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.

Event Transportation Systems (ETS) can coordinate large group arrivals and departures from the airport in style with our eco-friendly shuttles, VIP and executive transportation options. Your guests will be met by our friendly and professional staff who embody the warmth and charm of Southern Louisiana.

Meeting planners regularly vote the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center as one of the top facilities, and recent renovations have made it one of the most technologically-advanced and flexible convention centers. It offers more than one million square feet of exhibit space, 140 meetings rooms, and a 4,000-seat auditorium.

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.

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.

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 we like to provide a little lagniappe ourselves with our ground transportation services for meetings and conventions. Eric Hotard, ETS CEO and president, grew up in the transportation business and operated a family-owned bus transportation business in New Orleans for many years. He is familiar with every nook and cranny of the city and has deep relationships that always prove to be an asset when executing transportation services for city-wide meetings and events. ETS can also support sponsorship programs with shuttle bus banner advertising and sponsored video content. Contact us to find out more.