Meetings Mean Business
Meetings Mean Business is a campaign working to protect the millions of American jobs that depend on business travel and events. Meetings Mean Business supports a robust travel industry that employs millions of hardworking Americans in hotels, restaurants and conference centers across the country.  New Orleans' economy and quality of life for every citizen depends on tourism. The city's largest employer, tourism creates 70,000 jobs and $5 billion in economic impact for our community.

Dealing with a downtrodden economy and a vast amount of scrutiny from the media and Congress, New Orleans and the nation’s meeting industry are facing unprecedented challenges. Corporate meetings are under attack and some corporate travel is now being labeled as frivolous.

As members of the hospitality community, we all understand how vital corporate meetings are not only to our economy as a whole, but to the individuals who rely on the business provided by meeting attendees. As requested by the U.S. Travel Association, we are calling all members of our industry to take a stand and support the "Meetings Mean Business” campaign.

The Power of Tourism in New Orleans Day! Approximately 1,000 members of the New Orleans hospitality community held signs, second-lined and danced down Canal Street to officially declare May 12, 2009 the power of tourism in New Orleans day. [more]

How you can help... View letter templates, sign the "Meetings Mean Business" petition or call your representative to express how important corporate meetings are to you. [more]

Hear the Voices of our Hospitality Community Watch a short video of the people that make New Orleans the finest meeting destination and what happens if people stop meeting or traveling [more]

U.S. Travel Association For more information on the "Meetings Mean Business" campaign, view letters from Roger Dow, President and CEO of U.S. Travel Association.