New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau Honored by the Meetings Industry as One of the Top Five CVB's in the World

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Kelly Schulz or Tara Letort
New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau      
504-566-5019   
kschulz@neworleanscvb.com/tletort@neworleanscvb.com

New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau Honored by the Meetings Industry as One of the Top Five CVB's in the World
For the seventh time since 2001, New Orleans receives the Gold Service Elite Award from
Meetings & Conventions Magazine readers

NEW ORLEANS - Nov. 14, 2011 - The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) was once again recognized by its customers as one of the top five CVBs in the world with the prominent Gold Service Elite Award for 2011 from Meetings and Conventions Magazine (M&C).  The New Orleans CVB has received the Gold Service Award every year since 1984, and since the Elite award was introduced in 2001, the New Orleans CVB has been selected as Elite seven times in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2011.

Winners are chosen by M&C's 52,990 readers, the industry's most important critics - meeting planners, who rely on their overall industry expertise to nominate and select 85 domestic and international CVBs to earn the 2011 Gold Service Award.  Five CVBs are then chosen for ‘Elite' status based on a strict set of criteria: professionalism of staff; support on hotels and site inspections; assistance with ground transportation planning; guidance on local attractions; and liaison with local vendors and services. Through totally unaided recall, the meeting planners selected New Orleans as one of the five Elite.

"Consistently exceeding expectations, and providing the highest-level of service and professionalism truly has set these exceptional bureaus apart. M&C readers recognize the value of the partnerships provided by these ‘Elite' bureaus can provide to the overall event experience," states Kirk Lewis, M&C Publisher. "Excelling above their peers, the 2011 Gold ‘Elite' winners and their staffs should be commended by the entire industry for setting the standard for service. M&C's entire staff joins our readers in congratulating the five superior CVBs who have strived to develop working partnerships with meeting professionals."

"We are very proud of this award because it tells us of the standing and regard with which our team is held in the national convention business, and the respect our best practices and execution have earned us," said Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans CVB.

Since Mr. Perry became CEO of the New Orleans CVB in 2002, the organization has won multiple national awards for excellence in sales, marketing, branding, public relations, customer service and corporate relations. In 2009, the New Orleans CVB became one of only 101 organizations to be accredited by the Destination Marketing Association International for attaining excellence and meeting rigorous industry standards for brand management, governance, stakeholder relationships, innovation and more.

Winning CVBs are featured in M&C's Gold Awards issue published this November.

About New Orleans CVB
The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau is a nationally accredited, 1,000-member destination marketing organization and the largest and most successful private economic development corporation in Louisiana. We help create $5 billion in new capital each year- more than any other business sector- by attracting millions of visitors, special events and conventions. The CVB and its members influence thousands of decision-makers and millions of visitors to choose New Orleans through direct sales, marketing, public relations, branding and visitor services at our New Orleans headquarters and offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago and four foreign countries. Consistently recognized as one of the top five CVBs in the country, the New Orleans CVB celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010. For more information, please visit http://www.neworleanscvb.com/.