Children’s Hospital New Orleans Holiday rolled through French Quarter and Downtown

Friday, December 9, 2022 – Over the weekend, New Orleans hosted the French President and First Lady to celebrate shared culture with France as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce holding their meeting to drive U.S. communities forward and brainstorm national business challenges.  

His Excellency Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, visited the city on Friday, December 2, marking the first visit for a French President to the city in over 40 years. President Macron started his visit meeting Mayor Latoya Cantrell in Jackson Square and later met with Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards at the Historic New Orleans Collection to discuss climate change.  

President Macron also visited the New Orleans Museum of Art to speak about new French language initiatives, including the creation of a fund to support French language education. He also attended a round-table dinner with musicians as well as others from the music and film industries. After dinner, President Macron spent time on Frenchmen Street enjoying some live jazz.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted its biannual Association Committee of 100 (C100) meeting at the Ritz Carlton Hotel wrapping up their two-day program on Tuesday, December 6. For more than 60 years, leading association executives have gathered under the banner of the U.S. Chamber’s C100 to network, build partnerships, and discuss current issues. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

“This past weekend epitomizes how New Orleans is built to host,” said Walt Leger III, Incoming President and CEO of New Orleans & Company. “New Orleans is the perfect destination where business leaders and government officials can come to do business while also immersing themselves in the great culture the city has to offer.” 

While the city hosted a foreign dignitary and a high-profile meeting, the Children’s Hospital New Orleans Holiday Parade rolled through parts of the French Quarter and Central Business District spreading Christmas cheer and ending with a music festival in Lafayette Square. 

This weekend, the city will be welcoming over 20,000 attendees for the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting. The 64th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition will be held at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center from December 10-13. The science presented at ASH will challenge long-held clinical practice norms and aim to improve the future of care for all people living with blood disorders. 

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