Trade Show Executive

a true sense of arrival at the front door.”
Other features of The Great Hall include:
• Finishes similar to those found in
hotel ballrooms, including milled carpet,
wall coverings and décor reflective of
New Orleans;
• Advanced sound, lighting and technology
capabilities, including an energyefficient
LED lighting; system that offers
nearly unlimited color combinations;
• An unusual layered ceiling concept;
• The ability to transition from an
intimate setting to a more open room
environment; and
• Exhibit hall standards, including utility
floor boxes, rigging points and easy access.
In the past, a
competitive disadvantage
for New Orleans was not
having a large columnfree
ballroom. With the
new Great Hall, we have
addressed that concern.
We also enhanced the
overall visitor experience
by adding a redesigned
main entrance that
provides a true sense of
arrival at the front door.
Bob Johnson, PRESIDENT & GM
OF THE CONVENTION CENTER
“Because this was a conversion from
exhibit space, one of The Great Hall’s
unique advantages is that it retained all
of the important features of an exhibit
hall, such as floor utility boxes and heavier
rigging points, but with the feel of a hotel
ballroom,” said Tim Hemphill, VP sales
and marketing at the convention center.
“The Great Hall remains contiguous and
can open up to all of the other halls, which
makes the space even more functional
for show managers and meeting planners.”
The ballroom and entryway
renovations follow $93 million in
improvements made to the 27-year-old
facility over the past five years. These
include a complete makeover of the
interior lobbies, a repainted exterior,
new lobby furniture, digital signage,
key card entry at meeting rooms and
a fully redundant Internet backbone.
The entire convention center boasts
1.1 million square feet of prime exhibit
space, and is tied for sixth place with the
Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville,
according to rankings by size in
the Trade Show Executive World’s Top Convention
Centers directory. The convention
center also offers 140 meeting rooms
and a 4,000-seat auditorium.
The NFL Shop for Super Bowl XLVII,
which opened immediately following
The Great Hall’s official ribbon-cutting
ceremony, was the first official use of
the new space.
The Hyatt Regency
The renovated Hyatt Regency New
Orleans served as headquarters hotel
for the Super Bowl. The hotel offers
200,000 square feet of flexible meeting
and exhibit space, including the 50,000
square foot Elite Hall, two 25,000 square
foot ballrooms and 70 meeting rooms.
Special Event Venues
Two of the newer special event
venues in New Orleans include:
• The recently opened NOLA Motorsports
Park, which has space available
for meetings and events, as well as go
kart, motorcycle and race car driving
experiences; and
• The National World War II Museum
with its brand new U.S. Freedom
Pavilion that honors those who
fought in World War II.
Airport Modernization
Someone once advised starting with
the airport to improve the perception
of a city. Modernization projects totaling
$300 million are underway at Louis
Armstrong New Orleans International
Airport. These include construction of
a new rental car facility, a new security
and communications center, new signage
and an expansion of the ticketing lobby.
Reach Bob Johnson at (504) 582-3000 or
rjohnson@mccno.com and Tim Hemphill at
(504) 582-3039 or themphill@mccno.com
VISIT US ONLINE to catch up on breaking news and significant industry developments at www.tradeshowexecutive.com
www.TradeShowExecutive.com | March 2013 9