From going on a boat ride on the Mississippi River to taking a swamp tour, there are plenty of fun offsite trips for attendees to enjoy in Louisiana. Photo courtesy of BBC Events

When the doors open for the career fair at the annual Society of Women Engineers’ (SWE) WE Conference, it can feel a bit like Black Friday. Thousands of attendees converging into one space at the same time has the potential to induce chaos and lead to security issues.

But a funny thing happened at WE25, held last fall at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Everything went smoothly, not just at the career fair, but throughout the event that attracted 14,000 attendees.

The Big Easy lived up to its name, says Karen Horting, executive director and CEO of SWE, which produces the world’s largest event for women and allies in engineering and technology each fall.

“New Orleans hosts some huge events and that’s a real advantage,” Horting says. “They’re used to having huge crowds on a regular basis.”

Hospitality is baked into the beignets, gumbo, jambalaya and po’boys in New Orleans. Each bite is a step into a culture unique in the United States.

Several destinations can fairly claim they offer authentic Southern comfort as part of their meetings and events experience. But only in Louisiana do you get a dash of cayenne and a bowl full of Creole as part of your food and beverage. “You’re not just another number to them, and I’ve always loved that,” says Casey Murphy, senior director of events for the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT).

The association, which is an organization that advocates for group transit (buses, rail, rideshare, etc.) over single-occupancy vehicles, brought back its 650-attendee conference to the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel recently. Remarkably, many of the property staff were the same hospitality professionals who assisted the event years ago.

Murphy notes their long tenure showcases the pride and joy they take in their jobs, which is reflected in the stellar service. That eagerness to please is evident across the city, especially within New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and among the staff at New Orleans & Company, the local convention and visitors bureau.

Attendees seem to know they will be in for a good time. “We always seem to draw a big crowd to New Orleans,” says Murphy.

The U.S. Freedom Pavillion: The Boeing Center at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans accommodates 650 attendees for a seated dinner or 1,000 for reception style events.

A Tale of Two Events

While both SWE and ACT are associations who overcame some external budget pressure to draw crowds last year, their groups and events couldn’t be more different.

SWE’s event is massive at 14,000 attendees. The Hilton New Orleans Riverside was the headquarters hotel, but the organization used more than a dozen properties with various price points to accommodate attendees ranging from college students to veteran engineers.

Most of the conference was spent in the convention center, one of only a handful that can seamlessly hold such large crowds. Because of the numbers, it was incumbent on participants to explore the city on their own, which many did, whether it was taking a riverboat cruise, experiencing the French Quarter or catching the Halloween Parade timed perfectly for the conference-goers.

Surprisingly, last year’s event was the first time the organization headed to The Big Easy, but surely it won’t be the last as the event has outgrown some of its previous venues.

ACT’s event, on the other hand, is relatively small for an association gathering. The two and a half days of content are spent almost exclusively in the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, whose chef makes arguably the best gumbo in New Orleans, Murphy reports. “Everywhere else we went, we tried to find one better. We couldn’t,” she says.

With a fraction of SWE’s numbers, ACT was able to organize chances to explore New Orleans. Tours were available on the first and last day. They included:

• A walk around the French Quarter
• Riverboat cruise
• Swamp tour (which sold out)
• Tour of Tulane University and its medical facilities

The art, culture, cuisine and walkability of New Orleans make it a place planners choose again and again for events. Photo courtesy of New Orleans & Company

Foodie tour

Naturally, there were transit-specific activities as well:

• An e-bike ride around the city, including into the areas most affected by Hurricane Katrina
• A citywide scavenger hunt, in which attendees rode the streetcar to find their targets

Additionally, ACT distributed gift cards so attendees could enjoy a lunch offsite at the restaurant or cafe of their choice.

The good vibes continued into the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel for the opening reception, which took on the look and feel of a masquerade ball in a speakeasy. A second-line band played and attendees danced dressed up for the theme.

For as separate as the event journeys were, the reactions from the planners and attendees were remarkably similar. “I heard nothing but positive things about New Orleans,” says Horting.

New Orleans & Company, the CVB, was very involved in making sure that it was going to be a great experience, adds Murphy.

Horting echoes the sentiment, noting the CVB worked diligently to secure dates for SEW to meet in New Orleans after the organization’s planned event there was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Safe and Sound

As one of the country’s most famous and visited destinations, New Orleans certainly has a reputation — part earned and some more fiction than fact.

The food is as good as could be hoped for, says Murphy, who put classics like gumbo and shrimp po’boys on the menu. Horting notes beignets were plentiful within the convention center, which is near one of the most popular places to get the pastry, Cafe’ du Monde, which has several locations.

Between Mardi Gras and Spring Break, New Orleans is also known by some as a party city. Responsible for 14,000 at one conference, Horting says safety is one of her top priorities. As noted earlier, security had no trouble controlling the crowds during the career fair inside the convention center. That same sense of calm and control extended outside the facility, as well.

“People felt safe and very well looked after,” says Horting, who coordinated with local security firms and police for the show, as she does at each event. Horting attributes that comfort to the city’s familiarity hosting events.

Adds Murphy: “That’s one thing I walk away with from New Orleans is they take the time and the effort to really make you feel like you’re at home.”

Murphy marvels at the attention to detail and consideration to each attendee at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. The hotel created individualized badges to note different dietary considerations, ranging from sodium concerns, plant-based eaters and various allergies. The same chef who specializes in gumbo is a vegetarian herself, and made a lentil curry that attendees raved about.

An Uplifting Experience

For a destination known for hosting events, New Orleans manages to defy expectations. Hurricane Katrina ravaged the destination just over 20 years ago, and ACT leaned into the anniversary as part of the conference’s resiliency theme. Murphy adds the city is still trying to regain its bus ridership levels from before the historic storm. But, the destination’s spirit shines through despite its adversities. “It really was an uplifting event for us,” says Murphy.

SWE offered several giveback initiatives. Attendees had the opportunity to contribute to local nonprofits supporting hunger relief, reproductive freedom, racial justice and LGBTQ+ equality. Benefiting organizations included Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, Planned Parenthood New Orleans Health Center, Vera Institute of Justice and CrescentCare (NO/AIDS Task Force).

The organization also held hands-on STEM experience for New Orleans-area students ages 10–18 to help encourage the next generation of engineers.

Positioned downtown on the Mississippi River, the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center offers 34,176 sf of total event space not far from the convention center.

Baton Rouge

As the state capital and home to Louisiana State University, whose football stadium is affectionately known as “Death Valley,” Baton Rouge is an alternative for associations seeking to avoid a Tier 1 city without making major sacrifices.

“Baton Rouge has everything a big city can offer,” says Lauren Scott, executive director of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries, an organization founded on the principles of helping children and providing women the opportunity to serve and be a vital part of their communities. “It is known for its Cajun and Creole culture and cuisine, and the Southern hospitality and festive atmosphere make it a fun place to visit.”

The National Association of Junior Auxiliaries brought 525 attendees, all women volunteers, to the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center for its Annual Education Conference last spring. The weekend gathering occurred onsite at the Hilton, which is walking distance to the waterfront and several restaurants.

“The hotel has a neat history and the Tunnel Speakeasy is a must visit,” recommends Scott. “Other features we enjoyed were the rooftop pool overlooking the Mississippi River and the historic Heidelberg Ballroom.”

Troy M. Terry, Ph.D., president of Conference of Southern Graduate Schools (CSGS) and dean of graduate studies for the University of North Georgia, is already impressed with the CVB’s energy even before his event takes place.

The team at Visit Baton Rouge proactively reached out two years ago to arrange to host the organization’s next annual meeting. The attendance was expected to be 350, including 75 graduated students participating in the 3MT competition.

“They won us over,” he says. “This was the first time a CVB had ‘wooed us’ so to speak.”

The relationship continued with a site visit for 22 members of the leadership team and executive committee last summer. They visited hotels with conference meeting space and venues for two receptions.

The Crowne Plaza Executive Center Baton Rouge is the headquarters hotel and host for the opening party poolside. The CSGS plans to incorporate higher education institutions into the programming, befitting the group’s mission.

Ultimately, the planning team broke from tradition by selecting Red Stick Social, an entertainment hub with bowling, for the larger of the two receptions.

“It is a departure venue for our group,” notes Terry. “Typically, we’ve had more staid receptions at the hotels or local university libraries, art centers or performance spaces. Red Stick Social was so unusual and interesting that they just won our group over. We are looking forward to having a reception with live music for the first time in many years.”

Other venues in Baton Rouge include Raising Cane’s River Center, which has more than 200,000 sf of event space, historic venues like Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, cultural centers and museums, and of course, a range of hotels.

Bally’s Shreveport offers 6,000 sf of meeting space, as well as a casino, nightclubs, restaurants and bars in a convenient location.

Shreveport

Shreveport-Bossier is a regional destination in northwest Louisiana. It mixes Cajun influences with Texas culture.

Associations will likely turn toward the 350,000-sf Shreveport Convention Center for most meetings, leaving the 24-hour gaming resorts (there are six casinos on the Red River) and riverfront venues for offsite activities. For a relatively small destination, Shreveport-Bossier’s 10,500 hotel rooms and 21 unique venues are an impressive assortment.

The Hilton Shreveport, connected to the Shreveport Convention Center, underwent a $4.8 million renovation with a new exterior, meeting space and guestroom upgrades, and a rooftop pool remodel.

Among the region’s best attributes is its proximity to important Southern cities. It’s driving distance to Dallas, TX (3 hours), Little Rock, AR (3.5 hours), Jackson, MS (3.25 hours) and Houston, TX (4 hours).

Lafayette

Associations in Lafayette can almost surely count on a local festival in town to help bring out the local flavor. The region loves to celebrate beer, boudin, shrimp, sugarcane, gumbo and gratons.

The Cajundome Convention Center, with approximately 100,000 sf of meeting space overall on two levels, can hold small and medium-sized association gatherings.

Swamp tours, Cypress Lake and Rip Van Winkle Gardens are among the outdoor activities for attendees to enjoy. Foodies may get a kick out of a visit to the Tabasco Factory. Acadiana Center for the Arts and The Lafayette Museum are cultural centers to take groups.

Metairie (Jefferson Parish)

The largest city in Jefferson Parish is an affordable alternative to New Orleans. The Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center and The Alario Center can accommodate mid-sized associations. A meeting here can be experience-heavy. Offerings include a swamp and bayou tour, historical walking tours, educational tours and culinary explorations like the Jefferson Parish Louisiana Oyster Trail. | AC&F |