Event Transportation in New Orleans, Louisiana
For a flavor all its own, nothing compares to a convention or meeting held in New Orleans, Louisiana. From gumbo to the Garden District, New Orleans rolls out the welcome mat with its own unique culture and way of life…with a little bit extra the locals call lagniappe.
New Orleans was named the “Most Meeting Friendly Destination” by ConventionSouth magazine, and is known for its European-style flair, especially in the French Quarter, where boutique hotels mix with stately residences featuring cast-iron balconies. The city is home to more National Historic Landmarks than any other in the U.S. and is filled with art, music, history and culture.
Known as the Crescent City, New Orleans is conveniently located in the center of the United States where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico. Convention attendees can fly in and out of the Louis Armstrong International Airport, located just 20 minutes from downtown.
President and CEO Eric Hotard of Event Transportation Systems (ETS) grew up in New Orleans and managed a family transportation business for years before launching ETS. He and his team are extremely knowledgeable about New Orleans and all the nuances of planning transportation for meetings and events.
His team of transportation experts can plan and execute large group arrivals and departures from the airport, VIP and executive transportation options and shuttle systems for large meetings and conventions.
New Orleans Meeting Venues
With 1.1 million square feet of prime, contiguous exhibit space, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is the sixth largest convention center in the nation, and it consistently ranks in the country’s top ten of venues that hold the most conventions and tradeshows annually.
The Mercedez-Benz Superdome has also undergone a transformation including redesigned Club Lounges, additional escalator access and a new outer surface. Other selections include the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, LA overlooking Lake Pontchartrain, and the New Orleans Arena.
The infrastructure of New Orleans offers more than 35,000 hotel rooms, and a downtown area close to hotels, convention facilities, the French Quarter and attractions.
Event Locations
Distinctly different neighborhoods offer numerous options for event locations. There’s the eclectic Arts District, the historic French Quarter, and the modern luxury of the Central Business District. Unique events can be held on the Creole Queen paddlewheeler, in a haunted mansion, or within a secret garden like the Longue Vue House. There are also interesting sporting options such as the NFL New Orleans Saints, fishing boats or year-round golf. Ideal venues for social events include AIA New Orleans Center for Design, Audubon Aquarium, Celebration Distillation the oldest premium rum distillery in the U.S., Fulton Alley for boutique bowling, Harrah’s New Orleans Casino, the House of Blues, the Irish Cultural Museum, or Musee Conti Wax Museum New Orleans, to name a few.
Dining and Entertainment
New Orleans is renowned for its French/Cajun culture and events like Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, and is ranked one of the top destinations in the world for night life, and third in Food & Wine destinations. The New York Times named it one of its “52 Places to go in 2015.”
Visitors can enjoy its Creole, Soul and French cuisine with celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse and John Besh, and can start the morning with a mouthwatering beignet and a steaming café au lait, and end the day with shrimp creole and flaming bananas foster (originated at Brennan’s Restaurant in 1951).
Activities unique to New Orleans are plentiful in the pleasant year-round climate. Feed an alligator, stroll through one of its “cities of the dead” mid-century, above-ground cemeteries, take a swamp or ghost tour, or learn about Voodoo culture. Take advantage of the local music scene with its jazz clubs, strolling brass bands and the incomparable Preservation Hall jazz band. Additional attractions to include in tour itineraries are The French Quarter, the Edgar Degas House Historic Home, Entergy IMAX Theatre, Laura: a Creole Plantation, the Louisiana State Museum, McIlhenny Company Tabasco, the National WWII Museum, cooking or church tours, and the New Orleans Museum of Art.
At Event Transportation Systems, we like to provide a little lagniappe ourselves with our ground transportation services for meetings and conventions. Because Eric Hotard and his team are familiar with every nook and cranny of the city and have deep relationships that go back more than 30 years, ETS is the number one choice for meeting planners looking for a transportation management company.
ETS can also support sponsorship programs with shuttle bus banner advertising and sponsored video content.
Contact us to find out more.
