Tales of the Cocktail® Hits Record Numbers in 2011

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Tales of the Cocktail® Hits Record Numbers in 2011
The 9th annual Tales of the Cocktail® set record highs for attendees, hotel nights
and the economic impact on New Orleans.

New Orleans, LA - September 28, 2011 - Tales of the Cocktail®, the internationally acclaimed festival of cocktails, cuisine and culture held its 9th annual event in New Orleans, July 20-24, 2011. With more than 21,000 attendees, up 16% from last year, the 2011 festival turned out to be the biggest yet. Even more impressive than the number of attendees is the enormous economic impact Tales of the Cocktail® has on the city of New Orleans. During the five-day festival,  $12.7 million was spent by the Tales of the Cocktail® attendees (increase of $1.4 million from 2010) with the city and state collecting $885,000 in tax revenue.

"The cocktail lovers who join us every year make the festival what it is," said Paul Tuennerman, Chief Business Officer for Tales of the Cocktail®. "The fact that we keep seeing growth year after year is an indication of the growing interest and excitement for cocktails around the world."

The 21,764 attendees booked a total of 15,748 hotel nights among our 14 hotel partners' properties, an increase of 1734 hotel nights from 2010. California, Texas, New York, Louisiana and Florida were the most represented states, while Canada, Russia, United Kingdom, Australia and Finland had the most international attendees.

During the five-day celebration of the cocktail industry, Tales of the Cocktail® hosted 207 spirited events, including 25 Spirited Dinner® locations, 54 educational seminars, 63 tasting rooms and 3 spirited luncheons. None of these events would have been possible without the hard work of the Tales of the Cocktail® team made up of 82 volunteers, 57 cocktail apprentices, 8 juicers, 55 part-time staffers, 23 interns, and 5 full-time staffers.

As always, the proceeds from Tales of the Cocktail® benefit the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society (NOCCPS), a non-profit organization committed to preserving the unique culture of cocktails and cuisine in New Orleans and beyond. The increased attendance will allow the NOCCPS to continue and expand programs like it's Cocktail Apprentice Scholarship Fund and the new Apprentice Aid Medical Fund.

About Tales of the Cocktail®
Tales of the Cocktail® is the world's premier cocktail festival, bringing together the most respected minds on mixology for five days of cocktails, cuisine and culture. Held annually in New Orleans, this international event has something for cocktail professionals and enthusiasts alike with a spirited schedule of seminars, dinners, competitions and tasting rooms where brands showcase their latest products. Tales of the Cocktail® returns in 2012 for a historic milestone-its 10th Anniversary of rocking the cocktail world. Join the celebration July 25-29, 2012 and see how Tales of the Cocktail® only gets better with age.

About the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society
The New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society (NOCCPS) is a non-profit organization committed to preserving the unique culture of cocktails and cuisine in New Orleans and beyond. Since it's founding in 2006 the NOCCPS has supported members of the hospitality industry through programs like the new Apprentice Aid Fund, providing financial assistance to former apprentices in times of medical need, the Cocktail Apprentice Scholarship Program and the Flo Woodward Memorial Scholarship as well as the production of events like Tales of the Cocktail®.

For more information on Tales of the Cocktail®, visit TalesoftheCocktail.com