New Orleans & Company
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| New Orleans & Company | |
|---|---|
| Name | New Orleans & Company |
| Type | Nonprofit convention and visitors bureau |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Headquarters | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Area served | Greater New Orleans |
New Orleans & Company is the official destination marketing organization representing the city of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes. It promotes tourism, conventions, and cultural assets while working with municipal institutions, hospitality operators, arts organizations, and cultural festivals to attract visitors and business events. The organization interfaces with regional authorities, museum systems, performing arts venues, and major festivals to coordinate visitor services and convention sales.
History
Established in 1946, the organization emerged amid postwar growth when municipal leaders sought to promote Louisiana hospitality, the Port of New Orleans, and civic attractions such as the French Quarter and St. Louis Cathedral. Over decades it aligned with landmark events including Mardi Gras, the rise of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the growth of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as a convention magnet. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (2005) it coordinated recovery-focused marketing alongside the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Greater New Orleans, Inc. economic development corporation, and cultural institutions rebuilding collections at the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. The bureau has navigated shifts in the meetings industry tied to trade shows at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the expansion of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and the demands of boutique hospitality exemplified by operators such as Ace Hotel and Ritz-Carlton. Leadership changes have included executives with backgrounds at the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the U.S. Travel Association, and statewide tourism offices like Travel Oregon and Visit Florida.
Organization and Governance
The organization functions as a private non-profit with oversight by a board drawn from hotel owners, restaurant operators, cultural institutions, port interests, and municipal representatives from City of New Orleans departments. Its governance model echoes structures found at other destination marketing organizations such as Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board and Visit Austin. Key stakeholders have included executives from chains like Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International, and independent operators represented by associations such as the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau (historical collaborator). Funding streams combine transient occupancy taxes levied by parish councils, private sector membership dues from entities like Abita Brewing Company and Compagnie des Indes distributors, and cooperative marketing grants from state entities including Louisiana Office of Tourism and regional economic bodies like Greater New Orleans, Inc..
Functions and Services
The bureau conducts convention sales and services for groups targeting venues such as the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the Smoothie King Center, and hospitality clusters near Bourbon Street. It provides visitor information for attractions including the National WWII Museum, the Preservation Hall, and the Audubon Nature Institute; supports itineraries for culinary destinations like Commander’s Palace, Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, and Cochon; and offers support for meetings from associations such as the American Society of Association Executives and specialty conferences like SXSW-style events relocated temporarily. Services include convention bidding, site inspections with meeting planners from organizations like Meeting Professionals International, group housing coordination with operators such as Airbnb, Inc. and Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and crisis communications in partnership with agencies like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during public health incidents. The organization also compiles tourism data used by research entities such as Smith Travel Research and economic analysts at Tulane University and University of New Orleans.
Marketing and Economic Impact
Marketing campaigns highlight musical heritage tied to Louis Armstrong and Fats Domino, culinary traditions associated with Creole cuisine and Cajun cuisine, and cultural tourism anchored by Voodoo Music + Arts Experience and French Quarter Festival. Advertising placements have targeted feeder markets served by Delta Air Lines and international routes to Paris and Zurich to maximize convention room-night production. The bureau produces economic impact studies used by the New Orleans City Council and state legislatures to justify funding through transient occupancy taxes; these studies reference revenue flows to sectors such as hotels, restaurants, and attractions like the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Strategic campaigns have won awards from trade bodies including the Destinations International and U.S. Travel Association.
Partnerships and Community Engagement
New Orleans tourism promotion collaborates with cultural anchors such as the New Orleans Ballet Association, New Orleans Opera Association, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and neighborhood chambers like the French Quarter Business Association. It supports workforce development initiatives with hospitality training programs at Delgado Community College and apprenticeships coordinated with Hotel & Lodging Association partners. The bureau also engages with civic philanthropy efforts alongside The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation and preservationists at Historic New Orleans Collection to balance visitor promotion with heritage stewardship. Cooperative ventures extend to regional tourism offices such as Visit Baton Rouge and international consortia like UNWTO contacts for festival exchange.
Controversies and Criticism
Criticism has arisen over reliance on transient occupancy tax subsidies and perceived prioritization of large conventions over neighborhood concerns, drawing attention from the New Orleans City Council and community groups such as Restore Orleans. Debates have involved development projects near the Treme and Bywater neighborhoods, with preservation advocates at Vieux Carré Commission and labor organizers from UNITE HERE challenging hotel expansion and labor practices. Post-Katrina recovery spending, allocation of marketing dollars, and the bureau’s role in gentrification-related displacement have been subjects of scrutiny in local reporting by outlets such as the Times-Picayune and discussions at forums held by Greater New Orleans, Inc. and academic institutions like Tulane University Law School. Legal and policy disputes have occasionally involved state-level actors including the Louisiana Legislature and regulatory reviews tied to procurement and public funding.