For Immediate Release: January 9, 2006

Contact:
Sherry Conway Appel, 202-626-3003
Latricia Good, 202-626-3051

New Orleans to Host National League of Cities Convention in 2007

Washington, DC—The National League of Cities (NLC) today reaffirmed its commitment to hold its 2007 Congress of Cities at the Ernest Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, from November 13 to 17, 2007. The convention is expected to draw more than 8,000 people and generate between $8 and $10 million in revenues for the city and surrounding area.

The NLC Board of Directors selected New Orleans as the site for the 2007 convention last summer, only six weeks before Hurricane Katrina struck the city. As the city this week throws open its doors for the Mardi Gras season to welcome tourists and convention visitors once again, NLC wanted to reaffirm its strong commitment to the city.

“Holding our annual convention in New Orleans just reinforces our ‘cities helping cities’ message,” said NLC President James C. Hunt, council member from Clarksburg, West Va. “Even in such difficult times, New Orleans is a vibrant and welcoming place and we know the city will provide all of our local elected officials with an exciting venue.”

NLC has been active in supporting the cities and towns of the Gulf Coast that have been devastated by several hurricanes in 2005. Most recently at the Congress of Cities held in Charlotte, local elected officials attending the conference constructed two houses that were donated to Lake Charles, Louisiana. In addition, a number of officials from the area participated in panels and general sessions to discuss “lessons learned” from the disasters.

In July, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin came to NLC’s Board of Directors’ meeting in Washington, DC to discuss the city’s commitment to hold the convention. The hurricane aftermath made NLC’s commitment to the city even more significant, given that it will bring needed tax dollars to the area through hotel, restaurant and other taxes, as well as revenues to city businesses.

“The National League of Cities continues to show its support for New Orleans during our historical rebuilding and revitalization process,” said Mayor Nagin. “We are so excited to host its 84th Annual Conference next year (in 2007) and hope that they will continue to be a resource for generating more support from additional cities throughout the United States.”

NLC’s next Congress of Cities will be held in Reno, Nevada, from December 5 to 9, 2006. NLC will go to Orlando, Florida, in 2008.

The National League of Cities is the oldest and largest national organization representing municipal governments. NLC is a resource and advocate for 18,000 U.S. cities, towns and villages, which collectively serve 225 million people. For more information, contact Sherry Conway Appel, 202-626-3003 or Latricia Good, 202-626-3051.