attendees, voluntourism project at City Park

2007 BRINGS MILESTONES …• ACC Annual Conference, 26,250 attendees—

largest group to meet in New Orleans since 2005

• Meeting Professionals International - second largest Professional Education Conference-North America ever

• ExpressJet Airlines 12 nonstop flights daily• Southwest Airlines 30% increase in capacity

beginning in November (1,000 seats)• Major sporting events Sugar Bowl, Zurich

Classic, NCAA, Arena Bowl

THE FACTS: NEW ORLEANS TOURISMHotels 31,500 of 38,000 rooms available; Hyatt opening Fall 2008

Airport 123 flights daily to 37 cities; Air lift scheduled to be at 90% of pre-K levels by the end of 2008 and 100% by 2009

Restaurants 836 open (more than 100% of pre-K total)

Conventions 70% of business retained for 2007, 90% for 2008, new corporate business

Taxis 1,200 available citywide

Cruises The Norwegian Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, River Barge Excursion Lines and Majestic America (American Queen) are all sailing from New Orleans.

AiRLIFT UPDATEAugust 2007: 123 flights serving 37 cities 75 percent the number of daily departures and 88 percent the number of destinations; 14,276 seats or 68 percent of Pre-Katrina level of seats per day

Air Tran, American Airlines, Continental, Delta Air Lines, ExpressJet, Jet Blue, Northwest, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, U.S. Airways

Express Jet began flying April 30, 2007 non-stop service to Austin, San Antonio, Kansas City, Mo., Birmingham, Jacksonville and Raleigh-Durham with 12 flights per day

Southwest Airlines will add 8 additional flights in November 2007

NEW FLIGHTSJune 2007: ExpressJet: one additional daily nonstop to Austin 50 seats Express Jet: one additional daily nonstop to San Antonio 50 seats Southwest: one additional daily nonstop to Dallas 137 seats United: one additional daily nonstop to Washington (D)70 seats and one additional daily nonstop to Denver 156 seatsJuly 2007:US Airways: one additional daily nonstop to Philadelphia with 134 seatsAirTran Airways: one additional weekend only nonstop to Atlanta with 117 seatsNovember 2007:Southwest: three new daily nonstops to Birmingham; two additional daily nonstops to Houston Hobby (for a total of 11 daily); one additional daily nonstop to Dallas Love Field (for a total of 6 daily); one additional daily nonstop to Las Vegas (for a total of 2 daily); One additional daily nonstop flight to Orlando (for a total of 4 daily).

Airport refurbishments to public areas, lighting, walkways, baggage claim, ticketing, curbside check-in and more by late 2008

ERNEST N. MORIAL CONVENTION CENTER

•$60 million in renovations completed•New flooring and furnishings on all three levels•Hotel-like finishes, brighter, more engaging •High speed wi-fi, 4,000-seat Conference Auditorium•12 separate/combinable exhibit halls•140 meeting rooms •Team of seasoned industry professionals•250 full-time employees•More than 71 major conventions, tradeshows and meetings in 2007

LOUISIANA SUPERDOME

•$180 million renovation and upgrades •Re-opened September 25, 2006 with Monday Night Football Saints first home game•The New Orleans Saints finished the 2006 season with a record of 11-7, reaching the NFC Championship Game, one game away from Super Bowl XLI•New Orleans Saints season tickets sold out for the first time in its 40-year history in 2006. 2007 sold out

MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS69th Annual NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament (March)

Zurich Classic (April)

ArenaBowl XXI (July)

Allstate Sugar Bowl and Allstate BCS National Championship Game (January 2008)

57th NBA All-Star Game (February 2008)

CULTURE/ENTERTAINMENT/SHOPPINGHarrah’s Casino Aquarium of the Americas The New Orleans ArenaMardi Gras World

Plantation Homes Café Du MondeAudubon ZooRiverboat Cruises Cabildo State MuseumNational World War II MuseumNew Orleans Museum of ArtBestoff Sculpture GardenThe Ogden Museum of Southern ArtContemporary Arts CenterLouisiana Children’s MuseumLouisiana Philharmonic OrchestraNew Orleans Ballet

Shopping: The Shops at Canal Place, Saks Fifth AvenueThe Riverwalk, Jax Brewery, Royal Street, Magazine street and boutiques, art galleries and charming shops citywide.

STREETCARS/REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY

•RTA Services are $1.25 per ride •The New Orleans Streetcar line is partially back in service, including the leg traveling on Canal Street from the Mississippi River to Mid-City, and from Canal Street north on Carrollton Avenue to the New Orleans Museum of Art. •The Riverfront Line is back in service from the MorialConvention Center to Esplanade Avenue. •The St. Charles Streetcar Line is expected to fully return in spring 2008 after the construction of three electrical substations. However a small St. Charles leg is running from Canal Street to Lee Circle and an extension to the service to St. Charles and Napoleon is expected by fall 2007.

2006 conventions successfully returnedEvent MonthUSA Volleyball May Air & Waste Mgmt Assn June Natl Assn of Collegiate Directors of AthleticsJune American Library Association June

Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship July

Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine August

American Psychological Assn August

Society of Exploration Geophysicists October

Amer Society for Human Genetics OctoberAmer College of Emergency Physicians October

Amer Society for Reproductive Medicine October

Avaya OctoberFed of Societies for Coatings Technology November

National Association of Realtors NovemberInternational Work Boat Show November

Voluntourism on the rise

National Assoc of RealtorsDelta AirlinesMaritz TravelAmerican Library HIMSSSherwin WilliamsCoca – ColaMPI … and many more

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

“We recently visited New Orleans and stayed at the Marriott on Canal Street. The VIP Pass and brochures you promised were there waiting on us. We certainly appreciated your thoughtfulness and the city’s hospitality. We look forward to future visits, and will not hesitate to recommend a stay in New Orleans pre- or post-cruise.”--Ben Catalina, Cruises Inc., April 2007

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

“In April, 2007, we held our National Sales Meeting in New Orleans for the first time, and it truly proved to be a showcase for our employees. In addition to the wonderful food, music and history that abounds in today’s New Orleans, our employees were given a rare opportunity to enjoy a round of golf at a century-old course in the center of the city’s historic district, and to enjoy an authentic Cajun dinner in the midst of alligators, black bears and other swamp creatures.”

“And for our many benevolent employees, there were numerous, safe options to make a real contribution to the rebuilding of America’s most unique city. In then end, our employees voted to make New Orleans an every-other-year location for our National Sales Meeting. As President, I found the city safe, fun and educational for our employees.”--Barry D. LeBlanc, President & CEO; Pamlab, LLC, June 25, 2007

MARKETING AND PR STRATEGY

•Ten city media tour in New York, London, Paris, Chicago and DC•New Orleans Streetcar in Times Square!•A Whole New Orleans - TV Show•24NOLA.com•Aggressive PR to combat negative media coverage•Advertising to travel and meeting influencers•Direct Sales•Forever New Orleans Ad Campaign

2007 billboards

Forever new orleans ad campaign

STATE OF THE CITY

NEIGHBORHOODS: A TALE OF TWO CITIES

THE FACTS: NEW ORLEANS TODAY• Flood Protection $7 billion spent on repairs, stronger than 2005

100-year protection by 2011• Emergency Preparedness City of New Orleans and the CVB –

one of most sophisticated emergency plans of any city• Population 1.1 million metro / 300,000 Orleans Parish • Hospitals 12 open with full ER/trauma capability (All but 1)• Schools 56 public, 200 private, all universities open• Public Safety Ratio of police to citizens today: 1:174; ratio pre-

Katrina: 1:238. NOPD reports 1,458 officers; pre-Katrina, that number was 1,680. More local and

state patrols in tourist areas• Health Air quality and environmental tests ok by EPA

Visitor safety• The tourist corridor of the city traditionally has been safe and

remains that way today. The crimes that have been reported in the national media predominantly are drug and gang-related, criminal-on-criminal violence outside of tourist areas. New Orleans is under a microscope making us a target for national news coverage.

• NOPD is known for keeping millions of visitors safe, especially large crowds such as city-wides, Mardi Gras, Super Bowls, etc

• Part of the charm of New Orleans is that it is a very walkable city. We ask that visitors be mindful of their surroundings as they would in any major American city, and stay in popular tourist areas.

OUR FUTURE

2007 MAJOR CONVENTIONSFuture meetings (3,000 or more in attendance) in 2007 include:• Disabled American Veterans/Aug. 8-14/4,000• Helen Brett Enterprises/Aug. 16-23/15,000• Cardiovascular Institute of the South/Sept. 5-7/3,000• American College of Surgeons/Oct. 6-10 (city-wide)/16,000• International Association of Chiefs of Police/Oct. 12-17 (city-wide)/10,000 • International Facility Management Association/Oct. 23-26

(city-wide)/10,000• Helen Brett Enterprises/Oct. 25-Nov. 1/15,000• Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International/Oct. 30-Nov. 2/3,000• American Society of Agronomy/Nov. 4-8/4,800• American Academy of Ophthalmology/Nov. 9-12 (city-wide)/25,000• National League of Cities/Nov. 13-17 (city-wide)/8,000• Diversified Business Communications/Nov. 27-30 (city-wide)/11,000• Southern Association of Colleges & Schools/Dec. 8-10/ 3,000• Pennwell Corporation/Dec. 10-14 (city-wide)/17,000

NEW DEVELOPMENTS UNDERWAY

• Trump Tower Condominium $100 million

• New Riverfront four-mile stretch of condos, performing arts venue

• Lake Forest Plaza Redevelopment $147 million, retail shops

What makes new orleans better today?

• Brand new Convention Center and Superdome• More restaurants, practically complete citywide hotel

upgrades• $8.5 million re-branding campaign/TV show to dispel myths• Influx of corporate meetings business for community service• Influx of entrepreneurs, investors and young professionals• Better hospitality and guest service• New economic development projects – Trump Building,

Riverfront condos and retail• Passionate testimonials from visitors returning

Seeing is believing!

Now is the perfect opportunity to rediscover New Orleans ... the most authentic, walkable, historic, soulful destination in America.

www.neworleanscvb.com