Major Conventions and Meetings Position New Orleans for a Strong Finish to 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2026

Media Contacts Rhonda Cook, 504-616-6161, rcook@neworleans.com

Will Chaney, 504-908-7798, wchaney@neworleans.com

Major Conventions and Meetings Position New Orleans for a Strong Finish to 2026

New Orleans & Company and the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center secured and are hosting 14 major meetings and conventions from September - December bringing at least 225,000 attendees from dozens of countries and stimulating economic activity across New Orleans and Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS, LA – September 25, 2026 – New Orleans is entering the final months of 2026 with strong momentum in the meetings and conventions market, welcoming at least 225,000 attendees from more than 60 countries for 14 major conventions, conferences and meetings between September and the end of the year at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Hundreds of additional meetings and events will take place in hotels and other venues throughout the city during the same period. The strong convention calendar adds to a busy time for leisure visitation with Saints home football games, NOLAxNOLA, fall festivals and Halloween festivities.

A calendar this strong does not happen overnight. Many of these meetings reflect years—and in some cases decades—of sales work, relationship-building, destination investment and partnership among New Orleans & Company, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the hotel community and the thousands of hospitality professionals who make New Orleans Built to Host.

The fall 2026 convention calendar includes leading organizations representing healthcare, science, business, the environment, workforce and employee benefits, maritime industries and more. Among them are Psych Congress, YMCA of the USA, the Water Environment Federation, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Diving Equipment and Marketing Association, International WorkBoat Show, National Association of Realtors, American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Hematology.

Meetings and conventions are foundational to New Orleans' visitor economy. They generate business for hotels, restaurants, transportation companies, attractions, cultural organizations and countless small businesses, supporting jobs and economic activity throughout the region and across Louisiana.

“Every convention is an opportunity—to strengthen our economy, support our people, showcase our city and build relationships that can endure long after the meeting ends,” said Walt Leger III, President and CEO of New Orleans & Company, the official destination sales and marketing organization for the New Orleans tourism industry.

“We are extremely proud of the work our Convention Sales team and our partners are doing to secure this business in an increasingly competitive landscape. Destinations across the country are making significant investments in convention centers, headquarters hotels and visitor infrastructure. Cities that once may not have been viewed as direct competitors are now aggressively pursuing the same meetings and conventions. That makes our team's success in bringing this business to New Orleans even more significant—and reinforces why we must continue investing in our ability to compete.”

New Orleans is doing just that. The planned 1,000-room Omni New Orleans headquarters hotel is expected to break ground in late 2026 and open in 2030, providing a critical new asset adjacent to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and strengthening the city's ability to compete for major meetings and conventions.

As these visitors arrive, the opportunity extends well beyond the convention center. Attendees will experience New Orleans through its restaurants, museums, music venues, shops, attractions, neighborhoods and people—spreading the economic impact of these meetings throughout the community.

And every successful convention creates an opportunity that extends beyond a single visit: to turn an attendee into a future leisure visitor, an advocate for New Orleans, a repeat customer or even a future investor.

That is why winning meetings and conventions matters. We are not simply filling a convention calendar. We are building relationships, supporting jobs and businesses, and creating future demand for New Orleans.

Fall 2026 Major Convention Lineup

About New Orleans & Company
New Orleans & Company is the official destination sales and marketing organization for New Orleans’ tourism industry. We work to attract leisure visitors, meetings, conventions and major events to New Orleans, strengthening the city’s economy, supporting local businesses and jobs, and generating economic impact that benefits communities throughout Louisiana.

Founded in 1960, our mission is to inspire, promote and encourage travel to New Orleans for the economic, social and community benefit of our city and its people. Our work is driven by a belief that a strong visitor economy should strengthen New Orleans as a place to live, work, learn, invest and visit—and reinforce its position as one of the world’s most remarkable, unique and welcoming cities.

For more information, visit NewOrleans.com⁠ or follow @VisitNewOrleans and @NewOrleansandCo.