City of New Orleans  |  New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau
New Orleans, LA

Overview
The State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans actively seek to bring the Republican Party back to New Orleans for the 2004 Republican National Convention.  With commitment, energy, enthusiasm and experience the State and the City offer their full cooperation, superb event management skills and public and private resources to ensure the success of the 2004 Republican Convention as follows.

Extraordinary economies and efficiencies of facilities and proximities that combine to offer America's best convention value and venue.

A special feeling of "convention community" created by New Orleans convention facility compactness.  The convenience and closeness will bring and keep convention participants together as they did in 1988.

State and regional cooperation, evidenced by the joint State/City nature of this proposal.

A solid financial commitment and a proven record of economically and efficiently pooling public and private resources for Convention services support and welcoming and promotion activities.

The incomparable Louisiana Superdome which provides total Convention seating for 40,000 with unobstructed sight lines, seating for 6,000 delegates and alternates on the Convention floor, 67 sky boxes and 9 press boxes for guests, media and security, and 50 meeting rooms.

The excitement and synergy of the 20,000 seat New Orleans Arena connected and immediately adjacent to the Louisiana Superdome.

33,000 hotel rooms from which to choose the room block--20,000 of which are within 10 minutes of the Superdome.  All are within 25 minutes of the Superdome.

A New Orleans Welcome from a Host Committee, its force of thousands of volunteers, and countless individual New Orleanians, who plan individual delegation parties and a  gala welcome for all Convention media representatives.

60,000 square feet of Convention office space.

Extraordinary Special Event Telecommunications Skills and Experience.

An Independent Convention Bus Transportation System planned and executed by experts and using as many buses as are required.

New Orleans' bid reflects Louisiana's and New Orleans' desire to prove once more to the nation and world that New Orleans is indeed "Host to the Future."  This phrase was first used as New Orleans hosted the 1988 Republican National Convention.  This phrase has proved true, as--over the past fourteen years--New Orleans has boomed as a place to meet and visit.  Because of New Orleans' exciting 1988 Convention and post-Convention experience, Louisianians and New Orleanians know well the advantages that derive from the world's focusing on an American city during a presidential nominating convention.  New Orleans and Louisiana welcome such focus and invite world scrutiny of the extraordinary stage and the superb setting that they once more, and eagerly, offer the Republican Party.

Photo Courtesy Pat Brister
The RNC's Site Selection Committee visited New Orleans on August 4-6, 2002.

Observations.  Having hosted the 1988 Republican National Convention, New Orleans has shown it has the facilities to host the convention.  New Orleans also sought to host the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Republican National Conventions as well as the 2000 Democratic National Convention.  [Among the players in the New Orleans effort are: Bill Hines (partner at the Jones Walker law firm and chair of MetroVision, a regional economic development partnership for the New Orleans Region and Southeast Louisiana), Dan Packer (chairman of the New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce and president & CEO of Entergy New Orleans), and Pat Brister (chairwoman of the Louisiana State Republican Party).  These three traveled to Washington, DC for the May 1, 2002 meeting with RNC representatives; they were joined there by former Rep. Bob Livingston].
 
 
 

Bid document: Approx. 100 pages. 
 

Copyright © 2002 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.