Tourism Matters is published by Gambit for New Orleans & Company, the official destination marketing and sales organization for the New Orleans tourism industry. Our vision is to make New Orleans the most remarkable, unique and welcoming city in the world. The mission of New Orleans & Company is to inspire, promote and encourage travel to the city for the economic, social and community benefit of New Orleans and its people.
504-566-5011 | 2020 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130
www.neworleans.com
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Sam Joffray, Event Development and Production Executive
Tammie Boteler, VP of Finance
Brian Walker, VP of Information Technology
Laura Russett, Director of Administration
Rachel Avery, CMP, Director, Convention Services and Special Events
Tara Stackpole, Director of Executive Operations
A MESSAGE CEO from the
Dear Friends of New Orleans & Company,
Welcome to the June 2025 issue of Tourism Matters where we celebrate our 10th anniversary Job Fest and a decade of connecting people to meaningful careers in the hospitality industry. We salute our beloved colleague, the late Cheryl Teamer, who created the Job Fests with such vision and passion a decade ago (see page 10). We feel that with each career launched and expanded, we are celebrating the ongoing legacy of our dear friend and allowing her impact to continue to enhance the lives of people throughout our community.
This issue also provides insights into the new Michelin Guide to the American South, which will help to further strengthen our brand of culinary excellence and expose New Orleans to new audiences and shine the global spotlight on our chefs and restaurants who continue to do amazing things (see page 8).
Our cover story (page 6) details how we are bringing in new summer events, growing existing ones, and amplifying beloved programs like COOLinary and Museum Month. But the true heartbeat of our summer success lies with Louisiana residents. From cool hotel pools to world-class museums, you can celebrate the magic of New Orleans this summer while staying close to home. A few examples:
The ESSENCE Festival of Culture, July 3-6, continues to be home of Black joy, artistry, and resilience, including more than 20 curated experiences from music and art to wellness, style, cuisine, and commerce.
· Our Convention Sales team worked to bring hundreds of additional meetings, events and social groups to the city this summer, including fan favorites Pokemon (underway June 13-15) and GalaxyCon (tickets on sale for July 11-13 now).
· You can join thousands of sports fans coming for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s UFC 318 on July 19, featuring Louisiana native Dustin Poirier. It is New Orleans’ first time hosting this championship event.
The Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships returns to New Orleans for the first time in 30 years this August at the Caesars Superdome.
The 3rd annual NOLA Pickle Fest benefiting the Brees Dream Foundation will be held August 6-10, at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
· Our iconic COOLinary New Orleans offers prix-fixe meals at some of the city’s top restaurants: two-course lunches for $28 or less and three-course dinners and brunches for $58 or less, from August 1-31.
August also is Museum Month, with one active museum membership, you’ll receive free admission to dozens of participating museums and many hidden gems.
Millions of people travel to New Orleans every year in search of music, food, art and celebration. Let’s remember how lucky we are to live in the middle of it all. This summer, take time for yourself and your family to rediscover the magic of New Orleans. Make your plans today at neworleans.com.
Sincerely,
Walter J. Leger III President & CEO New
Orleans & Company
Member Spotlight
Longue Vue House and Gardens GETTING N.O. to
NESTLED ALONG NEW
ORLEANS’ BAMBOO ROAD, almost a secret street that borders Orleans and Jefferson Parish, sits Longue Vue House and Gardens, eight acres of gardens and matching house interiors. A National Historic Landmark due to its landscape architect, Ellen Biddle Shipman – one of the first women in the field of landscape architecture in the nation, Longue Vue is the most intact design open to the public. Baty Landis serves as home and garden’s Executive Director and explains Longue Vue’s mission is to preserve and shar a legacy of design, community, and lifelong learning.
Explain some of the history of Longue Vue House and Gardens?
Longue Vue was established as the family home for civic visionaries Edgar and Edith Stern, who meant to raise their three children in the elegant, beautiful structure. Following Edgar’s death in 1959, Edith maintained the property on her own and continued to activate it as a headquarters for garden clubs, cultural events, and political activism. She opened the gardens to the public on a regular basis beginning in 1968 and began to convert the house into an historic museum in the late 1970s. She moved into an off-site apartment to make way for public access, leaving nearly all of the original furnishings and decorative arts collection. Longue Vue opened as an independent non-profit museum in 1980, several months before Edith’s death allowing her to realize her vision.
In honor of this legacy, Longue Vue today is a space for personal growth, social progress, and community connections in the beauty of nature.
What is the mission?
Longue Vue’s gardens are open to the public seven days a week and are a space for quiet walks, family picnics, and horticultural exploration. They offer daily tours of the historic house, which offer a glimpse into 20th-century design techniques as applied by Shipman, stories of the Stern family, their civic work, and state-of-the-art residential technology from the 1940s. They host programs, exhibits, and events that address our century’s pressing issues, including environmental responsibility, broad access to quality education, and most recently, public health, safety, and equity. The team at Longue Vue believes that this
cultural treasure is uniquely positioned to serve the community by engaging these topics in a controlled, open-air, and inspiring setting. Events include musical performances, Yoga with a Vue, children’s classes in the Discovery Garden and summer camps, as well as design exhibits and guest lectures.
Is there anything in the works for Museum Month?
We are still working on Museum Month events. It’s worth noting that we close to the public for one week each August so our team can visit other museums and cultural institutions during Museum Month, as well as work on site preservation projects and professional development at Longue Vue. This year those days are August 4-8. The rest of the month we are open daily for regular programming.
GETTING N.O. to Arielle Desse
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT
Why is it important to focus on community partnerships, workforce development and advocacy?
Community partnerships, workforce development and advocacy are an important part of our mission at New Orleans & Company to inspire, promote and encourage travel to our city for the economic, social, and community benefit of New Orleans and its people. By building strong relationships and partnerships with local organizations, education institutions, and community leaders, we help make New Orleans a great place to live, work, and visit. That includes initiatives like workforce development that empower residents to build meaningful careers in the hospitality industry and creating opportunities for local businesses to work with the industry as well.
How
do you approach your role?
I always keep both the needs of the industry and our community in mind. That’s why we host events like our annual health fair
by partnering with organizations like 504HealthNet, InclusivCare, LCMC Health, Ochsner Health, and Verite News—to help provide access to important resources for the people who keep our industry running. It’s also why we’ve been organizing Job Fests for the past decade, making job opportunities in our industry more visible and accessible, and creating a space where job seekers can connect face-to-face with employers.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
I enjoy helping make connections, whether it’s introducing a nonprofit to a convention that aligns with their corporate social responsibility or working with partners on initiatives that help uplift our community.
Why did you join New Orleans & Company?
I joined New Orleans & Company 10 years ago, shortly after moving back home from out-of-state. I was homesick and ready to
kickstart my career. This opportunity was everything I was looking for: a love for New Orleans, an interest in tourism, and the chance to work with people and organizations across the city. One of my first mentors here was the late Cheryl Teamer. She took a chance on me when I was an intern and that shaped the course of my career. Her kindness, humor, intelligence and authenticity made her an exceptional professional and a truly remarkable human being. The lessons Cheryl taught me continue to resonate and her impact remains a guiding light in my life.
Rediscover the Magic of New Orleans this Summer
There is nothing like summer in New Orleans. There’s an energy in the air that makes the city feel like nowhere else in the world. Longer days mean more time for exploring everything that makes the city so unique, from our world-class museums to locally owned boutiques lining historic thoroughfares. And as those days give way into breezy evenings, nights are full of bustling live music and dining opportunities with special pre-fixe menus.
New Orleans & Company and our partners are working hard this summer to secure new events to layer on top of meetings and conventions; creating innovative marketing and PR strategies to attract new patrons; and accelerating mainstay programs such as COOLinary New Orleans and Museum Month. But this work is not only geared toward visitors from other states and countries.
For those of us who are fortunate enough to live in and around New Orleans, we can relax, recharge and create new memories in one of the world’s greatest cities, while staying close to home.
There is something for people of all ages and interests to enjoy in New Orleans this summer. Plan a date night at the popular Sip+Dip experience at Cool Zoo Waterpark at Audubon Zoo, relax at a hotel pool, visit GalaxyCon, play at the Louisiana Children’s Muse -
um at City Park, or take in the Satchmo Summer Fest or the Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium.
You also can purchase tickets to a number of diverse cultural and sporting events. For example:
For the first time ever, New Orleans will host the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s UFC 318, featuring Louisiana’s own Dustin Poirier. This is a huge moment for local sports fans and a major win for our reputation as a world-class
event city. The big event is July 19 at the Smoothie King Center.
Our Convention Sales team, in partnership with the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, have worked to bring new meetings to the city this summer, for example Pokémon in June and GalaxyCon, July 11-13.
And, it’s not July 4th weekend in New Orleans without the Essence Festival of Culture, an important event that we are proud to host in partner-
UFC® 318: HOLLOWAY vs. POIRIER 3 will take place Saturday, July 19 at Smoothie King Center with the main card at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT on ESPN+ PPV. The prelims will be available on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Disney+, and ESPN+ at 8 p.m.
ship with our entire community. This year’s performers include Babyface, Jill Scott & Friends, Patti LaBelle, Jazmine Sullivan, Erykah Badu, Ari Lennox, and New Orleans own Master P in his final show.
The Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships return to New Orleans in August for the first time in 30 years — bringing energy and excitement, to the Caesars Superdome.
The 3rd annual NOLA Pickle Fest benefiting the Brees Dream Foundation will be held August 6-10 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. This unique, festival-style pickleball tournament, featuring tournament-quality PickleRoll courts, live music, a celebrity exhibition match featuring Drew Brees, VIP experiences and much more.
Our team is also expanding our marketing strategy and campaign for COOLinary and Museum Month, two programs created by New Orleans & Company to drive summer business from visitors and residents alike.
The target audience for the summer campaign is regional, with ads being
placed within a 150-mile drive radius expanding the previous footprint that was from New Orleans to Baton Rouge.
Our iconic COOLinary New Orleans offers prix-fixe meals at some of the city’s top restaurants: two-course lunches for $28 or less and three-course dinners and brunches for $58 or less, from August 1-31. And this year, the 21st birthday of COOLinary, will include specialty cocktails for the first time ever.
Residents will also be able to immerse themselves in art, culture and music by buying a membership to a Museum Month museum which will allow free admission for two to all other participating museums throughout the month of August.
From Tales of the Cocktail to Southern Decadence, our PR team brings
in dozens of international journalists to report on reasons to visit the city during the summer. In fact in 2024, our PR team hosted Travel & Leisure Magazine, which named New Orleans one of the best cities to visit in August! And last month, CBS Sunday Morning and legendary anchor Jane Pauley aired a beautiful tribute to New Orleans culture in its annual design episode.
This summer take time for yourself and your family to rediscover the magic of New Orleans.
We invite you to explore our neighborhoods, support our local businesses, and embrace the experiences that make New Orleans unlike anywhere else in the world.
To make your plans, visit neworleans.com.
PHOTO BY
JUSTEN WILLIAMS
BEYOND BEADS the New Orleans Earns Its Michelin Moment
BY RHONDA COOK
New Orleans has always been celebrated as one of the top culinary destinations in the world, but a new long-awaited opportunity could now take this recognition to new heights.
Michelin and Travel South USA announced in April that the MICHELIN Guide American South is coming this year to six states in the American South as part of a new regional approach. It includes Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This moment is more than symbolic. It marks the formal recognition of a culture, a way of life, and a culinary heritage that has influenced food globally for centuries. The Michelin Guide has long been considered the gold standard for restaurant ratings.
Currently, restaurants across New Orleans and Louisiana are under consideration for the prized Michelin Guide recognition. While there is no guarantee that any New Orleans restaurant will receive coveted recognition in the Michelin Guide, it
brings global validation — a seal of excellence that can drive tourism, investment, and prestige. Cities like Chicago, Tokyo, and San Francisco have all seen dramatic tourism increases after earning Guide status.
The MICHELIN Guide’s anonymous Inspectors are already in the field, making dining reservations and scouting for regional culinary gems. The full 2025 restaurant selection will be revealed later this year.
New Orleans & Company was on site when the announcement was made public at Travel South USA Global Summit in Louisville on April 2
This news comes as New Orleans & Company continues its effort to raise the profile of New Orleans as a global travel destination.
Earlier this year we helped launch Guide Michelin Voyage & Cultures Nouvelle Orléans, a guide written in French and aimed at overseas travelers interested in our city. We also announced that the 2026 Bocuse d’Or and the Pastry World Cup will once again bring these
international culinary competitions back to New Orleans. Often called the Olympics of gastronomy, this prestigious event will bring top chefs, industry leaders, and global media to our city, shining an international spotlight on our rich food culture. Hosting Bocuse d’Or is not just an honor—it’s a strategic move to showcase our culinary talent, attract food-driven tourism, and create new opportunities for local
chefs to engage with the global culinary community.
It’s also why for the past three years we have pursued a prestigious UNESCO Creative City of Music designation. New Orleans is now one of two U.S. cities being considered. UNESCO, which stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, would bring the city yet another seat at the global table ultimately elevating New Orleans’ presence on the world stage, opening doors for artists, venues and the broader creative community to thrive.
Michelin and UNESCO are powerful acknowledgments of something we’ve always known: that our food, our music, our people, our stories, and our culture are worthy of the world’s attention.
Bocuse d’ Or Americas Selection 2024 Winners from the event held at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in 2024
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FRENCH STUDIO
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Job Fest 10th Anniversary
This year marks a decade since New Orleans & Company launched its Job Fest events, a community-focused initiative that helps connect thousands of local residents to meaningful careers in the hospitality industry. What began as a forward-thinking solution to a challenge has grown into one of the industry’s most powerful platforms for workforce opportunity and awareness.
A VISION BORN FROM NEED
The Job Fests were the brainchild of the late Cheryl Teamer, former Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at New Orleans & Company. When the hospitality industry struggled to convey the full range of career paths it offers, Teamer saw an opportunity to bridge that gap by going straight to the community. Her vision was simple yet profound to meet job seekers where they are, in their neighborhoods, and create a welcoming, accessible environment where they could meet potential employers, learn about various career options, and walk away with new opportunities. From its inception, the Job Fest was meant to be more than a job fair; it was a talent pipeline and a career exploration center rolled into one.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Hospitality is often associated with front-line roles, including servers, housekeepers, bellhops, and bartenders, but Teamer understood that the industry’s backbone also includes accountants, facility managers, IT specialists, sales managers, marketing professionals, and more. Job Fests are designed to highlight this diversity, expanding the public’s perception of what it means to work in hospitality.
These events have consistently attracted a wide range of businesses from hotels and restaurants to attractions and transportation companies, as well as service providers, who all come together under one roof to make face-to-face connections with the city’s local talent. Job Fests are a one-stop shop for employment in one of the city’s most vital industries, with opportunities that span every skill set and career level.
Cheryl Teamer, former New Orleans & Company Senior Vice President of Public Affairs
A MILESTONE CELEBRATION AT THE JOY THEATER
This year’s 10th anniversary Job Fest, which attracted huge crowds, was held June 3 at the Joy Theater on Canal Street.
Attendees were treated to raffles featuring gift cards, grocery boxes from Top Box, resume building resources, and the Louisiana Workforce Commission mobile computer lab to help job seekers apply online to support their
job-hunting journey. These added touches ensured that the event wasn’t just about handing out applications, but about empowerment, preparation, and celebration.
THE LEGACY THAT LIVES ON
A decade later, Cheryl Teamer’s vision remains intact and vibrant. The Job Fest continues to be an open door for residents looking to find their footing or advance their careers in an industry
that is foundational to New Orleans’ identity. It’s accessible, welcoming, and, most importantly, effective.
As New Orleans & Company looks toward the future, the Job Fest stands as a testament to what can happen when a community-focused vision is paired with meaningful action. Job Fest continues to be a part of our strategic goal to make New Orleans a great place to live, work, visit and invest. Here’s to ten years of oppor-
A TOURIST
JULY
ESSENCE Festival of Culture®
Presented By Coca-Cola®New Orleans
JULY 3-6
Caesars Superdome and New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center essence.com/efoc-2025-splash
Running of the Bulls
JULY 11-13 Gallier Hall
nolabulls.com
UFC 318
JULY 19
Smoothie King Center
www.ufc.com/event/ufc-318
Leisure Events Calendar
Tales of the Cocktail
JULY 20-25
The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans talesofthecocktail.org
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center nolapicklefest.com
SEPTEMBER
International Arts Festival
NOLA 25
SEPTEMBER 25-28
Louis Armstrong Park
iafnola.com
BlackAmericana Fest
SEPTEMBER 26-27
The Broadside
www.neworleans.com/event/ blackamericana-fest
New Orleans Yoga Festival
SEPTEMBER 26-28
Republic NOLA + ARORA NOLA + Pop-Up Venues
www.neworleansyogaclub.com/the-festival
NOLAxNOLA
SEPTEMBER 26-OCTOBER 6
Various New Orleans Venues neworleans.com/nolaxnola
Red Dress Run
AUGUST 10
Crescent Park neworleanshash.com/reddressrun
BY
PHOTO
PAUL BROUSSARD
Conventions Calendar COMPANY’S COMING
JULY
Essence Festivals, LLC
ESSENCE Festival of Culture®
Presented By Coca-Cola®New Orleans
JULY 4-6
Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
From elevated daytime experiences to a star-studded evening concert series, this year’s festival promises to be intimate in experience and expansive in impact. www.essence.com/efoc-2025-splash
GalaxyCon LLC
GalaxyCon New Orleans
JULY 11-13
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
GalaxyCon New Orleans is more than Comic-Con. It’s a three day festival of fandom with celebrities, artists, writers, voice actors, cosplayers, entertainers, creators, wrestlers, fan groups, panelists, and more. Join fans from across the galaxy and celebrate comic books. galaxycon.com/pages/galaxycon-new-orleans
BY
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) Youth Gathering - ENDURE
JULY 18-22
Caesars Superdome, Champions Square/Club XLIV, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Held every three years since 1980, the LCMS Youth Gathering provides thousands of youth and adults the opportunity to come together as a community of God’s people to be encouraged in their walk with Jesus Christ and learn about the Christian faith and their Lutheran identity. www.lcmsgathering.com
Louisiana
Restaurant Association (LRA) 2025 LRA Showcase
JULY 31 - AUGUST 4
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Louisiana’s ultimate gathering for restaurants, bars, hotels, caterers, clubs, and decision-makers looking to level up their operations with the latest products, trends, and connections. Chefs, owners, operators and beverage directors will find exactly what you need to grow your business—from innovative kitchen equipment to handcrafted cocktails that’ll keep your customers coming back.
www.lra.org/showcase
PHOTO
JUSTEN WILLIAMS
PHOTO BY JUSTEN WILLIAMS
BY JUSTEN
AUGUST
USA Gymnastics
2025 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships
AUGUST 1-10
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Smoothie King Center
The country’s premier gymnastics event, the U.S. Gymnastics Championships and the USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show, featuring the country’s best junior and senior men’s and women’s gymnasts as they compete for national titles and vie to make the U.S. National Team, from which the roster for the 2025 World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, ultimately will be selected. usagym.org
Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles/ Mystic Shrine
The 132nd Imperial Council Session and 114th Imperial Court Session
AUGUST 16-21
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
The Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine of North and South America and Its Jurisdictions, Inc. (A.E.A.O.N.M.S.) embraces all of the basic fundamental concepts of the Masonic Order, but is more colorful, with a broader spectrum of visibility by the manner in which it dispenses charity in the community, and the care for its own.
aeaonms.org/imperial-session-2025
PHOTO
WILLIAMS
MUSIC EARS our to
“New Orleans is just special. It has so much history, the stories of resilience, the fact that people come here because it’s fun, and the food, the music, the culture, ... New Orleans has a long history of drama, beauty, and flavor. The words that come to mind, COLOR and FLAVOR, color in the way people live vibrantly, and the unique flavor the culture is imbued with, which has inspired its art and culture.”
JANE PAULEY ON WHY CBS SUNDAY MORNING BROUGHT ITS ANNUAL DESIGN EPISODE TO FILM IN NEW ORLEANS. THE SHOW AIRED MAY 18, 2025.
TOURISM MATTERS
Rediscover the Magic of New Orleans this Summer JUNE 2025
