Louisiana lagniappe

By Christine Born

New Orleans’ is arguably the closest thing to Paris this side of the Atlantic. The historic, walkable city really defines the much-overused “unique.” It has some of the world’s most celebrated cuisine and original nightlife, culture and music, as well as reasonable prices. The rest of Louisiana can lay claim to many of the same accolades, though each parish has its own twist, whether on architecture, natural resources, cuisine, music, dance or, even, pronunciation. Your meeting needs and membership will determine which city is right for your group (and the service-based economy ensures getting down to business will be as easy as the locals easy-going manners), but take a good look at all the possibilities and stretch the scope of your extracurricular activities to “laissez les bons temps rouler!”

NEW ORLEANS
“New Orleans has become a living laboratory for civic and social service,” says Stephen Perry, president and CEO, New Orleans CVB. “Organizations can have a real impact on one of the country’s major cities. They can enhance their own mission and provide a special experience for attendees.” Perry reflects the sense of excitement that he says has “bubbled up” in every neighborhood of the city with the volunteer activity and recovery efforts since Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the area four years ago. “PCMA did a day of service when they were in town, and the staff of Commander’s Palace brought out tray after tray of hot chocolate,” he says. “Some neighbor ladies brought out homemade cookies.” This kind of service is the city’s new mantra, which credits its resurrection to the meetings that have kept businesses going. Today, there are almost 25 percent more restaurants open than pre-Katrina. The 1.1 million-sq.-ft. New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is sporting a new, upbeat look. Its “Convention Center Blue” exterior debuted in June, replacing the once prominent brick red stripe. “The new shade of deep blue appropriately reflects our relationship with one of the most famous bodies of water in the world, the Mississippi River,” declared Bob Johnson, the convention center’s president and general manager. The new color complements the building’s redesigned interior, which underwent a $60 million makeover two years ago. More work is underway, including an aesthetically enhanced main entrance, additional landscaping, new furniture pods and technology upgrades, all scheduled for completion later in the year. There’s plenty new to celebrate in New Orleans but the historic city remains true to its bones. “The world of travel has become largely homogenous, but in New Orleans, you get an overwhelming sensory immersion in a place that is authentic, not gentrified,” explains Perry. “The architecture enriches the eye, the smells and tastes are categorically different from any other cuisine … the jazz … the music … all the senses are stimulated. At the end of the day, your soul feels better, especially when you have contributed to the recovery of this treasure.”

BATON ROUGE
As Louisiana’s Capital City, Baton Rouge offers visitors the complete Louisiana experience with its blend of Cajun from the West, Creole from the South, and the many other cultures that have made Louisiana their home. Here, you can stir up your meeting or event with a blast from the past at one of the city’s many historic attractions.

Located along the banks of the Mississippi River, the USS Kidd, a Fletcher-class destroyer, has an auditorium with seating for 100 people. Tours of the battleship can be arranged with overnight stays as an option. Once the home of legendary Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long, the Old Governor’s Mansion provides an elegant setting for meetings. The great rotunda and both the House and Senate Chambers of the Old State Capitol are available for after-hours rentals, receptions and special events.

The majestic Nottoway Plantation is the largest remaining plantation home in the South. Situated on the Mississippi River, Nottoway offers meeting space, dining and Southern hospitality. The Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s meeting space includes the main and upper art galleries, the Adalié Brent Auditorium and the smaller meeting room. The museum also offers the Challenger Learning Center with a space shuttle simulator — great for team building. Several other museums offer space for meetings, including the Louisiana State Museum, a 69,000-sq.-ft. facility across from the intricate gardens of Louisiana’s State Capitol. The Baton Rouge River Center includes more than 200,000 square feet of new and renovated space. The more than 900 restaurants in the Baton Rouge area reflect the city’s melting pot of cuisines.

LAFAYETTE
Lafayette is a city that knows how to party, but it’s also built on business. It understands the balancing act between business and pleasure that meeting planners face. Even the city’s award-winning independent weekly features a hefty, serious section devoted to business reporting, with columns on banking, oil and gas, and stocks, side-by-side with an equally loaded arts section. Meeting facilities in the city range from full-fledged convention centers and arenas such as the 13,000-seat Cajundome to the quiet, exclusive atmosphere of River Ranch’s City Club with room for 350. The city’s “work hard, party hard” reputation is further reinforced by its wealth of high-tech amenities, arts organizations and festivals. Downtown Lafayette is dominated by the rhythms of a montage of music from the French-speaking world during Festival International every April. Music, dancing, cuisine, theater, storytelling, visual arts, crafts and street animation create a major cultural experience that would make a memorable finish to any meeting. At other times of the year, you can take advantage of several food or music festivals, or simply join the Friday afternoon fais-do-dos (street dances). Lafayette is also a place with a multitude of historic attractions, plantation homes, gardens, art galleries and museums. Acadian Village offers an authentic vision of Acadian society during the 19th century. The village showcases authentic homes complete with wooden pegs, mud walls, hand-hewn cypress timbers and high-peaked roofs.

LAKE CHARLES
Lake Charles in Southwest Louisiana has options ranging from glitzy casinos and the quiet greens of award-winning golf courses to hunting and fishing adventures and more than 75 festivals, from the area’s family-friendly Mardi Gras to the Contraband Days Pirate Festival. The Mardi Gras Museum claims the largest display of Mardi Gras costumes in the world; the DeQuincy Railroad Museum and the Imperial Calcasieu Museum feature rotating exhibits and local artifacts. Groups can soak in the Charpentier Historic District with its lead crystal glass lamplights or visit art galleries. There are also guided tours along the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road — teeming with wildlife, including alligators, birds and three wildlife refuges. The area’s casino resorts include Delta Downs Casino & Hotel, the Isle of Capri Casino & Hotel and L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort. Plans are underway for the $350 million Sugarcane Bay Casino Resort, the sister property to L’Auberge du Lac. The resort is expected to bring an additional 400 hotel rooms to the area as well as a 3,000-seat entertainment venue, spa, 30,000-sq.-ft. casino, and additional retail and restaurant offerings. The newly expanded Lake Charles Regional Airport now has flights coming in from Dallas and Houston. The Lake Charles Civic Center, with a sweeping view of Lake Charles, was recently modernized and refurbished; meeting space now features drop-down screens, wooden flooring and other improvements in high-tech equipment. An outdoor promenade along the lake is scheduled to be complete in March 2010.

MONROE-WEST MONROE
The Monroe Civic Center is the largest meeting facility in Northeast Louisiana and spans 31 acres. The 22,000-sq.-ft. facility includes 15 meeting rooms, a 14,000-sq.-ft. conference hall, a 46,025-sq.-ft. arena, a 30,000-sq.-ft. equestrian pavilion and a 2,000-seat theatre. Historic Antique Alley in West Monroe’s Historic Cotton Port District along the Ouachita River has stores offering antique jewelry and furnishings, as well as modern decor, clothing and day spas. Northeast Louisiana is also known as Sportsman’s Paradise so build in some time for groups to experience the outdoors.

ST. TAMMANY PARISH, LOUISIANA’S NORTHSHORE

Covington and Slidell are the parish’s two largest towns, and both offer numerous free concerts, art walks, street parties and other public events that meeting planners can incorporate into their activities. Downtown Covington is a walker-friendly downtown with scores of boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, gift shops and more, most of which are now housed in old cottages and historic buildings. Visitors also can pop into HJ Smith’s Sons General Store & Museum, family-owned and operated since 1876, or watch beer being made at the Heiner Brau Microbrewery. The Dew Drop Inn is a historic African-American benevolent hall, largely unchanged since the late 19th century, and has become a venue for live music events, especially jazz-related. Rivers Retreat in Covington is a good fit for spousal and family programs, with its pavilion and cottages. Splendor Farms B&B is also good for small gatherings, offering a large dining room, several guest rooms, pool, horseback riding and other family- and pet-friendly options. The Northshore Harbor Center in Slidell hosts conferences, tradeshows, performances, social events and athletic tournaments in its 45,000-sq.-ft. facility, which can accommodate up to 2,500 people. The Castine Center in Mandeville is part of the Pelican Park complex, which hosts sporting events on its numerous fields. The conference center offers two rooms with a movable wall for meetings, training sessions or special events.

The Northshore is near Interstate 10 and less than hour from New Orleans or the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY
A boat captain by the name of Capt. Henry Miller Shreve cleared a logjam on the Red River in the 1830s, opening the way for trade and the establishment of Shreveport. Bossier City came along shortly thereafter, bringing with it Barksdale Air Force Base, the world’s largest airfield of its time and a key player in today’s military. The river now plays an important role for meeting attendees, who can enjoy shopping at the Louisiana Boardwalk, gaming at the casinos, and dining at either, as well as any of the other restaurants near the river. Shreveport-Bossier City’s five riverboat casinos and horseracing track at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs lend 24-hour excitement to Louisiana’s Other Side, where rodeo meets racetrack. The Shreveport and Bossier City downtown areas retain many historic landmarks, including what is widely acknowledged to be the finest collection of important 20th century architecture in the state, and walking tours are available. The new 350,000-sq.-ft. Shreveport Convention Center is the largest public facility in the city; the Hilton Hotel recently opened adjacent to the center with 313 guest rooms. Shreveport’s riverfront convention complex offers more than 64,000 square feet of meeting, banquet and exhibit space and is next to Sci-Port Discovery Center with its one-of-a-kind, world class Space Center. Bossier City’s arena, CenturyTel Center, is a 270,000-sq.-ft. facility that accommodates up to 14,000 people. In addition to the major convention facilities, Shreveport-Bossier has a number of other facilities that offer meeting space from the renovated Strand Theatre to the American Rose Center.