Posts Tagged ‘New Orleans’

If you know ahead that you will be spending some business time in New Orleans this spring, you’re in for a treat. New Orleans is spectacular during the warm months of spring and as usual, the Crescent City is bursting with things to see and do. Influenced by Caribbean, European and African history, New Orleans is a brilliant mosaic of culture simply waiting to be explored.

There’s no doubt that New Orleans is exceptional when it comes to food, history, culture and spectacular architecture. The city is well known around the world for its culture, music, history and world class cuisine. If your business travel sees you in New Orleans, there are a few must-see places.

The French Quarter

The famous French Quarter is of course, one such must-see. Visiting New Orleans and not seeing the French Quarter is like going to Disneyland without getting a view of Mickey. If it’s your first time in New Orleans, a recommended hotel is the Place D’Arms. Located on Ann Street, this hotel offers an excellent location. It is close to restaurants and nighttime entertainment, as well as the St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square. The hotel, which is surrounded by 18th and 19th century buildings, is adorned with beautiful courtyards, fountains, a pool, patio and lush gardens.

Classic New Orleans Cuisine

If you’re in search of classic New Orleans food, head to Magazine Street. There you will find Bon Ton Café, which is ideal for a quick lunchtime bite or a full-course family dinner. The restaurant specializes in traditional crawfish dishes that are certain to provide a real taste of Southern cuisine. For a drink head to Pirates Alley Café in the French Quarter. This quaint pub is a local favorite that offers friendly service and an authentic drink menu.

Mardi Gras & More

Being one of the most fascinating cities in the world comes with a refined reputation for entertainment, which of course, is what the city’s Mardi Gras celebration is about. Business travelers arriving to New Orleans during the month of February may just luck out on their festival timing. Other noteworthy spring events in the city include the annual Rock n’ Roll Marathon and the Jazz Fest in April and May.

Photo courtesy of Cajun Crawfish Pie

Over the years, New Orleans, Louisiana has earned a reputation as a party destination, thanks to its indulgent parades, its raucous nightlife, and its casinos. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing in the Big Easy for young visitors. Children and teens who accompany their parents to N’awlins can find lots of kid-friendly attractions to keep them happily occupied during their trip. Here’s a look at some of the activities and attractions for young visitors in New Orleans.

• Audubon Zoo – Zoos are great places for kids and the Audubon Zoo is no exception. Home to hundreds of animals from multiple species, this 58-acre wildlife preserve features white tigers, monkeys, sea lions, white alligators, and elephants – plenty to keep the little ones entertained!
• Audubon Aquarium – Over 15,000 undersea specimens are on display at this aquarium located on the Mississippi River. Children will love the shark pool, where they can touch baby sharks, and the Amazon Rainforest exhibit, with its live anacondas and exotic birds.
• Louisiana Children’s Museum – Need to burn off some childhood energy? Take the little ones to this multi-story interactive museum with exhibits for kids of all ages. Some of the permanent exhibits include “Bubbles”, which allows children to stand inside of large bubbles, “Art Trek”, which gives them a chance to create their own artistic masterpieces, and “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”, a life-sized version of the classic PBS show set.
• The French Quarter – Think the French Quarter is only for those over 21? Think again! This lively downtown district has lots of excitement for children. Book a horse and carriage tour through the streets of the city or walk down Royal Street and let the kids enjoy performances by clowns and street musicians.
• City Park – New Orleans’ version of Central Park, City Park is home to several attractions, including the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Sculpture Gardens, Storyland, the Botanical Gardens, and the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park.
• Mardi Gras World – Kids can get Mardi Gras fever by visiting this facility, the biggest parade float manufacturer in the world. Inside, children can dress up in traditional Mardi Gras costumes, enjoy king cake, learn about the festival’s history, and watch a video presentation about New Orleans’ biggest party.

Image c/o: Linda Duchaine

New Orleans, Louisiana is famous for its annual Mardi Gras celebration, complete with its parades, parade floats, and marching bands. The name Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” in French and the week-long event is held as a final indulgence before Ash Wednesday, when Catholics around the world begin Lent, a 40-day fasting period before Easter. Despite Mardi Gras’ religious background, people of all faiths and beliefs flock to the Big Easy for this extravagant party each year.

One of the biggest aspects of Mardi Gras is the multiple parades that run through New Orleans on Fat Tuesday. Parades generally feature live music, automobiles, and, of course, giant parade floats. A growing trend among New Orleans companies is the idea of organizing their own Mardi Gras parade for their business. Since there is no “right” way to have a Mardi Gras parade, business owners can incorporate the suggestions of their employees when deciding how to plan their celebration.

Since many parades include marching bands, employers can contact local high school band directors to inquire about having a band lead the parade in their full uniforms. While many of the show-stopping floats in New Orleans are made by local manufacturer, Kern Studios, corporations that want to plan their own company Mardi Gras parade can commission a professional float designer to produce a traditional float. Often, classic Mardi Gras floats feature the colors purple, green, and gold, accompanied by jester faces, beads, and a brightly painted scene on the sides.

It’s also a great idea to decide who from the company will ride on the float. Small businesses may be able to include everyone in the festivities, while larger companies might need to draw names to select participants. Since nearly 60 “krewes” or parade groups participate in Mardi Gras each year, you might want to select a day during the festival that doesn’t have a lot of planned parades. Ask the police department for an official escort and for a map of the city so that you can plan your parade route. Do this as far in advance as possible to avoid missing an available spot in the schedule.

With a little ingenuity and planning, you and your employees can have a classic Mardi Gras parade that will advertise your business to the city and improve company morale.

Image c/o: Chasqui (Luis Tamayo)

If you’re planning a youth trip, why not host the event in the most interesting city in America: New Orleans! DMCs such as Accent DMC can help you arrange your youth trip and plan for exciting activities, guest speakers and teambuilding efforts. If you do decide to work with Accent DMC, you’ll be partnering with a New Orleans-based company that knows all the ins of the city.

Although youth trips are common amongst churches and organizations, it can be difficult to brainstorm fun, unique ideas that everyone will love. Since your group will be coming together, don’t skip out on the opportunity of a lifetime. Here are some of the fun ideas that can accompany your youth trip to New Orleans:

• Learn about animals at the Audubon Zoo and see rare species such as Bengal tigers and a Komodo dragon.
• Take a swamp tour that will put the group up close and personal with the alligators, while being one with the environment.
• Art lovers will enjoy the Ogden Museum of Southern Art that is jam packed with paintings, photography, ceramics and sculptures by Southern artists.
• Kids that love thrilling adventures will enjoy a haunted tour, viewing the “cities of the dead” and visiting New Orleans voodoo shops.
• You can’t come to New Orleans without visiting Mardi Gras World; a unique attraction that shows how Mardi Gras is made up each year, as well as Mardi Gras floats and sculptures.
• Take a two hour boat ride on the Steamboat Natchez Mississippi Tour and enjoy a Creole lunch.
• Enjoy a relaxing tour of the Garden District where youth can see historic homes and test out their own photography skills.
• Kids love dancing, so let your youth group discover the roots of jazz, bluegrass and zedeco styles of music at a live music festival.
• `Roll up your sleeves and get cooking with a cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Gumbo, Creole and other Cajun dishes are highlights here.
• Visit the African American Museum and learn about the culture and heritage through masks, musical instruments and other valuable artifacts.
• History buffs will love learning about WWII at the National WWII Museum that showcases portraits of the men and women who served in the war.

Before choosing one or more activities that your youth group will enjoy, remember to consider the ages of the group, their interests, your timeline and budget. With the scenic history that New Orleans offers, it’s easy to spend a weekend in this grand city without spending much. Working with a DMC will help you get the best rates and access to the most interesting tours that will bring everyone together.

Image: Jjarivera

If you’re planning on hosting a corporate event in New Orleans, you’ve chosen a dynamic location that has the perfect balance of entertainment and cultural history. New Orleans is a popular choice to host corporate events, as the warm climate makes travel easy, and the tourist-friendly community caters to visitors. Not to mention, it’s easy to host your event any time of the day, while allowing corporate employees to catch some fun of their own later on. Most companies welcome the opportunity to learn about the culture of New Orleans, as well by paying a visit to such historic landmarks as the French Quarter.

To make your corporate event all the more interesting, you’ll need to have some creative ideas set aside for the special date. Since New Orleans is one of the most unique cities in America, there’s almost always something going on. To align your corporate event with what’s going on in the city, it’s best to work with a DMC like Accent DMC. This team of DMCs knows what events are going on and which ones can elaborate on your event. Knowing all the details of the city, you can pick the best time to host a corporate event.

Here are a few examples of corporate event ideas for your New Orleans event:

Pitching horseshoes for some competitive fun

Listening to live music at a music festival that features a collection of jazz, reggae and blues

Taking a tour of the city or places within the city such as the Garden District, French Quarter or cemeteries

For a spooky good time, taking part in a haunted history tour that travels to haunted places and cemeteries

Riverboat rides and classy dinners off the Mississippi River

A cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking

Finding your spiritual side by visiting a tarot card reader or fortune teller

Visiting the Audubon Zoo and Aquarium

Taking a swamp tour and seeing alligators up close

Exploring your creative side with a New Orleans School of Glass Blowing class

DMCs like Accent DMC can also arrange for guest speakers to speak at your corporate event to make the day more interesting. Depending on the needs of your business and what goals you hope to accomplish, DMCs will be best able to align the vision of your company with the interests of your employees. Teambuilding activities can be hosted around the meetings, providing ample opportunities for your team to come together in a fun, relaxing environment that fosters creativity and passion.

Start planning your New Orleans corporate event today!

Image: accent-dmc.com

Planning a trip to New Orleans this fall? The city is holding several events that you might enjoy visiting in the next few months. There’s something for everyone, including musical performances, live shows, festivals, and great food.

• FestiGals Women’s Weekend Getaway – A festival created for women by women, FestiGals is a women’s weekend retreat in the bustling and historic French Quarter. FestiGals was created to help women celebrate womanhood, fashion, food, friendship and each other. It’s a unique combination of conference and vacation getaway. Thursday, October 6th through Sunday, October 9th, 2011.
• “Thursdays at Twilight” – Every Thursday through October 13, 2011, the city holds an evening of live jazz music in the New Orleans Botanical Garden. Guests can enjoy light refreshments while strolling through the garden and listening to live performances of Latin American, jazz, and classical music.
• Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival – From October 14 to 16, 2011, the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival will be held. Featuring performances from live blues musicians, the festival will include food and crafts vendors, CDs, t-shirts, and an Oral History Stage where performers will tell visitors about their lives and experiences in the music industry.
• 22nd Annual New Orleans Film Festival – Each year, the New Orleans Film Society holds an annual film festival. In 2011, the festival will be held from October 14 through 20 and will feature entries from new and undiscovered directors, producers, and screenwriters. The Film Society will award honors to standout films during the festival.
• New Orleans Fashion Week – Fashion Week in New Orleans features designs from clothing designers, runway shows, educational workshops, and fashion luncheons. This annual event will be held during the third week of October.
• The New Orleans Fringe Festival - A five day festival, the Fringe Festival showcases live theater performances of all genres, including acrobatic performing groups, spoken word artists, performance artists, and a parade. The 2011 Fringe Festival will be held from November 16 through November 20.
• The Oak Street Po-Boy Festival – Food lovers unite! New Orleans’ signature sandwich, the Po’ Boy, is the star of this one-day festival. Food street vendors will be offered several different varieties of the classic sandwich, along with live music, hand crafts, and vintage books. The Po’Boy Festival will be held on November 20, 2011, in the Carrollton section of New Orleans.
• The Bayou Classic – Football fanatics converge on NOLA during the last weekend of November for The Bayou Classic, a rivalry matchup between the Southern University Jaguars and the Grambling University Tigers. This annual meeting between two of the country’s oldest historically Black colleges features a “Battle of the Bands” competition.

Image c/o: bdearth

It’s been seven years since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city of New Orleans and the surrounding area. It took a few years for the city to rebuild, but since then, New Orleans has rebounded nicely, re-establishing itself as a major tourism destination for visitors and conventions. The Big Easy has plenty of sights, resources, and events to keep convention goers comfortable and entertained during their stay.

• Convention resources – The New Orleans Convention and Visitor’s Bureau offers meeting professionals plenty of services to make their event go smoothly. The bureau has a “Team New Orleans” with experienced staffers who specialize in meeting planning and public relations. The city has outstanding meeting facilities, including the New Orleans Morial Convention Center, which features over a million square feet of exhibit space.
• Dining – Guests at conventions need to eat well to be attentive at their events. New Orleans offers some of the best cuisine in the United States, featuring traditional Cajun dishes and Southern cooking. Restaurants are available for every budget, from the low-priced delis to the high-end culinary establishments.
• Lodging – The city of New Orleans has more than 20,000 different hotel rooms, so there are plenty of accommodations for travelers attending local events. Several hotels are located in or near the Central Business District, which houses several of the city’s meeting facilities.
• Nightlife and shopping – New Orleans is renowned for its entertainment district. The French Quarter hosts a carnival atmosphere almost every night, but especially on weekends. Many of the city’s restaurants and bars downtown feature regular specials on drinks during Happy Hour and into the evening. Shoppers also enjoy a trip to NOLA because of the city’s unique niche stores. Vintage clothing and books are on sale in the eclectic Magazine Street shopping district and high-end boutique browsers can also find their fill of luxury goods throughout the city.
• Transportation – Visitors can take public transportation to many of the hotspots in New Orleans. The city offers tram and bus fare for a reasonable rate and guests can book rental cars and taxicabs as needed. Adventurous sightseers might enjoy a ride on one of the city’s classic riverboats.

Image c/o: Reading Tom

According to the New Orleans City Business, “Destination Management firms have had to adjust to new clients.” Apparently, “fewer corporate conventions in New Orleans are changing their staffing, productivity, and public relations for the destination management companies.” This needs to be done because the decline of clients took place post-Katrina.

Before talking any further about DMC clients, what exactly is DMC?  DMC stands for “Destination Managment Companies.” According to Thomas Leggett of the New Orleans City Business, “they help groups and convention planners with lodging, transportation, entertainment, staffing, and other planning needs.”

National conventions are the lifeblood of DMC business. When organizers of a national convention look to booking amenities, lodging and other concerns for their event, they may not be familiar with the area or have the network, contacts and resources necessary to get the best rates. They may also not be aware of the reputation of companies in a city that is foreign to them, so they can’t be sure they’re choosing the right providers for their needs. A local DMC has extensive contacts, knows the best deals and is familiar with local providers. DMCs are contracted by national convention planners to make local arrangements that would be difficult or risky for someone outside of the area to attempt.

In New Orleans, a lot of people stopped using DMC companies shortly after the devastation of Katrina. Because of Katrina, a lot of staff was lost and many people had to relocate, thus cutting down on clients. Now that DMC has finally bounced back with new staff and resources, new clients are starting to jump on board and take advantage of DMC’s services. Prior to this change, other clients were forced to “relocate to other cities” in order for businesses to continue.

Musicians who also provided entertainment through DMC could no longer entertain regular clients because they had to move away because of the economy and ongoing “labor problems.” Unfortunately, many people still living outside of New Orleans think that DMC is not standing firm so there have been no sign-ups. DMC is hoping to bring back as many clients as possible to build back up its reputation.

Source: New Orleans City Business

Image: Wikimedia Commons

New Orleans is home to the cheapest dry martinis among popular travel cities

“Budgets are tight, and meeting planners are challenged more than ever to create better meetings with shrinking budgets. Meeting professionals looking for a great place to bring your next corporate meeting or incentive should look no further” says Diane B. Lyons, CMP, DMCP, President of the premier meeting and event planning company in New Orleans, ACCENT on Arrangements-DMC. Says this report from Trip Advisor shows clearly that New Orleans remains a great bargain for attendees.

In today’s tough economic times, who doesn’t want to get more for their money with travel? After all, a less expensive travel destination means either more savings, or more money to do fun stuff while you’re there. And in the case of New Orleans, that means more dry martinis!

The survey was released TripAdvisor.com and the data was based a new cost comparison guide called TripIndex , which found New Orleans to be the 3^rd least expensive US travel city among the top 15 hotspots in the U.S. Las Vegas headed the list and Dallas was just pennies above New Orleans. The survey looked at the combined cost of one night’s stay at a four start hotel, a core food item (pizza), one alcoholic drink (a dry martini)and the cost of transportation – in this case a taxi ride.

Ranking Factors

There are many reasons New Orleans makes the list for most affordable travel, and they are many of the reasons people love coming to New Orleans in the first place. These include:

• Walkability – many people cite the ability to walk almost anywhere as a favorite reason to visit New Orleans. Even when traveling on business , it’s possible to spend several days in the city and only need transportation to get to and from the airport.
• Streetcars – For those who would rather not walk, the streetcar system connects the French Quarter area to many popular areas of the city – and a single ride costs just over $1.25.
• Free stuff – Visitors to New Orleans enjoy many things for free that they might otherwise have to pay for in other spots. Things like parks, free concerts and festivals rank high on the list.
• Competition – With the great number of bars, restaurants and hotels in the city, businesses must offer competitive prices in order to lure in savvy travelers.

Use our savings for a better business meetings

With so many low cost fun activities, there has never been a better time to host a meeting, conference or trade show in New Orleans. Working with an experienced destination management company is a great way to help maximize your meeting budget by taking advantage of these amenities - allowing you to create a great meeting at a great price!

•  See the full graphics here at TripIndex

Have you been considering hosting a meeting, conference or other special event in New Orleans but aren’t quite sure where to start?  The good news is you’ve come to the right place.

Welcome to the ACCENT DMC blog – where we discuss all things related to putting on a great New Orleans event like a meeting, trade show or conference.  The staff at ACCENT has been doing this since 1991 and now we’re going to share our experience with you!

What We Do

From initial contact, ACCENT on Arrangements-DMC is ready to work for you by providing destination management services for your New Orleans event.

Imagine…

All of your event needs handled in one call.
Every transport, every meal, every event, every tour.
Every facet of your event… Taken care of… Any size, anytime.

ACCENT on Arrangements-DMC is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and will create the perfect event to fit your budget, focus, and business needs, allowing you the opportunity to enjoy the event and the City of New Orleans.

ACCENT on Arrangements-DMC thrives to make the impossible possible. Every event is customized with the greatest attention to detail. Creating exceptional events, memorable meetings and distinctive conventions is our job, but exceeding our clients’ expectations is our passion.