The New Orleans tourism industry is hard at work preparing best practices across all sectors aimed at welcoming you to New Orleans safely. 

Jump to a section:

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
• Learn more about Hurricane Ida recovery and relief efforts you can get involved with 
• Schedule a call to discuss strategies and tactics with our Group PR team, Tara Letort, CMP (tletort@neworleans.com) and Erica De La Rosa (edelarosa@neworleans.com) 

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 register or 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
• Share a New Orleans promotional video featuring local celebrities, or showing 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” 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 the “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