New Orleans & Company Marketing Report 2025 by neworleansandcompany

2025 MARKETING REPORT |

MISSION:

To inspire, promote, and encourage travel to our city for the economic, social, and community benefit of New Orleans and its people.

VISION:

New Orleans is the most remarkable, unique, and welcoming city in the world.

Letter

from Our President & CEO

Dear Friends of New Orleans & Company

Thank you for taking time to read our 2025 Marketing Report, which previews how New Orleans & Company will inspire, promote, and encourage travel to our city for the economic, social, and community benefit of our city, region and state in 2025 and beyond.

The travel industry drives our economy, boosts infrastructure, instills civic pride, and provides lifelong career opportunities. Visitors, and dollars they spend in our community generate substantial tax revenues. Without the funds generated by New Orleans’ tourism industry, every family in Louisiana would pay thousands of dollars more in annual taxes. Without the millions of visitors who choose New Orleans annually, our relatively small city could not sustain the world-class attractions, restaurants, museums, creative and performing arts, and cultural community superior to cities with much larger populations and more corporate and philanthropic support throughout their communities. In our region, nearly 80,000 people have meaningful work and careers in every aspect of this industry.

Outlined are our plans categorized by four strategic goals that guide our work daily:

• Deliver the Most Innovative and Exceptional Sales and Service

• Make New Orleans a Great Place to Live, Work, and Visit

• Create and Own a Clear, World-Class Brand for New Orleans

• Restore International Travel Tourism

A few highlights:

In February, New Orleans will be in the global spotlight as host city for Super Bowl LIX for a record-tying 11th time. This event represents the culmination of years of work, partnerships between dozens of organizations, and the support of thousands of volunteers. And with more than 6,000 credentialed journalists in attendance, we have

ample opportunity to showcase positive stories to promote our city to the world and drive future investment and visitation.

We also will be the proud host city to many prominent conventions in 2025, including the National Association of Automobile Dealers, a valued client of New Orleans & Company since the 1970s. This group and thousands of others demonstrate our ability to consistently execute complex meetings and events at a high level.

• Meetings and conventions are the foundational layer of our tourism economy. Our Convention Sales and Services team confirms the business,

U.S. Travel Association that will bring thousands of highly qualified international travel buyers and media to New Orleans.

• Our Marketing Communications team will continue to produce high-quality content and place positive stories that compel people to visit. Team members will continue to reach cultureseeker travelers via targeted advertising and activations and sponsorships. They’ll also capitalize on the international awareness Super Bowl LIX will bring to the city.

In August, the world will commemorate 20 years since Hurricane Katrina, and the team will be part of sharing stories of resilience and the culture of innovation.

“The travel industry drives our economy, boosts infrastructure, instills civic pride, and provides lifelong career opportunities. ”

promotes attendance, and provides critical convention services to customers. Convention attendees typically stay longer, spend more, and engage more small businesses throughout the community to produce their events. While here, organizations and their members often engage in volunteer service projects that leave a lasting impact on our community. Each event is an economic development engine.

• Our Tourism Sales team is focused on securing leisure group business by working with thirdparty travel professionals and social groups such as weddings, tour groups, and reunions. A comprehensive plan to increase international visitors involves advertising, in-country representation, trade shows, and sales calls. And we are already preparing to be the host city for IPW in 2027. IPW is the annual gathering of the

• Membership and External Affairs is driving member success and satisfaction and fostering strong partnerships. From addressing homelessness to improving accessibility and infrastructure, the team works to make our community a better place to live, work, and visit for all.

None of this work would be possible without a strong administrative support team. I am so proud of our team for being named one of the best places to work in New Orleans by continuously raising the bar on your behalf. We are optimistic about 2025 and are fully engaged and energized in our mission to ensure that the world knows that New Orleans is the most remarkable, unique, and welcoming city in the world. Thank you for your partnership … we could not do it without you.

Sincerely,

Walter J. Leger III President and CEO New Orleans & Company

Strategic Goal 1

Deliver the Most Innovative and Exceptional Sales and Service

Convention Sales & Services

• Achieve 100 percent of sales goals to increase convention and room night bookings to ensure a stable base of business levels for our members and stable occupancy tax and assessment collections

• Maintain New Orleans’ position as a leading destination among the Top 25 Markets in Smith Travel Research rankings while driving toward status as one of Top 10 destinations

• Build a consistent base of business for future years

o Create inbound customer experiences to showcase the destination

o Protect and retain existing customers

o Grow associations meetings beyond annual Expand the customer universe

• Build upon D.C. and Chicago regional office success

• Capitalize on new business development strategies

o Implement targeted strategies to re-engage inactive accounts

o Identify and pursue groups meeting in competitor cities during need periods

• Optimize site experiences and ensure Built to Host brand is visible

o Embark on site experiences study and community rollout

o Measure customer satisfaction

• Implement a client service survey for conventions

Communications & PR

• Assist thousands of international journalists and influencers, including more than 6,000 credentialed media for Super Bowl LIX, in placing positive stories about New Orleans culture, reasons to visit, and why we are Built to Host

• Create hundreds of customized itineraries for journalists and influencers on individual and group press trips

Tourism

• Build on our strategy to continue to work with domestic third-party travel professionals and leisure group planners

• Actively engage with travel trade advisors, tour operators, and motor coach companies

• Increase visitation through social leisure groups such as weddings, military reunions, and family reunions utilizing tools such as the New Orleans Destination Wedding Guide, MyWeddingInNewOrleans.com, and the New Orleans Family Reunion Checklist, and develop additional itineraries for special interest groups

• Continue to work with the Port of New Orleans and the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to promote cruise and airline growth

• Promote growth by executing 20 FAM trips and co-promotions

• Engage our strong network of partners by employing advertising, microsites, e-blasts, and other paid media tactics to target travel advisors, third parties, online travel agencies, and tour operators

NEW ORLEANS

November

7, 2024

A new “Top 250” study found that 88 percent of the top 250 conventions in the country will meet in only 20 cities, and New Orleans tops the list at number three.

Deliver the Most Innovative and Exceptional Sales and Service

(continued)

Marketing

• Create a robust advocacy campaign for New Orleans & Company highlighting the positive impact of the organization’s work on the New Orleans community

o Launch it during NTTW 2025 (May 4-May 10), and provide ongoing support throughout the year

• Conduct visitor and local sentiment surveys by early Q4 2025 to measure the continued impact and effectiveness of leisure brand and advocacy campaigns, respectively

External Affairs & Membership

Leverage the Membership Success Coordinator role to proactively engage with longtime and new members, ensuring their success, satisfaction, and active participation

• Collaborate with local chambers, destination marketing organizations, and corporations to grow membership, highlighting the critical role of hospitality and tourism in the community

• Build and maintain strong relationships with members, stakeholders, and the community to foster loyalty, collaboration, and mutual growth

• Refine membership sales and service processes to attract more businesses and clearly demonstrate the value of membership

• Promote interdepartmental collaboration to create opportunities for members to showcase their offerings through initiatives like COOLinary New Orleans, Museum Month, and Holidays New Orleans Style

Keep members informed about statewide and local developments, as well as opportunities, through consistent and transparent communication

• Engage with local corporations through the Corporate membership level to educate them on the value of hospitality and tourism, highlight their impact on the local economy, and emphasize the importance of their active involvement in this vital industry

Make New Orleans a Great Place to Live, Work, and Visit

External Affairs & Membership

• Highlight hospitality and tourism career opportunities through Job Fest events and career pathways

• Support meaningful solutions to current challenges found within the community that also impact the industry, including public safety, homelessness, transportation, accessibility, and environmental sustainability through partnerships with LifeCity, Wheel the World, and Home for Good New Orleans

• Collaborate with community organizations and stakeholders that can address quality of life challenges and implement solutions for the industry’s workforce, including, but not limited to, transportation, parking and financial literacy

• Partner with workforce development organizations to provide workforce training and other resources to our members

• Continue to educate and encourage local businesses to learn more about and participate in member programs including Everyone’s Welcome Here

• Support local, small, minority-owned, and disadvantaged businesses by providing resources and connecting them to opportunities within the hospitality and tourism industry