The New Orleans tourism industry is hard at work preparing best practices across all sectors aimed at welcoming you to New Orleans safely. The Governor of Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans have launched into Phase 2 and we have created a communication strategy as you plan and promote your virtual or in-person event in New Orleans.

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City Updates & Safety Protocols | Keep New Orleans Top of Mind | Stay Social While Social Distancing | Site Inspections & Virtual Sites | Event Support Services & Housing | Local & Regional Outreach | Finalize | Media Outreach | Virtual Meeting Resources

• Visit our Coronavirus Safety Moving Forward page for details on the latest sanitation, social distancing and cleanliness protocols in place with our partners across the city
• Provide New Orleans updates, like our Phased Reopening FAQs, on your conference website or request a customized microsite
• Schedule a call to discuss strategies and tactics with Tara Letort, CMP (tletort@neworleans.com) and/or Erica De La Rosa (edelarosa@neworleans.com) from our Group PR team.

Whether you're holding a fully virtual or hybrid event, leverage our robust library of New Orleans content and connections to local experts to bring some local flavor to your meeting.

• Play New Orleans videos in between sessions or during breaks for a change of pace
• Host a virtual happy hour by hiring an expert New Orleans mixologist or drink historian to engage attendees
• Host a virtual cooking class with an award-winning New Orleans chef 
• Use our playlist of New Orleans how-tos or our Let's Talk NOLA series featuring local vocabulary, to keep the learning going after your sessions
• Offer New Orleans-themed backgrounds for your attendees or speakers (like these, from our partners at the Preservation Resource Center)
• Find some New Orleans tunes to bring an upbeat mood during or between sessions 
• Hire a local band to perform a virtual set to kick-off or close out the meeting - or just get your attendees up and dancing!

• Ensure that your marketing/PR teams are aware of the complimentary marketing and attendance-building tools available to leverage all that New Orleans has to offer 
• Coordinate with the Convention Services team to provide a “live” welcome at your virtual event
• Download New Orleans images and promotional videos to include on your conference website
• Create/send save the date e-blasts and digital postcards with links to encourage attendees to Experience New Orleans from Home 

• Implement a social media strategy and launch your conference hashtag
• Encourage your attendees to share their New Orleans stories about why they can’t wait to return on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn using #OneTimeinNOLA
• Provide New Orleans promotional video that shows the hospitality community engaged in practicing cleanliness and safety measure
• Continue to promote your customized microsite, ensure the link is prominent on your conference website, and promote across social media channels
• Send monthly “Let’s Talk NOLA” contest videos and, if applicable, begin planning a contest via email or social media using monthly videos with New Orleans-themed incentives
• Add a New Orleans-themed banner to your email signature line promoting your upcoming event and linking back to the microsite 
• Request New Orleans-themed ads from New Orleans & Company to include on your homepage, industry websites or publications
• Create reminder e-blasts and newsletters (e.g.: Early Bird Registration Ending Soon) and include your microsite link to encourage your attendees to start planning their trip or take advantage of virtual experiences 
• Send us your conference hashtag so @VisitNewOrleans can engage with the conversation and your attendees on social media

• Plan and execute in-person site inspections with proper safety and cleanliness protocols or work with our team to facilitate virtual site inspections with our local members 
• Partners can provide links to event space and, in many cases, “live” walk throughs of meeting space 
• Take photos of site visit and post on social (LinkedIn) to promote upcoming event in New Orleans 
• Capture short video of leadership (chairperson, President, etc.) or Facebook Live, in iconic New Orleans location, eating iconic New Orleans cuisine, etc. showing “new normal” 

• Experience a citywide virtual tour with Xplorit
• Discuss welcome program elements with your Convention Services Manager, if applicable
• Request a quote for convention staffing
• Create customized maps for citywide meetings that include all hotels in your block
  Experient is our official housing partner for groups of 1,800 or more on peak night
• Coordinate pre-convention meetings for multi-hotel events

• Send RFP’s to our member community for your event needs (transportation, unique venues, Destination Management Companies) 
• Connect your association’s exhibitors to more than 1,100 local members that supply services to the meetings industry 
• Assist with targeted outreach to students and local industry professionals that may be interested in attending from the local and drive-in markets 
• Utilize New Orleans & Company to obtain a list of potential CSR opportunities in the city  

• Last minute registration push via e-blasts, newsletters, social media updates, etc.
• Send final “Let’s Talk NOLA” contest videos and announce winners  
• Create attendee, exhibitor and “What To Know Before You Go” newsletters encouraging attendees to build itineraries on NewOrleans.com (or your custom microsite) for their free time and make restaurant reservations  
• Encourage attendees to download the Official Visitors Guide 

• Remind your industry publications to join you for the latest updates in New Orleans. New Orleans & Company can aid visiting media with local information and content for their stories
• New Orleans & Company will supply a local media contact list and counsel on best way to obtain coverage
• Company’s Coming! New Orleans & Company will include details of your conference on the Membership Extranet, which reaches more than 1,100+ member businesses, so they can roll out the red carpet for your attendees
• Distribute media alert to local media to help garner local media coverage