notmc 2007 annual report

growing leisure tourism. strengthening our economy

Submitted in accordance with Ordinance Calendar Series No. 26,852Mayor Council Series, 22,982, April 1, 2008

2 0 0 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T

“The food, the music, the greatest architecture—this city is just so beautiful!”

Emeril Lagasse,Live with Regis & Kelly,

November 8, 2007

“New Orleans is beautiful because of the spirit here!”

Al Roker, The Today Show,

September 6, 2007

“New Orleans—the real New Orleans —is the soul of the country.”

Wynton Marsalis

“What’s New Orleans without music? And what’s music without dancing?”

Ellen DeGeneres, The Ellen Show,

February 20, 2007

“You get a taste here in New Orleans that you don’t get anywhere else in the country.”

Regis Philbin,Live with Regis & Kelly,

November 8, 2007

New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporationgrowing leisure tourism. strengthening our economy.

Who We AreNew Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC) serves as the City of New Orleans’

official leisure travel promotion agency. NOTMC is a private economic development corporation

created under Louisiana State Law to foster jobs and economic growth by developing the

tourism industry in New Orleans. Our Board of Directors includes representatives from

throughout the City’s tourism industry.

What We Do For New OrleansOur job is to boost hotel occupancy when tourism is slow. Historically, the slow periods include

the summer months and the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Yet—although

much progress has been made—we are still feeling the effects of Hurricane Katrina and our job

is now an all-out, year-round effort. We market New Orleans as a leisure tourism destination—

directly to leisure tourists—through a broad program of advertising, public relations, Internet

marketing, promotions, and research.

NOTMC designs and launches a major summer promotion; three simultaneous niche efforts

aimed at cultural, family, and multicultural travelers; and a fall campaign promoting Christmas

New Orleans Style. In addition, we produce New Orleans’ official travel publications: the New

Orleans Official Visitors Guide and the Christmas New Orleans Style Guide. And we produce and

manage NewOrleansOnline.com, the City’s official leisure tourism website, as well as

NewOrleansMuseums.com and HearNewOrleansMusic.com.

Our FundingWe are funded by the City’s hotel room occupancy tax and the City of New Orleans general

fund, and we receive additional funding from the RTA/hotel tax and from Harrah’s Casino’s

agreements with the City of New Orleans and the hotel industry. While we invest the majority

of our budget on marketing New Orleans, in accordance with a council ordinance we also fund

entities that include the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans Metropolitan

Convention & Visitors Bureau, the New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network, the Mayor’s

Office of Film & Video, the Mayor’s Office of Music Business Development, and the Mayor’s

Office of Tourism & Arts. Administration accounts for less than five percent of our budget.

Board of DirectorsRichard “Dickie” Brennan, Jr., ChairmanNew Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau

Ronald Pincus, Vice ChairmanGreater New Orleans Hotel & Lodging Association

Melvin J. Rodrigue, TreasurerNew Orleans Restaurant Association

Chimene G. Connor, SecretaryNew Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network

Hon. James CarterNew Orleans City Councilmember

Hon. Jacquelyn ClarksonNew Orleans City Councilmember-At-Large

Hon. Michael Darnell Acting Councilmember-At-Large

Joel DondisNew Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau

Hon. Arnie FielkowNew Orleans City Councilmember-At-Large

Mary FitzpatrickPreservation Resource Center

Hon. Stacy HeadNew Orleans City Councilmember

Don HubbardMayor’s Appointee

John PayneNew Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau

Ashish VermaGreater New Orleans Hotel & Lodging Association

Kent WasmuthGreater New Orleans Hotel & Lodging Association

NOTMC StaffSandra S. ShilstonePresident/CEO

Lea SinclairDirector of Communications

Grace WilsonCommunications Associate

Nathan WilliamsInteractive Director

Jeremy CookerInteractive Marketing

Jean-Paul GisclairInteractive Designer

Brady BordelonExecutive Assistant

Tiffany Jackson, CPAAccountant

Table of Contents

Industry Trends 3

NOTMC Performance 6

Summer Campaign 7

Arts & Culture Campaign 10

Family Campaign 12

French Quarter Campaign 13

Multicultural Campaign 15

Gay & Lesbian Campaign 17

Online Advertising 18

Christmas New Orleans Style 24

Communications and PR 26

Corporate Funding 31

A Big Thank You to Cox Communications 32

Barter Advertising 33

Value Report 34

Financial Report 36

1

From Our Chairman and PresidentDear Friends,

This year our mission was clear: let the world know that the New Orleans that has inspired poets

and songwriters for centuries is back. If a recent joint poll by TravelandLeisure.com and CNN

Headline News is any indication, we’ve accomplished that mission. In 2007, Travel + Leisure named

New Orleans one of “America’s Favorite Cities.” In fact, we were ranked #1 in eight categories:

Overall Fun, Cocktail Hour, Good Eats, Live Music, Wild Weekends, After Dark, Antiques and Markets.

In 2007, we got our message of recovery out there in ways both conventional and unconventional.

When the going gets tough, the tough get creative. We’re proud of the advertising campaigns we

implemented and the PR buzz we generated on high-profile shows like The Ellen DeGeneres Show

and Live with Regis & Kelly. NOTMC and Harrah’s Casino & Hotel scored a major success when we

convinced the producers of Live with Regis & Kelly to broadcast five consecutive shows live from

New Orleans in May. All told, the promotion of the event, the broadcasts themselves and the web

coverage brought in a value of $30 million in exposure for our city. And that doesn’t include all the

regional press coverage we enjoyed. It simply isn’t possible to buy that kind of publicity.

We’re also pleased with our online efforts in 2007, which allowed us to track response rates like

never before and establish a continued relationship with the consumer. Our official website,

NewOrleansOnline.com, is the #1 result for “New Orleans” on Google.com.

All in all, 2007 was a year to be proud of, but we couldn’t have done it alone. Like the song goes,

we got by “with a little help from our friends.” We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those

who donated to our cause this year, including Mayor Ray Nagin and the New Orleans City Council.

Big thanks go to Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu and the Louisiana Office of Tourism, our

collaborators on the “Come Fall In Love” campaign. With their support, we were able to expand our

advertising and secure additional Community Development Block Grant funding. It is because of

teamwork like this that our leisure traveler numbers continue to grow. In fact, leisure visitors have

increased more than 70% since 2006.

In addition, we’d be remiss if we didn’t say a special thank you to Cox Communications’ Vice

President and Region Manager, Greg Bickett, for spearheading an initiative that led to cable

companies across the country donating an unprecedented $14 million-plus worth of advertising

time to NOTMC. Research suggests that this $14 million will result in $1.3 billion in visitor spending.

And we’re already seeing the effects of this, as we near the end of a highly successful first quarter

in 2008.

We’d also like to thank our entire Board of Directors, the NOTMC staff, and our agencies: Peter A.

Mayer Advertising, Phillip Collier Designs, GMc + Company Advertising, Frances Partners and the

London Company. Together, we are showing the world that New Orleans is, was and will always be

joie de vivre personified.

Sincerely,

Dickie Brennan Sandra S. Shilstone

Chairman President/CEO

New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation

2

INDUSTRY TRENDS IN 2007

Visitor ProfileNew Orleans continues to draw visitors from

far and near. On a national level in 2007, they

came from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles

and Washington, D.C. We saw strong numbers

coming from the regional markets where

NOTMC advertised—primarily Texas,

Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and

Georgia. While we saw a smaller percentage

of visitors from New York, California and

Illinois in 2007 than we did in 2006, the

numbers still surpass 2004 numbers.

Of the 7.1 million visitors who came to

New Orleans in 2007, 70.6% were here for

leisure, 25.1% for meetings/conventions/

trade shows/other business, and 4.3% for

hurricane-related reasons. More than

3.1 million stayed in hotels, with the average

lodger staying for 3.8 nights. There were

over 1.4 million day-trippers, totaling 20.7%

of overall visitations, up from 18% in 2006.

Of overnight visitors, 55% stayed in a hotel/

motel while 35% were visiting friends or

relatives.

Dramatically decreased hotel rates in 2006,

which resulted in less spending on lodging,

played a significant role in the 14% decrease

in per-trip spending among all leisure visitors

who paid for lodging. The good news is that

88% of visitors had an overwhelmingly

positive experience and said they were likely

to recommend New Orleans as a destination.

New Orleans is coming back! The city saw a 90% increase in visitation over this time last year.Visitation and SpendingAccording to the 2007 UNO Visitor Study (jointly commissioned by

NOTMC and NOMCVB), total visitation for 2007 was more than 7 million,

well above last year’s 3.7 million. Visitor spending in 2007 was almost

$4.8 billion, up from $2.9 billion in 2006; however, due to the increased

cost of doing business, hoteliers and business owners have yet to feel the

full impact of this spending. To put it in perspective, spending in 2004

(pre-Katrina) reached $4.9 billion. In other words, we’re almost there!

Source: 2007 UNO Hospitality Research Center


Total Visitor Spending (in billions)

2004

2006

2007

$4.9

$2.9

$4.8


2004

2006

2007

Visitors (in millions)

10.1

3.7

7.1

Reasons for Visitation

Hurricane-related Reasons

Leisure Travel

Meetings/Conventions/Trade Shows/Other Business

4.3%

70.6%

25.1%

3


Airport PerformanceLouis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is once again

taking off. The airport offered 123 flights daily in 2007 and served 38

cities. The airport served 88% of the cities it did before the storm,

and filled 68% of seats. ExpressJet recently began flying out of New

Orleans, with 10 daily flights. And Southwest Airlines added flights to

eight major cities, including Birmingham, representing a 30%

capacity increase for Southwest in New Orleans.

Source: Louis Armstrong International Airport

Hotel Occupancy and Average RateIn 2007, New Orleans added approximately 277 hotel rooms, for a

grand total of 31,888. This is still down 6,350 rooms from our

pre-Katrina numbers, but up almost 4,700 from immediately after

the storm.

In our top competitive markets, the average hotel occupancy rate

was 66.3% in 2007, down slightly from 67% in 2006. New Orleans’

hotel occupancy was at 57.4% in 2007, down from 62.1% in 2006.

The average daily rate in our top ten competitive markets was

$110.43 in 2007. New Orleans’ average daily rate was $116.05 in

2007, down from $118.26 in 2006. Only three cities—San Francisco,

San Diego and Chicago—had a higher average daily rate.

2006 2007

San Francisco $138.56 $148.59

San Diego $131.29 $138.89

Chicago $122.94 $129.36

NewOrleans $118.26 $116.05

Orlando $101.65 $105.82

San Antonio $97.12 $101.56

Dallas $85.89 $91.60

Houston $84.68 $91.38

Nashville $84.35 $91.12

Atlanta $86.01 $89.93

Top 10 Average Daily Rates in Competitive Markets

Source: Smith Travel Research

2004 2005 2006 2007

38,238

27,192

31,611 31,888

Available Hotel RoomsSource: New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau

Where Visitors Choose to Stay (in millions)

HOTELS

OTHER

DAY-TRIPPERS

FAMILY & FRIENDS

3.1

.6

1.4

2.0

Source: 2007 UNO Visitor Profile Research

4


Perceptions and ExpectationsQualitative research done in 2007 gave us insight into what people need

to hear and see about New Orleans. Surveys by Market Dynamics

Research Group show that people want our advertising to highlight open

attractions and upcoming events. They want reasons to visit now. And

while some may feel uncomfortable visiting a recently damaged city,

they need to know that locals are eager to welcome them back. What’s

more, tourists want reassurance that what they are seeing are recent

images of tourist attractions—not something that might have been

destroyed by the hurricane. And the messages they want to hear are

that New Orleans is a “fun and lively” place to visit, that it is safe and

clean in tourist areas, that we offer reasonably priced hotel

accommodations and attractive vacation packages.

It came as no surprise that they considered our strongest attributes to

be our food, unique experiences, and historical and cultural attractions.

We also discovered that our most likely visitor is a frequent traveler

and a recent visitor to New Orleans who has been exposed to our

advertising.

Our perception tracking research, which is conducted quarterly, also

reveals that we’re clearing up some misconceptions. The perception that

the French Quarter and other historic districts were damaged is

declining in key markets and nationwide. All other negative myths

continue to decline as well. Prospective visitors are less likely to believe

that there is still standing floodwater, that our air and water are

contaminated, and that there is a lack of police presence.

iPerceptionsThis year, NOTMC added an important

new dimension to our website analytics

efforts by partnering with iPerceptions, a

top online customer satisfaction research

provider in North America. The

partnership will provide NOTMC with rich

behavioral and attitudinal information

about our website visitors on a continual

basis through the end of 2008, which will

help inform content and design decisions

for NewOrleansOnline.com.

The iPerceptions data also gives NOTMC

an additional layer of visitor research,

providing a deeper understanding of how

potential visitors feel about our city, and

what they need from our website to plan

a visit or be persuaded to visit.

2006 2007

San Francisco 73.0% 75.2%

San Diego 73.3% 72.9%

Orlando 67.7% 67.9%

Chicago 67.5% 67.6%

San Antonio 68.3% 66.2%

Houston 65.2% 66.1%

Nashville 66.6% 65.8%

Atlanta 64.4% 63.2%

Dallas 61.6% 60.3%

NewOrleans 62.1% 57.4%

Top 10 Occupancy Rates in Competitive Markets

Source: Smith Travel Research

5

NOTMC’S PERFORMANCE IN ’07

Our year-round marketing efforts pulled in 1,587,184 inquiriesOur NewOrleansOnline.com booking engine alone generated

over $1 million in total revenue. The total number of page

views for 2007 was 10,163,784, with the most requested

content including:

Cuisine – 646,766 page views

Travel searches – 532,325

French Quarter – 472,814

Hotel Revenue Manager MeetingsNOTMC attends the GNOHLA Hotel Revenue Manager

meetings to gain insight on hotel occupancy levels and

forecasts from the front lines. We utilize that information in

our marketing and planning efforts. By fostering direct

relationships with these professionals, NOTMC has been able

to execute online promotions easily and also consistently

attain additional information on the state of our industry

throughout the year.

2003 1,503,338

2004 2,034,175

2005 1,886,789

2006 852,367

2007 1,587,184

NewOrleansOnline.com Unique Visits

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Lack of police presence:

Standing floodwater:

Water not safe to drink:

Historic districts severely damaged:

Contaminated air:

August ‘06

November ‘07

Belief in Myths – Nationwide

Source: 2006 and 2007 Perceptions Studies, Market Dynamics Research Group

Travelocity Bookings

Source: Travelocity

2005 32,620

2006 25,826

2007 40,832

6

SUMMER CAMPAIGN

TelevisionOur TV ads updated last year’s campaign by promoting great hotel deals

and adding in more celebrities. Working with a total budget of $1,091,680,

NOTMC was able to run television ads in May and June in Atlanta, Austin,

Birmingham, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Jackson, Memphis, Mobile,

Montgomery, Nashville, Pensacola, and San Antonio. Thanks to the cable

consortium, we were also able to run our ads throughout the nation.

At the same time, the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation &

Tourism (LCRT) ran their television campaign in national markets.

A Cool Campaign To Heat Things UpUsing an updated version of our 2006

campaign, we featured celebrities with

strong associations to New Orleans in

New Orleans settings to promote travel

during the summer months. In 2007, Paul

Prudhomme, Dr. John, and Peyton and Eli

Manning joined John Goodman, Wynton

Marsalis, Allen Toussaint, Patricia Clarkson,

Emeril Lagasse, and others in making

personal appeals to invite visitors back to

the city. Our message was simple:

New Orleans is ready for business. We

partnered with LCRT to complement the

state’s message while maximizing our reach.

Hotel Rates Starting at $79* New Orleans is a city where fun

and culture go hand in hand. From White Linen Night and Tales of the Cocktail to

Satchmo SummerFest, there’s always a celebration going on. Enjoy the music, enjoy

the food, enjoy New Orleans. Call 800.519.NOLA or visit NewOrleansOnline.com to

book your trip today.

*Per room per night. Subject to availability. Visit NewOrleansOnline.com/book/packages for details. This project is funded in partnership with the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, the Louisiana Office of Lt. Governor/Dept. of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

neworleansforever

NewOrleansOnline.com

neworleansforever


neworleansforever


The only way to improve New Orleans cuisine is to pair it with the perfect glass of wine. From

May 23 to 27, the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience will do this for you. Come on down

for a five-day celebration featuring New Orleans food and wines from around the world. And

with hotel rooms starting at $79 a night, now is the perfect time to book your trip.

Call 800.519.NOLA or visit NewOrleansOnline.com to book your trip today.

HOTEL RATES STARTING AT $79*

* Per room per night. Visit NewOrleansOnline.com/book/packages for details. This project is funded in partnership with the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, the Louisiana Office of Lt. Governor/Dept. of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

be inthatnumber.

*Hotel rates are per room per night. Sample prices gathered 2/8/07 – 2/11/07. Our real-time dynamicpackaging engine is constantly updating prices and availability; please visit NewOrleansOnline.com to confirmavailability of current offerings. Book by 2/8/07. Travel through 2/15/07.

Mardi Gras is right around the corner. Don’t miss out on the kingcake and costumes, the flamboyance and the flambeaux. Call800.519.NOLA or visit NewOrleansOnline.com to book yourhotel for as low as $99 today!


Newspaper CampaignTo remind the region that New Orleans is “The Special Events Capital”

and that there is always a great reason to visit, we ran newspaper ads

promoting our unique events and festivals. Ads ran in May, June, and

July in Atlanta, Austin, Beaumont, Birmingham, Dallas, Fort Worth,

Hattiesburg, Houston, Huntsville,

Jackson, Lake Charles, Memphis,

Meridian, Mobile, Montgomery,

Nashville, Pensacola, Port Arthur, San

Antonio, and cities across Louisiana.

7

SUMMER CAMPAIGN

Newspapers FirstThis year we launched an integrated campaign combining newspaper and online advertising. We ran the campaign three

times in 2007, with each run coinciding with a major event in the city. There were seven newspapers involved, including

those in Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Nashville, and San Antonio. Each newspaper featured a

sweepstakes with weekend travel packages to New Orleans as prizes, supported with paid newspaper ads, added value

newspaper ads, email blasts, online banners, and contest landing pages sponsored by each newspaper. Considerable

added value was provided in the campaign, totaling over $342,532.

Magazine AdvertisingNOTMC placed a total of $1,163,191 in print advertising during the summer, pairing iconic

images of celebrities and a romantic couple along with tactical rates. Print ads ran in

April, June, and July issues of the publications below, both nationally and regionally:

AAA Southern Traveler (LA, MS, AR)

AAA TourBook (AL, LA, MS)

Architectural Digest

Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel

Austin Monthly

Better Homes & Gardens

Coastal Living

Collinson LTPA Newspaper Insert

Collinson Travel Planner

Cooking Light

Cottage Living

Country Living

ESSENCE Magazine

Executive Travel Sky Guide

Facility Management Journal

Flower Magazine

Food & Wine

Instinct Magazine

Jezebel Magazine

Ladies Home Journal

Midwest Living

O, The Oprah Magazine

Sherman’s Travel Magazine

Southern Accents

Southern Breeze

Southern Living

Texas Monthly

The New York Times T Magazine: Travel

Traditional Home

Travel + Leisure

8

SUMMER CAMPAIGN

2007 Visitors GuideIn 2007, we partnered with the NOMCVB to create the Official

Visitors Guide. This free guide, written and designed locally, was

sent to 700,000 potential visitors. It provided maps, descriptions,

history, hotel listings and coupons. It gave local businesses a way

to reach tourists with cost-effective co-op advertising administered

by Weaver Publishing, who also printed the guide twice this year. In

response to research findings, the guide answered questions about

places that were open and what was happening now.

000-000_NOOVG207_Cover_12.indd 1 6/21/07 11:22:47 AM

Magazine Insert/Direct MailTo reach the affluent cultural traveler, we created this

four-page color insert, which ran in Travel + Leisure.

It was mailed directly to American Express Cardmembers.

9

ARTS & CULTURE CAMPAIGN

Art & Antiques and Art in America AdsTo cater to the upscale consumer and to assist our galleries

and shops in the French Quarter, Arts District and on Magazine

Street, we ran this two-page spread ad in two top arts and

culture publications.

Welcome back to the “cradle of culture.”Cultural travelers represent a vital niche

for New Orleans tourism. These visitors

tend to stay longer, dine out more, spend

more, and come back again and again. By

strengthening the relationship between

the arts and tourism, NOTMC is helping

both to thrive.

In 2007, we continued our existing

partnership with local museum and art

centers to promote New Orleans as a

cultural destination. With 42 museums,

and some major exhibitions this year

including Femme, Femme, Femme at the

New Orleans Museum of Art, Vatican

Mosaics at the Old Ursuline Convent and

the expansion of the National World War II

Museum, we had much to promote.

FRANCE SENDS HER BEST

VATICAN VIEUX

WHAT'S COOKING?

BEAUTY AND THE BEAT'

NOT_MuseumsMAg_GalleryAd4.indd 1 3/20/07 12:45:28 PM

Museums MagazineProduced with LTB Media, this

piece featured seven major

museums and 18 galleries and

studios. 500,000 copies were

printed in May and distributed

as a fulfillment piece online

and as newspaper inserts in

our major markets, including

New York, Atlanta, and

Washington, D.C. They were

also poly-bagged with copies of

Museums New York and Gallery

Guide, and distributed onsite at

several expos and art fairs.

10

ARTS & CULTURE CAMPAIGN

Museums Magazine OnlineThe Museums magazine was sent out as a fulfillment piece

when requested on NewOrleansOnline.com this year, and the

demand was overwhelming. Within a record three weeks, all

remaining copies of the guide were distributed. In response,

NOTMC developed an interactive online version of the guide

to provide for the continued online demand, year-round.

Community Arts AwardWe’re proud to announce that the Arts Council of New Orleans

named NOTMC as a 2007 Community Arts Award recipient.

Shirley Trusty Corey, president of the Arts Council of New

Orleans, said, “NOTMC has given many hours and many

dollars to support the arts, and the organization has long

recognized the part that the art industry plays in New

Orleans’ economic development.” For our part, NOTMC is

proud to be singled out with all other deserving winners

including George Dunbar, Dr. Stella Jones, Wardell Quezerque,

KID smART, offBEAT magazine, and Barbara Motley. The

country of France also received a special Chairman’s Award

for sharing its cultural resources with New Orleans after

Hurricane Katrina.

NewOrleansMuseums.com Travelers were able to book hotel stays on

NewOrleansMuseums.com, a NOTMC website

designed to promote New Orleans as a cultural

destination; give descriptions, hours, locations,

and exhibit information; and provide maps

for New Orleans’ major museums, historic

homes, gardens, natural attractions and more.

NewOrleansMuseums.com ranks number one

on Google and Yahoo! for the keywords

“New Orleans Museums.”

Our arts-themed television spot ran nationally.

11

FAMILY CAMPAIGN

WeJustGotBack.com

WeJustGotBack.com is an online travel resource for families, with

articles and advice from families. In the summer of 2007, NOTMC

sponsored a section on the website entitled “25 Reasons to Visit

New Orleans,” and also created several family-themed banners to

run on the site. The article was later featured on the family section

of MSNBC.com and many other websites.

New Orleans is still fun for the whole family.With the return of the Aquarium of the Americas

in 2007, the city was ready to promote family

travel to New Orleans again. With our television

and online presence, we let the world know that

families can still enjoy the things they’ve always

loved about the city—the Audubon Zoo,

streetcar and buggy rides, steamboat

excursions, the Louisiana Children’s Museum

and other museums, the French Quarter,

Magazine Street and more.

Our family-themed television spot ran nationally, show-ing the country that New Orleans is once again safe for families. Highlights of the campaign included brothers Peyton and Eli Manning at a family crawfish boil.

12

FRENCH QUARTER CAMPAIGN

Promoting the crown jewel of the city!When people think about New Orleans, they

think of the treasures of the French Quarter,

one of the oldest neighborhoods in America.

The Vieux Carré offers more than 100 blocks of

art, antiques, hotels, restaurants and music

clubs—not to mention some of the best

festivals in the world.

To promote shopping and dining in the French

Quarter in 2007, NOTMC created a special

French Quarter campaign. It included a

brochure, billboards, direct mail, media FAM

trips, sponsorships of brass bands and more.

French Quarter Brochureand Direct MailWe printed 50,000 copies of

our French Quarter brochure.

The piece was direct-mailed

to a target demographic

and distributed onsite in

welcome centers.

Dine All DayGrab some beignets and cafe au lait at Café du

Monde. Dive into gumbo and po-boys just about

anywhere, anytime. For dinner, indulge at one of

the Quarter’s 100-year-old restaurants—Antoine’s,

Galatoire’s, Tortorici’s, and Tujague’s—or pick up a

restaurant guide for the latest award winners. Gospel

and jazz brunches abound on the weekend. Or sail

off on a dinner jazz cruise aboard the Steamboat

NATCHEZ.

For dessert, catch one of the annual events

dedicated to food, like the New Orleans Wine &

Food Experience, French Quarter Fest, New Orleans

Seafood Festival, Creole Tomato Festival, and

Tales of the Cocktail. Dine your way around town

at COOLinary New Orleans, a three-month

celebration of New Orleans’ restaurants. And savor

the season with Reveillon feasts all December.

Play All NightWith its eclectic mix of music clubs, cabarets,

and bars, Bourbon Street is the French Quarter’s

most famous nighttime row. Just three blocks over,

Decatur Street pulses with the sounds of the whole

world. Catch a play or musical at the newly renovated

Le Petit �éatre du Vieux Carré. Get in line for

traditional jazz at the legendary Preservation Hall.

�en follow the locals down to Frenchmen Street at

the edge of the Quarter for jazz, Latin, hip-hop, and

hookah—and groove deep into the night. Year of Festivals�ere’s always a festival spirit in the French Quarter,

with celebrations happening year round. �is year

marks the 25th anniversary of the French Quarter

Festival. Don’t miss it! Our festival calendar also

includes Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, the Tennessee

Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, Satchmo

SummerFest, Southern Decadence, Halloween in New

Orleans, Words and Music Festival, and Christmas

New Orleans Style. Visit NewOrleansOnline.com to

find out what’ll be happening when you’re in town.

Living HistoryStart with a carriage ride. Breezing beneath lacy

iron balconies, make a list of the shops you’ll want

to come back to. Back in Jackson Square, get your

portrait painted—then take a peek inside historic

St. Louis Cathedral. Next door is the Cabildo, where

the Louisiana Purchase transfer was signed. On the

other side of the church is the Presbytere, which takes

you to the heart of Louisiana’s Mardi Gras year round.

Just a few blocks away, �e Historic New Orleans

Collection presents one of the best introductions to

New Orleans history you can get.

Lee Tucker, http://www.jackson-square.com/tucker

N e w O r l e a n s

Shop, dine, and live it up in the cultural heart of New Orleans.

QuarterFinding TreasureVenture into art

galleries along

Royal and

Chartres streets

for stunning

architectural

paintings and a

host of uniquely

New Orleans

creations. Royal

Street has been

an international

destination for

high-end antiques,

art, and jewelry for

centuries. Wander

the French Market, America’s oldest public produce

marketplace, for a fresh bite plus folk art, African

sculpture, Creole spices, and more. �en check out

Jax Brewery, and pick up an outfit for the evening at

the upscale Shops at Canal Place.

11 -13 — 25th Anniversary of French Quarter Festival25 - 27—Jazz & Heritage Festival (first weekend)

2-4 — Jazz & Heritage Festival (last weekend)21 - 25 — New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

1 — French Quarter Treasures (through September) 6-8 — New Orleans Seafood Festival

13 - 15 — Louisiana Cajan Zydeco Festival

1 — COOLinary Summer New Orleans (through August 31)4 — Go Fourth on the River

4 -6 — Essence Festival16 -20 — Tales of the Cockta²

31 - Aug. 3 — Satchmo Summer Fest

2 — White Linen Night9 — Royal Street’s Dirty Linen Night

27 — Southern Decadence Festival (through September 1)

Fall Cultural Season begins Saints Season Opener

4 — Art for Art’s Sake31 — Halloween New Orleans

11/1 through January 2009 -Prospect 1 New Orleans Biennial Premier

1-31 — Christmas New Orleans Style

13

FRENCH QUARTER CAMPAIGN

Shop the original mall.

neworleansforever new

orleansforevernew

orleansforever

NewOrleansOnline.comNewOrleansOnline.com NewOrleansOnline.com

SHOP THE FRENCH QUARTER

Our food court serves gumbo and crawfish.


orleansforevernew

orleansforever



The only mall that’s also a museum.


orleansforevernew

orleansforever



Thank You, CBS Outdoor!CBS Outdoor generously donated five billboards in and

around the city. NOTMC created these boards to

promote shopping in the French Quarter.

French Quarter Festival is one of the

many unique New Orleans events that

NewOrleansOnline.com promoted on the site

and through e-newsletters. We consistently

demonstrate to online visitors that great events

are always happening in New Orleans.

14

MULTICULTURAL CAMPAIGN

ESSENCE CampaignNOTMC continues to be a proud sponsor of the ESSENCE

Music Festival. In 2007, 90,000 tickets were presold for the

event, with an estimated over 200,000-plus people in

attendance—both numbers exceeded previous years’ totals.

In addition to our online and media efforts, we had a booth at

the festival itself, where we distributed tourism information.

ESSENCE RadioTo drive traffic to hotel deals during ESSENCE on

NewOrleansOnline.com, we ran an aggressive regional radio

campaign in June. In addition to on-air commercials, tickets

were utilized as a promotional element. The commercials ran

in key urban markets—Atlanta, Houston and Jackson—and,

according to ESSENCE officials, there was an increase in

ticket sales that directly correlated with the timing of the

radio promotion.

ESSENCE PrintAs part of our agreement with ESSENCE, NOTMC received two

full-page advertisements in ESSENCE Magazine—a $151,800

value—absolutely free. The first ad invited readers to come to

both the ESSENCE Music Festival and the Satchmo

SummerFest. The second ad thanked visitors for making the

ESSENCE Music Festival a success, and invited them to come

back for the State Farm Bayou Classic in November.

It’s festival time in New Orleans! From French Quarter Fest (April 13-15) to Jazz Fest

(April 27-29 & May 4-6), come get your fill of music, food, and fun. And with hotel rooms

starting at $79 a night, now is the perfect time to book your trip. Call 800-519-NOLA or

visit NewOrleansOnline.com and get the good times rolling.


*Per room per night. Visit NewOrleansOnline.com/book/packages for details. This project is funded in partnership with the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, the Louisiana Office of Lt. Governor/Dept. of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

Multicultural CampaignAfrican-Americans made up a significant

portion of total visitors to the city in 2007.

Our blended ad campaigns and targeted

multicultural program continue to reach out to

African- and Hispanic-American travelers with

relevant messages and incentives. While our

primary campaigns invite all visitors to New

Orleans, NOTMC creates niche campaigns to

attract multicultural visitors.

Most parties last a few hours, but this one is still going on.

Experience the sights, the music, the food, and the fun of

the festival all year long. Join us at another great event, the

Bayou Classic on November 24. For more fun and excitement,

and to book your hotel, visit NewOrleansOnline.com.

In a city where parties are common, thanks for giving one that was anything but.

15

MULTICULTURAL CAMPAIGN

Multicultural Internet PromotionsThis year, NOTMC created and implemented several

successful multicultural Internet promotions on

BlackAmericaWeb.com and Latina.com to increase our

current African- and Hispanic-American databases, as well

as to drive traffic to NewOrleansOnline.com.African-American Media Familiarization Tour (Congo Creole Press Tour)The Congo Creole Press Tour took place in

New Orleans in the fall. National writers,

broadcasters/producers, and bloggers were

taken to locations such as Musicians’ Village,

Loretta’s Authentic Pralines®, and Royal

Heritage Gallery, and on private home tours in

Treme. The tour was centered around the

Congo Square Rhythms Festival.

As a result of the tour

Uptown Magazine ran multiple feature stories.

SoulOfAmerica.com expanded the

New Orleans section in their U.S. City Guide.

They have also updated their image gallery

with images that were taken during the tour.

AOL Black Voices produces segments

focusing on the rebuilding of the city.

Odyssey Couleur is working on a spread

for the publication, and we are working with

them on a continuation trip in partnership

with Hummer.®

American Urban Radio Networks® continues

to profile New Orleanians who are rebuilding

our city, such as Leah Chase and the

comeback of Dooky Chase restaurant.

16

GAY & LESBIAN CAMPAIGN

New Orleans Navigaytor

For the first time ever, NOTMC and Altus Group produced the

New Orleans Navigaytor, a guide to gay-friendly New Orleans.

Featuring an NOTMC ad with New Orleans-born actor Bryan

Batt, a star of American Movie Classic’s Mad Men, the

Navigaytor was distributed as a fulfillment piece for our

online marketing efforts.

CITY NAVIGAYTOR GAY TRAVEL GUIDE

AMERICA’SCULTURAL EDEN

SITES NOT TO BE MISSEDPAGE 8

HOT NIGHTS OF COOLJAZZ PAGE 14

CAJUN & CREOLE CUISINEPAGE 18

Attracting the affluent gay & lesbian marketIn 2007, we began a campaign to bring gay and

lesbian travelers to New Orleans. The city has

always been an attractive destination for this

target, as the success of the Southern

Decadence Festival and Halloween

attendance proves year after year.

According to research, gay and

lesbian travelers tend to take many

vacations, spend more on travel,

and enjoy fine dining and shopping.

The majority of the campaign was

focused online—promoting dining,

music, shopping, and hotels.

17

ONLINE ADVERTISING

Travelocity Newspaper Co-opTravelocity shared 50% of the cost of newspaper ads to promote

New Orleans in markets we could never afford before (see below). The

insertions were placed in Sunday travel sections in July and November.

The ads promoted a MasterCard/Travelocity partnership in which

consumers received $50 off a trip to New Orleans when booking online

with their MasterCard. Ads ran in the following issues of The Wall Street

Journal and USA Today, as well as in major market newspapers.

Wall Street Journal/USA Today

Atlanta

Chicago

Dallas/Ft. Worth

Los Angeles

Philadelphia/Washington, D.C.

Houston

New York

Major Market Newspapers

Chicago Tribune

Dallas Morning News

Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Houston Chronicle

The New York Times

Newark Star-Ledger

AirTran Airways Email NOTMC partnered with AirTran to create an email blast promoting a

contest in which consumers entered to win a trip to New Orleans. The

email blast reached 2.8 million potential visitors to New Orleans with a

goal to generate new leads for the NewOrleansOnline.com e-newsletter

and Official Visitors Guide. The campaign piqued interest via an exclusive

Mardi Gras Sweepstakes offer, then made it “one-click simple” to request

additional information about New Orleans.

Google AdWords We developed a comprehensive set of New Orleans-centric keywords

driving targeted traffic to specific areas of NewOrleansOnline.com

containing more detailed information on those terms. Those pages also

included opportunities to book travel to New Orleans as well as to opt in

for e-newsletters and Official Visitors Guides.

*Purchases must be made with a valid MasterCard card. Promo Code NEWORLEANS is valid on Flight + Hotel bookings for 3 nights or longer to New Orleans. Book by 08/15/07. Sample prices include $50 discount but do not include taxes and/or fees and are subject to availability. Sample prices gathered on X/XX/07 for travel X/XX/07 through X/XX/07. Other restrictions apply. See www.travelocity.com/neworleans for details. MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated. ©2007 Travelocity.com LP. All rights reserved. TRAVELOCITY, the Stars Design and The Roaming Gnome are trademarks of Travelocity.com LP. CST# 2056372-50.

NOTMC’s official website, NewOrleansOnline.com, is the #1 result for “New Orleans” on Google.com.Online advertising is a huge tool in the NOTMC

Internet team’s arsenal. There is no better way

to track response rates and to establish a

continued relationship with the consumer. In

addition, online advertising, unlike print media,

allows us the flexibility to promote a variety of

events and offers.

18

ONLINE ADVERTISING

NOLAFunGuide.com & Hotel Partner Program This year, NOTMC partnered with the Arts Council of New Orleans

(ACNO) to launch a comprehensive events calendar for the

City of New Orleans. NolaFunGuide.com is based on a proven

arts marketing platform developed by the Philadelphia Cultural

Alliance, funded by a generous contribution from the Pew

Charitable Trust and represents a tremendous gift to

New Orleans’ cultural economy.

NolaFunGuide.com is fully staffed by the Arts Council to keep the

website filled with hundreds of events, large and small, ranging

from our city’s famous culinary arts, to live music, art openings

and exhibitions, and community and sporting events. All event

data featured on NewOrleansOnline.com is provided by

NOLAFunGuide.com, and this site is well-positioned to be

our city’s calendar of record for the years to come.

Additionally, NOTMC and the ACNO worked together to

create a partner program for industry partners to carry

NOLAFunGuide.com’s great event data in co-branded microsites

customized for hotels, attractions, and other organizations, to

help spread the word about New Orleans’ vibrant cultural scene.

Video Ads NOTMC embedded engaging video variations on our celebrity campaign into online

video ad units on Travelocity.com and TripAdvisor.com to allow viewers to see as well

as hear from our famous spokespeople that New Orleans is “Open for Business.”

PointRoll NOTMC developed interactive, expandable ad units using PointRoll technology,

to better engage potential visitors through interactivity in the online

advertising space, highlight fresh images of “New Orleans NOW” and simplify

online reservations.

19

ONLINE ADVERTISING

TripAdvisor.comOur online summer campaign with TripAdvisor.com

featured geo-targeted display ads in key markets and

content-targeted display ads that reached visitors

seeking Louisiana or New Orleans information.

Yahoo! Monster Unit Our online summer campaign with Yahoo! included an extensive

array of display ad units, behaviorally targeted to Yahoo! site

visitors with an interest in New Orleans. We used Yahoo!’s

Monster unit, a jumbo interactive ad, to showcase upcoming

events and activities in the context of our celebrity campaign.

Each event featured a drop-down information bar that appeared

when the viewer moved the cursor over it.

20

ONLINE ADVERTISING

Events & Festival MicrositesNOTMC provided online marketing

support in the form of microwebsites

to promote our fantastic New Orleans

events, such as Tales of the Cocktail

and the New Orleans Seafood Festival.

These sites were promoted through

our online channels, showcased the

highlights of the events, and made it

easy for potential visitors to book a

trip to New Orleans to attend.

Summer Promotion Landers & Banners NOTMC’s online summer promotion “Stay two nights,

get a third night FREE!” featured our celebrities in

our banner advertising as well as on our promotional

landing pages, ensuring a tight cohesion in imagery

and messaging between our online and offline

campaigns. Wynton Marsalis, John Goodman and

Bryan Batt were outstanding hosts for visitors who

came to our site to learn more about New Orleans

summer hotel promotions.

21

ONLINE ADVERTISING

Industry E-newsletter NOTMC publishes regular updates to tourism partners

through its industry e-newsletter. Not only does it

provide vital statistics on our city’s recovery, it provides

exciting opportunities for cooperative marketing and

advertising efforts.

Consumer E-newsletter NewOrleansOnline.com pioneered the first email marketing program

for the City of New Orleans. Our database of potential visitors has

grown to over 370,000 subscribers. As a point of comparison, the

New York Times Great Getaways database was estimated in 2007 to

have 360,000 subscribers.

Our e-newsletters showcase the wide array of rich New Orleans

events that occur throughout the year, as well as special offers from

hotels. Each newsletter also links to our booking engine. This tool is

designed to keep awareness of our destination high and motivate our

subscribers to come and visit.

Web PromotionsLive with Regis & Kelly (May) — Promoted on radio

and TV in regional and national markets, including

New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Chicago

New York City Summer Stages Festival Giveaway

(August) — in conjunction with FQBA and Summer

Stages, NYC

Voodoo Music Experience (October)

Travelocity (October, November)

Mardi Gras 2008 (November, December)

22

ONLINE ADVERTISING

NewOrleansOnline.com/CVB Site MergerNOTMC began working with NOMCVB to merge NewOrleansOnline.com and

NewOrleansCVB.com into one comprehensive website for the New Orleans tourism

industry. The new site will be built on the existing NewOrleansOnline.com domain,

and include an extensive array of content and tools for leisure and group travelers,

meeting planners, media and more.

RadioFreeNewOrleans.comRadioFreeNewOrleans.com (also RFNO.com and

HearNewOrleansMusic.com) brings high-fidelity

New Orleans music to desktops and laptops around the

globe. We redeveloped RFNO.com in 2006 with new hand-built,

up-to-the-minute streaming technology, featuring new

back-end music management and reporting tools. The site’s

music player offers promotional opportunities by cycling

New Orleans editorials and hourly promos that drive traffic

back to NewOrleansOnline.com.

Bringing New Orleans to LIFE Online NOTMC added engaging personalities to nearly every

section of our website to introduce 17 colorful, thematic

videos designed to inspire people to visit New Orleans.

We showcase our food, live music, art and architecture,

festivals, attractions, history, shopping, and, of course,

the French Quarter. Through music and video, and images

of locals beckoning visitors to “book a travel package

today,” we highlight all the reasons New Orleans is a truly

unique destination.

23

ChristMas New OrleaNs style (CNOS) CAMPAIGN

CNOS GuideThis year, 125,000 Christmas

New Orleans Style Guides were

printed and distributed in hotels

and welcome centers throughout

the Gulf Coast, in New Orleans and

as a fulfillment piece online.

Included is a guide to participating

hotels that offer discounted Papa

Noël rates in December. This is just

another great example of how our

industry works together.

CNOS Celebrity Consumer MagazineIt takes more than the 12 days of Christmas to fit in the 305 events that take

place during Christmas New Orleans Style. Because there is so much going on

all month long, we tooted our own horn with an advertorial format this year to

give us room to fit it all in. Our media buyers negotiated 2/3-page advertorial

for FREE when buying a 1/3-page ad — a value of more than $200,000. Ads

ran in September, October, and November issues of the following regional and

national publications:

Atlanta Magazine

Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel

Austin Monthly

Collinson Publishing

Cottage Living

D Magazine

Ft. Worth Texas Magazine

Houston Magazine

Jezebel Magazine

The New Yorker

Points North

Sherman’s Travel Magazine

Southern Accents

Southern Breeze

Southern Living

Texas Monthly

Join us for a month long celebration of the season and the senses. Meet You in New Orleans Only in New Orleans can you enjoy Reveillon feasts, free concerts, unique shopping, riverboat cruises, and more—all December long. Join us for Celebration in the Oaks-two million sparkling lights adorning City Park’s ancient oak groves. Special Papa Noël hotel rates let you stay longer and see it all.

Savor the Season ‘Tis the season of the Reveillon, an old holiday dining tradition where restaurants citywide serve multiple courses at a special prix fi xe that will delight your palate and your pocketbook. Learn the secrets at Le Petit � eatre du Vieux Carré, where local chefs reveal their secret recipes at free cooking classes.

Follow the Music Head to historic St. Louis Cathedral for free evening concerts featuring some of the world’s best gospel, jazz, and R&B musicians. Take a stroll through the French Quarter as carolers shower you in song. On Christmas Eve, enjoy caroling in Jackson Square.

Shop For Treasure Some of New Orleans’ best holiday shopping can be found right in the heart of the city, in the French Quarter. Browse the fi ne antique shops, unique art galleries, and world-famous restaurants on Royal Street—or head to the Arts District and Magazine Street for more fresh art, funky fashions, antiques, and folksy Louisiana crafts. � ere’s no better place to

make headway on your holiday gift list. Join in the CheerSports fans, arrive early for the State Farm Bayou Classic (Nov. 24). Kick off the college bowl season at the New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 21). Catch the Hornets and the superstar Saints in regular season. Ring in the New Year and catch a live fi reworks display before heading to Harrah’s Casino. Don’t miss out on the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day and the BCS National Championship Game (Jan. 7, 2008).

Come and experience an authentic holiday tradition that’s uniquely New Orleans!

C H R I S T M A S

New Orleans Style

Christmas New Orleans StyleDecember is a month full of traditions.

Unfortunately, it’s traditionally a slow month for

tourism. To change all that, we created a

$1,035,216 Christmas New Orleans Style

campaign. We sponsor the events that attract

the visitors. This year’s events included daily

cooking demonstrations, nightly concerts, and

the Living History Project, which employs local

actors during December.

24

ChristMas New OrleaNs style(CNOS) CAMPAIGN

CNOS Celebrity TVBy adapting our celebrity TV campaign, we were also

able to promote CNOS events on television in November

in regional markets including Atlanta, Austin,

Birmingham, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Jackson,

Memphis, Mobile/Pensacola, Montgomery, Nashville, and

San Antonio. Why shop at your boring old mall when the

unique shops of the New Orleans French Quarter, the

Arts District and Magazine Street await?

CNOS Newspaper

In November, we were able to entice visitors to

New Orleans by running newspaper ads promoting

great Papa Noël rates and festive CNOS events. The

ads ran in Atlanta, Austin, Beaumont, Birmingham,

Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Huntsville, Jackson/

Hattiesburg, Lake Charles, Memphis, Meridian, Mobile,

Montgomery, Nashville, Pensacola, Port Arthur, and in

cities across Louisiana.

*Per room per night. Subject to availability. Visit NewOrleansOnline.com/book/packages for details. This project is funded in partnership with the U.S. Dept of Housing and Urban Development, the Louisiana Office of Lt. Governor/Dept. of Culture, Recreation and Toruism, and the Louisiana Recovery Authority

Hotel Rates Starting at $79* This holiday season, treat yourself Christmas New Orleans Style. From

shopping in the French Quarter to caroling in Jackson Square, the city

offers plenty of festive activities to get you and your family in the

Christmas spirit. Call 800.519.NOLA or visit NewOrleansOnline.com

to book your trip today.

25

COMMUNICATIONS & PR

NOTMC’s efforts in 2007 generated more than $104,000,000 in media exposure for the city. In 2007, our media relations efforts produced excellent results. Our press

pitches generated consistent editorial coverage in top-tier media in our

key markets. We were talked up positively on CNN, Good Morning

America, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and other national shows. Perhaps

our biggest coup took place in May when, with the help of Harrah’s, the

producers of Live with Regis & Kelly agreed to broadcast live from Fulton

Street for five days. The impact of Regis and Kelly telling the story of

New Orleans far exceeds any advertising we could have done.

NOTMC regularly partners with other tourism interests including

supporting the Mayor’s office of communication in their tourism-related

activities. This year, events included holding a news conference for an

award from the National Register of Historic Places, and the New Orleans

Mardi Gras Marathon. We also assisted in producing the city’s Merci

Beaucoup event. During Jazz Fest, NOTMC partnered with the State of

Louisiana and Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu to host a media breakfast

and tour. NOTMC also joined with the NOMCVB in executing and running

the Katrina second-anniversary media center in August. When the Hearst

Corporation’s top 90 magazine editors visited as volunteers to work on

the Preservation Resource Center’s Rebuilding Together project,

NOTMC was there to provide information to all editors.

Altogether, we directly assisted more than 3,000 journalists in 2007,

generating some 34,600 mentions in print and broadcast media.

What We DoAs the city’s leisure travel

communications department, we

make writing travel articles about

New Orleans easy. Our staff of

experienced journalists is ready to

help visiting media find or enrich

the assignment they’ve been given.

We provide press releases, press

kits both physical and online,

unique story angles, insider

interviews, contact information,

high-resolution still photography,

television field production and

location scouting, broadcast b-roll,

itineraries, press trips, and

accommodations.

26

Live with Regis & KellyFor five days in May, more than 15 million viewers per day

watched Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa showcase the progress

that had taken place in the city since Hurricane Katrina.

PR Value: Priceless.

The communications team spent four busy months planning

for multiple days of national exposure. Some of the duties

included conducting scouting trips, helping to produce

stories with Regis and Kelly in the field, providing contact

names and numbers to the staff, and working as production

assistants for the show. We also created a successful Web

promotion to tie it all together.

Guests of the show were all either fans of New Orleans or

from New Orleans. Spotlighted were Emeril Lagasse, Paul

Prudhomme, Leah Chase, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band,

Rockin’ Dopsie, Pete Fountain, John Stamos, Luke Wilson,

and Martina McBride to name a few.

The Ellen DeGeneres ShowOne of New Orleans’ brightest stars on the national scene is Ellen

DeGeneres, who has never forgotten her roots. In early January,

NOTMC partnered with the show and brought 50 New Orleanians

to Burbank, CA for Ellen’s February 20th Mardi Gras show, where

we also took the opportunity to promote the New Orleans

Jazz & Heritage Festival. Broadcast in 211 American markets and

over a dozen foreign countries, Ellen is seen by over 3 million

viewers daily. Harry Connick, Jr. was Ellen’s guest and the two

talked about their love of New Orleans and the need for people

to visit the city. PR value: $61,325,000.

More quotes applauding New Orleans:

“I love it here! Let me just start by saying I’ve been here so many times and this is my

favorite city in the United States!”

John Stamos

“I am having a love affair with New Orleans!”Kelly Ripa

“The French Quarter looks even better today than I remember it.”

Regis Philbin

The end result was $30 million in exposure for our city, and

that doesn’t include all the free regional press coverage. It

doesn’t get any better than this!

“What’s New Orleans without music...and what’s

music without dancing?”

Ellen DeGeneres

“You need to go to New Orleans…that will

help more than anything...”

Ellen DeGeneres

“The tourism is what we depend on, so spend your money and rejuvenate the

economy down there.”Harry Connick, Jr.

“Jazz Fest is an amazing experience. If you guys get a

chance, you should go. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen.”

Harry Connick, Jr.

COMMUNICATIONS & PR

27

Television Field ProductionIn addition to assisting the City of New Orleans Film

Commission on several shoots in 2007, the communications

team also worked in the field producing national television

coverage taped here. We worked with the following programs

and others, making sure the camera captured New Orleans at

her very best:

Satellite video news release for Mardi Gras

Taped at the beginning of the carnival season in February,

information about Mardi Gras was sent across the nation.

Total viewers equaled 11,612,190.

aBC Good Morning america

ABC did a Mardi Gras live shot on Fat Tuesday from

Jackson Square and NOTMC was there to help.

Total viewers: 8,872,000. PR value: $262,187

Katrina Anniversary Coverage

In August, Good Morning America again did a live shot

from New Orleans and NOTMC was there to assist in

the production.

Total viewers: 3,496,000. PR value: $185,250.

GMa town hall Meeting

Diane Sawyer was the host of this live town hall meeting

with John Edwards in July. NOTMC convinced the crew to

shoot at the Cabildo and in Jackson Square and again

helped in the production.

Total viewers: 7,565,000. PR value: $181,687,

Travel Channel

Not Your Average Travel Guide shot two episodes in

February and September.

Total viewers: 834,000. PR value: $31,727.

america, the wright way

This 30-minute episode starring Adam Wright, shot in

late 2007, will air in Spring 2008.

Network Syndication

laura McKenzie traveler

Three episodes were shot in December with NOTMC providing

a producer. Laura McKenzie appears in 210 markets and on

the Travel Channel. She also will promote New Orleans on the

CBS Early Show in 2008 as well as mention the city in USA

Today Weekend.

Fox and Friends

A segment was done on location at the Voodoo Music

Experience on Fox and Friends in July with NOTMC

helping with coordination and onsite assistance.


CNN and CNN.com

Deal of the Day

Christmas New Orleans Style was highlighted as a deal of the

day in December. The three-minute segment aired at noon.

Total viewers: 393,000. PR value: $32,850.

CBs early show

When John Edwards announced for President in New Orleans

in the Ninth Ward, NOTMC was there. Our staff person was

the on-site field producer for CBS.

Total viewers: 2,749,000. PR Value: $21,000.

NBC today show

Peter Greenberg promoted New Orleans in September, and

called NOTMC for extensive research. His coverage landed on

NBC-TV, PeterGreenberg.com, and AOL.com.


In November, the Today Show did a three-day feature on the

Gulf Coast and named New Orleans the 2nd most beautiful

city in America. NOTMC did a scout trip with the network

ahead of their telecast.


COMMUNICATIONS & PR

28

Magazines:

Alarm Magazine

Architectural Digest

Austin Monthly

Bon Appétit

Condé Nast Traveler

Cottage Living

Delta Sky

Elle

Entertainment Weekly

ESSENCE

Every Day with Rachael Ray

InStyle

National Geographic Traveler

Passport

People

Southern Breeze

Southern Living

South Mississippi Living

Spirit (Southwest Airlines)

Texas Monthly

Today’s Groom

Town & Country

Travel + Leisure

Vogue

Print Production WorkNOTMC always assists journalists, but this year was exceptionally

busy. We captured some great coverage for New Orleans with

these and other major national outlets. Here are just a few:

NOTMC Lays Foundation for Cottage Living HouseCottage Living, a widely circulated national magazine, chose New Orleans as the site for its 2007

“Idea Home.” After being contacted by NOTMC, the magazine selected an Uptown neighborhood as

the site for a 2,370-square-foot modular home reflective of the unique architectural styles of

New Orleans. Proceeds for tours of the house were donated to the Preservation Resource Center,

which is committed to preserving the city’s architectural legacy. Additionally, the house features

furniture and art from local artists and craftsmen. Proceeds for sale of the house went to the

Operation Comeback Revolving Fund, which supports the Holy Cross Development Project.

Newspaper:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Chicago Tribune

Houston Chronicle

Inside Entertainment

New York Post

New York Times

San Antonio Express-News

San Francisco Chronicle

USA Today

USA Weekend

Wall Street Journal

COMMUNICATIONS & PR

29

Familiarization Trips(FAM Tours)FAM Tours provide a way for NOTMC to familiarize journalists

with the city firsthand. Small groups of writers and

broadcasters are brought to the city to demonstrate our

authenticity and uniqueness. In 2007, a value of more than

$600,000 was realized from the print and broadcast coverage

the trips generated. Web clips added another $8,000 in value

to that, bringing the total to more than $608,000.

The six NOTMC press FAMs showcasing New Orleans featured

arts and culture; the French Quarter Festival; the New Orleans

Wine & Food Experience; the New Orleans Seafood Festival;

Tales of the Cocktail; and our Multi-cultural Creole heritage.

NOTMC also partners with other groups and supplies press kits,

information, and staffing for their FAM Tours. This year’s

partners were Harrah’s, Marriott, Louisiana Department of

Culture, Recreation & Tourism, and Hilton Riverside.

A Note About PR ValuesNOTMC value reports capture opportunities generated as a

direct result of FAM Tours, story pitches, and publicity efforts.

A conservative industry standard formula is used to determine

the value of specific coverage. The formula takes into account

a media outlet’s advertising rate and the length of the

coverage received.

COMMUNICATIONS & PR

30

CORPORATE FUNDING

Corporate FundingWorking with the local hospitality industry, NOTMC undertook

several initiatives in 2007 that helped us fulfill our mission in

specific and important ways. NOTMC provided grants for

marketing and promotion of the following events:

New Year’s Eve Fireworks

Mardi Gras Marathon

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

ESSENCE Music Festival

Tales of the Cocktail

New Orleans Seafood Festival

Satchmo SummerFest

Krewe of Boo

French Quarter Festival

French Quarter Business Association Brass Bands Series

New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation

31

.

A Big Thank You To Cox Communications and Greg Bickett!Cox rocks! When Hurricane Katrina hit, Cox and

ten of the leading cable companies across the

country stepped up to donate over $14 million

in advertising time to invite people to fall in

love with New Orleans all over again. Cox

Communications spearheaded this effort and

involved their fellow cable companies,

including AdLINK, Bresnan Communications,

Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Charter

Communications, Comcast, Insight

Communications, Mediacom, Suddenlink, and

Time Warner Cable. As a result, NOTMC was

able to create seven different TV spots with

themes such as family, festivals, food, music,

art, and neighborhoods.

We ran our general spot, as well as niche spots with emphases on food, music, art, and other assets of the city.

32

BARTER ADVERTISING

Barter AdvertisingLondon Company worked with the

New Orleans hospitality industry to

coordinate $905,011 in hotel inventory,

restaurant vouchers, and attraction tickets

bartered in exchange for television, radio,

newspaper, and print advertising. Using

barter advertising, we can place ads without

spending a single dollar on media. The entire

amount is paid for with complimentary hotel

accommodations—excess rooms contributed

by participating hotels.

2007 Barter Advertising PlacementMARKET General CNOS Total

Alabama $68,800.00 $34,000.00 $102,800.00

Arizona $3,315.00 $ - $3,315.00

Arkansas $6,900.00 $2,000.00 $8,900.00

California $47,040.00 $ - $47,040.00

Florida $66,903.00 $ 22,000.00 $88,903.00

Georgia $47,476.00 $15,000.00 $62,476.00

Illinois $31,000.00 $ - $31,000.00

Indiana $21,279.00 $ - $21,279.00

Kentucky $29,322.00 $5,000.00 $34,322.00

Louisiana $103,600.00 $47,000.00 $150,600.00

Mississippi $87,290.00 $20,000.00 $107,290.00

Missouri $49,200.00 $5,000.00 $54,200.00

New York $29,400.00 $ - $29,400.00

Ohio $27,847.00 $ - $27,847.00

Oklahoma $9,050.00 $1,600.00 $10,650.00

Tennessee $4,489.00 $5,000.00 $9,489.00

Texas $80,500.00 $35,000.00 $115,500.00

TOTALS $713,411.00 $191,600.00 $905,011.00

33

RTA

RTABack on track!Nothing says New Orleans is back quite like

the sight of the historic green streetcar once

again rolling up St. Charles Avenue! By

connecting Uptown, the Garden District,

Downtown, and the French Quarter with City

Park, NOMA, and the historic Mid-City

neighborhood, the RTA has made exploring

New Orleans even more rewarding.

Our partnership with RTA continued in 2007.

NOTMC receives 40% of revenues generated

by an RTA/hotel tax. Half of this amount is

dedicated to the Ernest N. Morial Convention

Center, while 16.55% is dedicated solely to

tourism marketing. The Mayor’s Office of

Tourism receives 3.45%. In return for its

investment, the RTA streetcar receives great

exposure in public relations and our ads (one

celebrity ad featured John Goodman as a

streetcar driver), online marketing, and public

relations. The value of that exposure in 2007

was $5,472,442.71.

2007 VALuE DELIVERED TO RTA

Summer Campaign $3,120,147.93

Christmas Campaign $579,160.72

Internet $1,665,518.96

Public Relations $8,064.10

Barter $99,551.00

Total Value Received $5,472,442.71

34

35

HARRAH’S

Harrah’sHarrah’s New Orleans Casino continues to be a

major marketing partner of NOTMC. Together,

we were able to convince the producers of the

nationally syndicated talk show Live with Regis &

Kelly to broadcast live for five consecutive

shows last May. Harrah’s Hotel was a big

sponsor and Fulton Street was the set! Bringing

the show to New Orleans allowed us to get our

message to “come visit” to over 14 million

people each day.

As part of Harrah’s agreements with both the

City of New Orleans and the hotel industry, the

casino’s payment of $2 million annually to

NOTMC goes directly towards marketing

efforts, allowing us to broaden the

effectiveness and reach of our campaigns.

The tax-based portion of our funding varies

from year to year, but the contribution from

Harrah’s remains constant. In 2007, Harrah’s

received $12,340,499.57 in marketing value

from exposure in our ads, online marketing,

and public relations. It’s a good bet and a

win-win situation for everyone involved.

<22>

Don’t miss the world-class gaming, dining and entertainment that have made Harrah’s® New Orleans Casino the most visited attraction in the South for years.

N E W O R L E A N S T O U R I S M M A R K E T I N G C O R P O R AT I O N

001-047_NOOVG207_Wel_13.indd 22 12/19/07 10:16:28 AM

2007 VALuE DELIVERED TO HARRAH’S CASINO

Summer Campaign $3,206,667.65

Christmas Campaign $124,425.92

Internet $8,836,354.73

Public Relations $73,500.27

Barter $99,551.00

Total Value Received $12,340,499.57

35

FINANCIAL REPORT

Statement of Revenues and Expenditures for Year Ended 12/31/07-unaudited

REVENuES

Base Funding/City of New Orleans $1,000,000 *$250,000 received after Dec. 31, 2007

Hotel/Motel Occupancy Tax $3,341,601 *$921,390 received after Dec. 31, 2007

RTA/Hotel Tax $2,206,618 *$613,550 received after Dec. 31, 2007

Casino Funding/Leasing Agreement with City of New Orleans $1,000,000

Harrah’s Marketing Fund (Agreement with Hotel Industry) $1,000,000 *$83,333 received after Dec. 31, 2007

HUD/LOT Community Development Block Grant $4,689,390 *$1,229,230 received after Dec. 31, 2007

Other Revenue (Co-Op Sales & Partnerships) $155,239

Interest Income $222,939

TOTAL REVENUE $13,615,787

ExPENDITuRES

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center $1,103,309

New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau $976,860

New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network $325,620

Mayor’s Office of Tourism and Arts $76,128

New Orleans Film and Video Commission $150,000

Corporate Funding $5,000

Agency, Sales, Barter Fees $964,728

Summer/General Media $3,931,580

Summer/Museums Niche Media $182,000

Christmas New Orleans Style $947,198

ESSENCE/Multicultural Campaign $364,506

Internet Marketing $771,230

Public Relations $1,029,521

Production $779,486

Telemarketing $17,496

Fulfillment $96,904

Research $105,084

Promotions/Festival Support $124,377

Marketing Technologies $15,316

General and Administrative $355,433

TOTAL EXPENDITURES $12,321,776

Excess of revenues over expenditures $1,294,011

*Total amount received subsequent to December 31, 2007 was $3,097,503.

36

And The 2007 Award Goes To…

NEW ORLEANS!

Travel + Leisure named New Orleans one of

“America’s Favorite Cities.” In fact, we were ranked #1

in eight categories in a Travel + Leisure/CNN Headline News poll.

ZAGAT Named New Orleans 2nd Most Affordable

Restaurant City in America

Expedia.com Named New Orleans as a

Top 25 City to Visitin America

Orbitz Insider Touted New Orleans as a

Top Travel Pick for 2007

Porthole Cruise Magazine Named New Orleans

ComebackPortoftheYear

National Trust Recognized New Orleans with Special Award for Achievement

in Heritage Tourism

And the lists of honors continues…

Statement of Revenues and Expenditures for Year Ended 12/31/07-unaudited

REVENuES

Base Funding/City of New Orleans $1,000,000 *$250,000 received after Dec. 31, 2007

Hotel/Motel Occupancy Tax $3,341,601 *$921,390 received after Dec. 31, 2007

RTA/Hotel Tax $2,206,618 *$613,550 received after Dec. 31, 2007

Casino Funding/Leasing Agreement with City of New Orleans $1,000,000

Harrah’s Marketing Fund (Agreement with Hotel Industry) $1,000,000 *$83,333 received after Dec. 31, 2007

HUD/LOT Community Development Block Grant $4,689,390 *$1,229,230 received after Dec. 31, 2007

Other Revenue (Co-Op Sales & Partnerships) $155,239

Interest Income $222,939

TOTAL REVENUE $13,615,787

ExPENDITuRES

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center $1,103,309

New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau $976,860

New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network $325,620

Mayor’s Office of Tourism and Arts $76,128

New Orleans Film and Video Commission $150,000

Corporate Funding $5,000

Agency, Sales, Barter Fees $964,728

Summer/General Media $3,931,580

Summer/Museums Niche Media $182,000

Christmas New Orleans Style $947,198

ESSENCE/Multicultural Campaign $364,506

Internet Marketing $771,230

Public Relations $1,029,521

Production $779,486

Telemarketing $17,496

Fulfillment $96,904

Research $105,084

Promotions/Festival Support $124,377

Marketing Technologies $15,316

General and Administrative $355,433

TOTAL EXPENDITURES $12,321,776

Excess of revenues over expenditures $1,294,011

*Total amount received subsequent to December 31, 2007 was $3,097,503.

37

38

“I really love this area and the idea of moving here.”

Kelly Ripa,Live with Regis & Kelly,

November 8, 2007

“New Orleans is coming back!”

Paul Prudhomme,Live with Regis & Kelly,

November 8, 2007

“This town—everyone’s optimistic, everyone is happy to have us here, everything’s open.”

John Stamos,Live with Regis & Kelly,

November 8, 2007

“Every block has got some sights to see here!”

Regis Philbin,Live with Regis & Kelly,

November 8, 2007

One Canal Place | 365 Canal Street, Suite 1120 | New Orleans, LA 70130 | Phone 504.524.4784

NewOrleansOnline.com | NewOrleansMuseums.com

“New Orleans is my essence, my soul, my muse...”

Harry Connick, Jr.

notmc 2007 annual report

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