NEW ORLEANS — Less than two weeks after Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is operational, except for an isolated area where water damage and the roof are still being restored. Although the city has suffered numerous power outages, Entergy restored power to the convention center on Sept. 3.
Although the co-located Solar Power International (SPI) and Energy Storage International (ESI) trade shows have been canceled due to the hurricane, the Specialty Coffee Expo, which is expecting several thousand attendees, will begin setting up on September 27.
“They have been a great support to New Orleans and have stayed the course through COVID, Delta and now the hurricane,” said Mike Sawaya, president of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. “We couldn’t be happier to have clients like them.”
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The center has played an important role throughout the COVID-19 crisis, and ongoing support for hurricane relief efforts will now continue for an additional week, including the deployment of the Louisiana National Guard. “Then we will be ready to host events again. There are plenty of rooms available in hotels around the city and we are ready to resume operations,” Sawaya said.
Beyond the convention center, power has been restored to 99% of the city and streetcars are running again. Cultural attractions, museums, restaurants and retail stores are reopening, and preparations are underway to host the NOLAxNOLA music celebration in October.
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“Hurricane Ida was a disaster for the bayou and surrounding coastal parishes of Louisiana, but not for New Orleans itself,” said Stephen Perry, president and CEO of New Orleans & Company. “New Orleans experienced virtually no flooding, and the biggest challenge we faced was power outages. Power was restored to the downtown and tourist areas within three to five days, and hotels and restaurants were back in business, as were the airport, major museums and cultural attractions. We look forward to a normal and vibrant meeting volume this fall.”
Contact Stephen Perry at (800) 672-6124 or sperry@neworleans.com; and Mike Sawaya at (504) 582-3000 or msawaya@mccno.com