Every year in mid-May, the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau joins cities across the United States to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week and the industry that employs more than 74,000 locals and brings $5 billion to our city annually. Please join us for the parade on May 8 and luncheon on May 10 to represent our city’s economic engine, tourism.
Travel Rally/Parade and Press Conference: Tuesday, May 8, 2012, 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
On Tuesday, May 8, thousands of front-line hospitality employees, tourism leaders and elected officials will march through the French Quarter for our third annual travel rally/parade. The event is our opportunity to show New Orleanians, the media and Congress why Tourism Matters! We plan to have the largest and best rally of any city in the nation, complete with a Mardi Gras-style parade featuring marching bands, mini-floats, Mardi Gras Indians, stilt walkers and much more. The parade staging area is at the Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal Street, begins at 9 a.m. sharp and will march through the French Quarter ending with a press conference near Jackson Square.
This is our opportunity to showcase the best hospitality industry in America. We ask that you share this flyer with your team, guests, families and friends, inviting them to join the parade on Royal Street, which is free and open to the public.
We hope to see lots of front-line professionals in uniform, and encourage you to wear your company logo. Please also bring company signs, flags or banners to carry while we march. Please let us know how many people we can count on from your organization.
Business Expo and Luncheon: Thursday, May 10, 2012, 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
In addition, on Thursday, May 10, we will hold the National Tourism Week Business Expo & Luncheon from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans at 601 Loyola Avenue, in the Celestin Ballroom on the third floor. The business expo will take place from 11 a.m. to Noon while the luncheon will begin promptly at Noon with celebrity master of ceremonies Bryan Batt. The luncheon is the CVB’s most important annual event, which draws approximately 700 members of the tourism industry. In addition to a keynote speaker, we will present awards to several deserving Champions of New Orleans’ tourism industry. Please purchase your tickets before May 1 to save.
Tourism Matters to New Orleans. Our annual Travel Rally/Parade demonstrates the power of tourism in our city as we unite and march through the streets of the French Quarter as one hospitality industry. These events also send a strong message to the national media and Louisiana policy-makers, illustrating the necessity of this multi-billion dollar industry. We hope to see you and your team at these powerful events. For more information, visit the CVB’s National Tourism Week website.
Sincerely,
Stephen Perry
President & CEO
New Orleans CVB
504-566-5049
