New Orleans News | Press

New Orleans' monthly Media Update covers the latest travel and tourism developments around town. Please email jhollings@neworleans.com to be added to our media mailing list.

What’s New in New Orleans Hospitality Industry – January 2020

NEW DEVELOPMENTS:

• Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport opened the new 972,000 square-foot facility on November 6^th.    
  • This new, world-class terminal complex has completely replaced the former facility.
  • The $1 billion project includes in-line baggage screening, a consolidated security checkpoint to three concourses and 35 gates, a 2,200-car parking garage and more concessions options located down the concourse center aisles. 
  • Food and beverage concessions and news, gift and specialty treat retail concessions feature a mix of local brands representative of Louisiana and New Orleans as well as national brands that appeal to both the local and visiting passengers, including Shake Shack, Mondo, Leah’s Kitchen, Emeril’s Table, MoPho and more.
  • The new facility is expected to increase the airport’s economic impact by approximately 20% in the next five years and will support 64,000 jobs and $6.4 billion in local spending.
• M.S. Rau Antiques, the internationally recognized antiques dealer in the French Quarter, unveiled their multi-million-dollar new retail gallery expansion to the public last month.
  • Now, the gallery’s footprint in the French Quarter covers nearly 40,000 square feet of indoor space over three floors and four open courtyards that encompasses the entire block.

For a full list of developments, click here.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Mardi Gras season officially kicks off in New Orleans on Monday, January 6^th, known as Twelfth Night. Parades will continue through Mardi Gras Day on Tuesday, February 25^th. 
  • Carnival Season welcomes more than one million people to the streets of New Orleans and generates more than $1 billion in economic impact.
  • The Krewe of Rex chose the colors of Mardi Gras in 1872, with purple representing justice, gold representing power and green representing faith.
  • There are a handful of smaller walking Krewes that parade through the French Quarter and Marigny in the weeks and days leading up to Mardi Gras Day. These Krewes usually have very specific themes such as the Krewe of Cork who celebrate wine and food and the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus which is most known for their love of all things science fiction and ‘tit Rex which is New Orleans’ first and only MicroKrewe that makes floats out of shoeboxes.

• The 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship will take place in New Orleans at 7 p.m. CST on January 13^th in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome where the Fiesta Bowl Champion will face the Peach Bowl Champion for the overall title. Various events will take place around the city leading up to the game.
  • The Allstate Championship Tailgate Plaza will host the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! concert series throughout the weekend at Woldenberg Park featuring free concerts from H.E.R., Nas, Bastille, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Megan Trainor, Judah & the Lion and Tim McGraw.
  • The Playoff Fan Central will take place at the Convention Center January 11^th-13^th with 200,000 square feet of interactive experiences that are free and family-friendly.
  • Media Day will take place at Xavier University’s Convocation Center on January 11^th where teams, players and coaches will be interviewed.
  • The Extra Yard 5K will take place on January 12^th. The 3.1-mile run/walk will begin at 8 a.m. in Lafayette square, head up through the French Quarter and end in Lafayette Square.
  • Eckrich Taste of the Championship, presented by Thrillist, will take place at Mardi Gras World on January 12^th. This fundraising event for the CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers Initiative will feature dozens of dishes and drinks made by some of New Orleans’ best chefs. Tickets can be purchased here.
    • For more information on these events, click here.

For a full list of events, click here.

HOTELS:

• Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will open a new property in New Orleans, scheduled to open in early 2020. The Kimpton Hotel Fontenot will pay homage to the city’s rich musical history and the inspirational musicians behind it.
  • The 202-room hotel is located at the corner of Poydras and Tchoupitoulas Streets in the Warehouse District and will feature a signature restaurant and bar, and a corner café.
• Local hospitality group Leblanc + Smith has added Hotel Chloë to their portfolio, a boutique-style hotel, featuring 14 rooms including a restaurant, pool, pool bar and lobby bar. Hotel Chloë will be located Uptown on Saint Charles Avenue and is expected to open in March 2020.
   
• Virgin Hotels New Orleans will open their latest lifestyle hotel in the city’s Warehouse District located at 550 Baronne Street in 2021. The project officially broke ground earlier this year in May. 

RESTAURANTS:

• Antoine’s Restaurant will celebrate 180 years in business with a series of special events, menus and commemorations throughout 2020. As one of New Orleans’ culinary grand dames, Antoine’s legacy and heritage of French-Creole cuisine has stood the test of time unlike any restaurant in America.
  • Antoine’s is the birthplace of the world-famous Oysters Rockefeller, the oldest family-owned restaurant in the country and the oldest business in New Orleans.
  • Under the guidance of Executive Chef Rich Lee and fifth generation CEO Rick Blount – the great great grandson of founder Antoine Alciatore – 2020 will be a year of commemorating traditional New Orleans cooking as well as its evolution.
• Broussard’s Restaurant & Courtyard, one of the original grande dame dining establishments in the French Quarter, will celebrate its 100^th anniversary throughout 2020. The revelry will begin with a special kick-off event with a 100-glass champagne toast and will continue throughout the year with specialty menus, drinks and special events.

NEW DIRECT FLIGHTS:

• Condor Airlines will return for its third season with flights to Frankfurt, Germany from May 23^rd – September 19^th, 2020.
• Air Transat began a twice weekly nonstop service to Montréal, Canada in November 2019. The flight was extended to a year-round service before the launch.
• Frontier Airlines began a twice weekly service to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) in November 2019.
• British Airways announced a sixth frequency to London in November. The Monday-Saturday service will begin on March 29^th, 2020.  

MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS:

                Meetings (3,000 or more in attendance) includes:

• Wizard World 2020 | January 3^rd-5^th
  • Wizard World events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, music, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic
    novels, toys, collectibles, original art and world-class programming in a one-of-a-kind comic convention environment.
  • Projected attendance: 25,000
• Jazz Education Network Annual Conference | January 7^th-10^th
  • The annual conference brings together jazz beginners and experts for an event that’s part music festival, part networking and part education.
  • Projected attendance: 3,500
• Clarion UX Halloween Party & Expo | January 17^th-19^th
  • The Halloween & Party Expo is North America's only event that brings Halloween, party and haunt together. This expo features thousands of new products being released for the 2020 season.
  • Projected attendance: 6,500
• Lifeway Christian Resources Living Proof Live | January 17^th-18^th
  • Living Proof Live is lead by the best-selling author, Beth Moore. Travis Cottrell, a Dove Award-winning worship leader, will be there to help attendees experience the true meaning of worship.
  • Projected attendance: 3,000
• American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) Annual Convention & Traffic Expo | January 24^th-28^th
  • This convention includes more than 3,500 roadway safety professionals and features the latest products and services for the industry. Roadway safety professionals will have access to a wide variety of cutting-edge traffic safety solutions, state-of-the-art roadway safety vehicles and heavy equipment.
  • There will also be a high-quality line-up of education and information sessions meant to introduce attendees to new safety innovations, earn CEU credits and raise the level of engagement in the industry.
  • Projected attendance: 3,500
• Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) 56^th Annual Meeting | January 25^th-28^th
  • Projected attendance: 5,000
• Check Point Software Technologies CPX 360 2020 | January 27^th-30^th
  • Attendees will receive the newest intelligence about global threats and other vital topics from the world’s leading cyber security experts. CPX 360 also allows attendees to get experience with cutting-edge security solutions from Check Point.
  • Projected attendance: 3,500

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Media Contact
Julia Hollings
504-566-5019
jhollings@neworleans.com

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