The Big Easy is Back – See for Yourself
Believe it or not, we have already started planning for the 2009 Golf Industry Show (www.golfindustryshow.com) and as part of the planning, my team and I visited New Orleans at the end of June to check out some potential venues for meetings and our annual BASF Distributor Appreciation event.

Kellie Mathas of USA Hosts New Orleans took us around to all the venues and sites we were interested in seeing. Prior to the trip, I was not quite sure what to expect given the hard road NOLA has had after Hurricane Katrina. I was in New Orleans in September of 2007 and it still seemed to be in recovery mode. And, as you may remember, GIS was supposed to take place in NOLA in 2006, but that show moved to Atlanta following the hurricane.

But today it’s 2008 and I have to tell you how impressed I was with the city and its people as we made our rounds that day. Every place we visited was in top condition—clean and ready for use. The staff for each venue was warm and friendly.

I know what you are thinking… “Sure they were nice and they put their best foot forward. They want your business.” Well that’s true when you meet most people on trips like these; but you can also tell when people are genuine and venues go that extra mile to really earn your business and make you feel welcome. And we were welcomed like old friends everywhere we went. Smiles and well wishes were the order of the day.

Kellie’s voice cracked as she recalled giving birth to her son in a downtown hospital as the levee broke and those flood waters poured in nearly three years ago. She and her family barely made it out—sadly, we recall others were not so fortunate to have safely evacuated.

My point is this—if you are thinking about going to New Orleans for a personal trip or are considering the town for an event in the near future but are on the fence, believe me when I tell you—GO! Go right now; you won’t regret it.

It’s easy to sit back and forget about the recovery still going on in the 9th Ward and dismiss the city second rate and having its best days behind it. Let the government figure it all out now…sometimes our own busy lives get the best of us…

But we have to remember that there are people and families living and working in New Orleans and they need us. They need us to come back or visit for the first time to have some fun and get a great meal…two things you can easily find anywhere in the Big Easy.

As my cab driver took me to the airport on my way back home; I asked him if he was a native. He said he was originally from Kansas City, but had lived in New Orleans for the last 11 years. “I’m a native now,” he said. “I love this place.”

There is a lot to love these days.

We’ll see you there in February!