39 replies to this topic

[UptownNewOrleans]

Every sporting & major event should be held in New Orleans, period. No one can touch N.O. when it comes to the economic impact from major events.

[nola17]

I agree. Now if we can land another SuperBowl.

Isn't the Arena Bowl being played here again this year?

[NCB]

nola17, on Jan 9 2008, 08:03 PM, said:

Isn't the Arena Bowl being played here again this year?

Yes it is, nola. The AFL said they brought the Arena Bowl to New Orleans last year as a good gesture, but decided to bring it back this year for "pure business" after they experienced amazing success in New Orleans last year; better than anything they've ever seen, according to the AFL commissioner. It's not the biggest event for the biggest league, but the AFL is a very classy league with passionate organizers who work hard to put on the best show for their fans. I really like having them in New Orleans, and hope to see this new relationship between the city and the AFL continue long into the future!

[NCB]

The headliners for the 2008 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival were announced today, what do you guys think?

The biggest national names:

• Stevie Wonder
  
• Billy Joel
  
• Sheryl Crow
  
• Keyshia Cole
  
• Robert Plant with Alison Krauss
  
• Tim McGraw
  
• Jimmy Buffett
  
• Santana
  
• Maze featuring Frankie Beverly
  
• Widespread Panic
  
• Randy Newman
  
• Diana Krall
  
• Al Green

[SlidellWX]

I think that Widespread Panic is awesome.  My wife wants to see Sherly Crow and Billy Joel.  Overall...a great lineup with several big names

[JPKneworleans]

Has Billy Joel ever played at Jazz Fest?  I don't think he has, but I could be wrong.

[all2neat]

NBA Allstar game is in a couple weeks, and the Hornets are 31-12 after routing defending champion San Antonio Spurs last night. That should be an attaction in NOLA .

[blackcoat]

President Bush is expected to announce during the state of the union address tonight that the North America Leaders Summit will be hosted in New Orleans.
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According to AP, this will be the first JazzFest for Billy Joel and Sheryl Crow, and it will be Stevie Wonder's first appearance as a headliner (his last JazzFest appearance was in 1973).

[NCB]

I had forgoten to comment on the North American Summit in New Orleans, but it will be great to have the city host an international attention-grabbing event. If nothing else, it will be a great time for the city to show itself off, even if only for a short time, to news viewers all over the world.

And the NBA All-Star game is coming up this weekend in New Orleans. I love the event every year and I'm really looking forward to seeing New Orleans host yet another major sporting event. The Turner networks (TBS & TNT) have already been running lots of adds about the event being hosted in New Orleans, and there should be a major presence from ESPN and TNT to cover the various activities and the game itself. Not to mention the tens of thousands of fans that will be in town!  

[NCB]

I posted this over in the Louisiana Sports Talk thread as well:

I don't think anyone in New Orleans could have asked for a better weekend. The biggest day of service in pro sports history, all kinds of money generated and donated to schools and charities, and I don't think I've seen New Orleans look better on a big stage. All of that music, bits about food and culture, updates and positive thoughts on rebuilding, fantastic aerials of the city, tours of the CBD and French Quarter, all of it aired internationally in 44 languages. New Orleans couldn't have paid for that kind of advertising. Thank you, NBA, for showcasing New Orleans in a beautiful light.

And as a side note to the game, many might remember the public outcries about not having the All-Star game in New Orleans. After what happened in Vegas, it seemed like every sports writer in the nation was writing about how All-Star weekend in New Orleans would be nothing but gunfire and crime. Well, now that it's all over, the NOPD reported 98 arrests. For comparison, the Las Vegas Police Department reported approximately 400 arrests at last year's All-Star game. As Ray Nagin said today, all of the worries about big event safety in New Orleans should be put to rest. The city, in it's post-Katrina state with a smaller police force, managed to easily pull off an event that one of the, if not the largest tourism city in the world, Las Vegas, couldn't handle.

[NCB]

It was announced today that New Orleans will host the Bassmaster Classic in 2011. This will be BASS' 4th trip to New Orleans, and it's nice to see another major event returning to the city after Katrina. Shreveport will host the event next year, Birmingham in 2010, and New Orleans in 2011. Louisiana is certainly living up to its name as "Sportsmans Paradise!"

ESPN Article

Quote

A first-time Classic destination, America's Bass Capital and the Big Easy will usher in the excitement of the Bassmaster Classic through the next three years.

In 2009, the 39th Bassmaster Classic will be held on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La.; in 2010, Birmingham, Ala., welcomes back the Classic for the seventh time; and in 2011, the Classic marches back to New Orleans.

[NCB]

Conference of Black Mayors moves meeting to N.O.
Times-Picayune article

Quote

The National Conference of Black Mayors will bring its annual convention to New Orleans in June after deciding last week to relocate it from Detroit in the wake of a scandal involving that city's mayor, the group's president said Monday.

This will be a good pickup for the city and Convention & Visitors Bureau in the early Summer, and even though this conference is certainly short of huge when compared to many of the conventions New Orleans has hosted in the last year alone, it was nice to read that the conference chose New Orleans over Las Vegas as its new 2008 location.  

[NCB]

Kanye West and Chris Rock lead 2008 Essencefest
T-P Article

These are the first acts announced for the 2008 Essence Fest:

Kanye West
Chris Rock
Chris Brown
Mary J. Blige
Jill Scott
Morris Day and The Time
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly

[NCB]

Essence is here again and, as usual, the city is getting a huge boost in the slow summer months. CNN was in New Orleans covering Essence Fest all day, and tommorow the network will air a special report on New Orleans' continued recovery. Essence is expected to bring 200,000 visitors into New Orleans and will generate over $80 million for the city's economy.  

A list of some of the major performers from Friday:

• Kanye West
  
• J Holiday
  
• Chris Brown
  
• Rihanna
  
• Rebirth Brass Band
  
• Grandmaster Flash
  
• Angie Stone
  
• Terence Blanchard

Saturday:

• Patti Labelle
  
• LL Cool J
  
• Jill Scott
  
• Kermit Ruffins
  
• Solange Knowles
  
• Irvin Mayfield

Sunday:

• Chris Rock
  
• Keyshia Cole
  
• Mary J. Blige
  
• Frankie Beverly and Maze
  
• Preservation Hall Jazz Band
  
• Irma Thomas
  
• Morris Day

[richyb83]

Always like to hear positive news coming out of New Orleans; esp. from the national media

NAD (National Association for the Deaf) will be holding it's annual national conference (July 7-11) at the Marriott; I found it a bit confusing as to which one?? At the Convention Center or the Marriott on Canal Street?? I'm thinking the latter. I plan on being there at least one of those days.

Edited by richyb83, 05 July 2008 - 01:21 PM.

[NCB]

richyb83, on Jul 5 2008, 02:21 PM, said:

NAD (National Association for the Deaf) will be holding it's annual national conference (July 7-11) at the Marriott; I found it a bit confusing as to which one?? At the Convention Center or the Marriott on Canal Street?? I'm thinking the latter. I plan on being there at least one of those days.

Excellent, Richy! The NAD Conference will be held at the Marriot on Canal; it's the only Marriot in the area equipped to handle major conferences. I also see that the NAD website mentioned the Marriot's location "at the edge of the historic French Quarter" so it's definately the one on Canal.

I don't know how familiar you are with local restaurants and some of the newer attractions, so if you've got any questions let me know. I can tell you that you'll be very close to the new Audubon Insectarium, which opened a couple of weeks ago and is located right next door to the Marriot in the U.S. Customs House.  

[richyb83]

Thanks a bunch Nate, I appreciate that.   I'm still not sure which workshops I'll be attending; but will be sure to wedge some time for a few things in between.  Just looking forward to seeing the CBD and the city again! It's gonna be a trip seeing that many Deaf individuals signing away with there hands flying in the air.

Should I park in the garage inside the Marroitt??

[NCB]

richyb83, on Jul 5 2008, 04:37 PM, said:

Should I park in the garage inside the Marroitt??

I'm not completely sure about Marriot's parking policy for special events, but their usual valet parking fee is $32 per day. I don't know how long you'll need your car parked, or if you're actually getting a room at the Marriot. If you're looking for a place to park your car in the morning and pick it up in the evening, you've got alot of options in that area. You've got the meter parking along Canal, but I wouldn't recommend that for any extended period of time. There are plenty of parking lots around the CBD, but their prices fluctuate on weekdays and many can run as much as $5 per hour if you get there after 9 a.m.

You should check with someone at NAD or the Marriot who can tell you about their special event parking fees. If all they offer is $32 valet parking, I'd recommend you park at the Canal Place parking garage. It's a block down from the Marriot, and while it's a little pricey, you can keep your car in a safe and shaded enviornment for 6-8 hours and expect to pay something in the $15 range.

Here's the short route from the Canal Marriot to the entrance to the Canal Place parking garage, which is behind the actual Canal Place complex.
Google Maps

[richyb83]

Thanks for the map Nate; that sure is a big help! I'll probably be staying a good chunk of the day?? No nights.

[NCB]

As Richy mentioned, the National Association for the Deaf will be holding their conference in the Marriot on Canal this week. Announced today, Southern and Grambling will be holding a joint national alumni conference this week, across the street in the Sheraton.

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