Association Conference
Location: New Orleans, LA
Loving New Orleans is almost a pre-requisite to working at Coterie Spark. There’s so much to see and do, which can overwhelm inexperienced planners. But not us! The team stepped up on this project, creating lasting memories for guests while lifting the pressure of choosing between countless iconic sites, venues, and entertainers right off the client’s shoulders!
- 500+Attendees
The conference, originally slated for 2020, was disrupted by COVID and left with lingering cancellation fees in the budget, requiring the team to deliver an equally impactful event with a reduced budget in a host city full of high-entertainment distractions.
Coterie Spark negotiated to keep the event at the Ritz-Carlton, secured speakers including Andy Fastow, Nando Parrado, Jim Slater, Robert Ballard, Ben Nemtin, and Liz Murray, booked local performers, and staged a traditional New Orleans "second lining" music parade before dinner.
We produced a multi-day conference in New Orleans to help our client’s 500+ attendees learn and grow as business leaders.
When a long-time client mentioned New Orleans as its next host city, we cheered at the chance to produce something extravagant, culturally rich, and different from the previous conferences their attendees experienced. To achieve this, we focused on experiences and entertainment that energized attendees with New Orleans’ iconic flair.
We first explained to the client that planning and executing a conference in New Orleans is similar to producing one in Las Vegas. The sheer amount of entertainment and iconic sites where attendees might stray create immense distractions. We had to plan a riveting program with top-tier speakers, crystal-clear signage, effortless transportation between venues, and entertainment every step of the way.
There was another challenge: The conference was originally slated to take place in 2020. The COVID outbreak made that impossible and, though we negotiated with venues and vendors to minimize impacts to the budget, the client still got tagged with a few last-minute cancellation fees. Those fees remained a line item in the budget once we got back to planning, tasking us with getting even more creative to build a similarly impactful event with a smaller budget.
As part of our negotiations, we were able to keep the conference at the Ritz-Carlton where it was originally slated. We then assisted our client in finding business leaders like Andy Fastow, Nando Parrado, and Jim Slater to speak. Retired Naval Officer Robert Ballard, and authors Ben Nemtin and Liz Murray also delivered inspiring sessions. New Orleans is a big performance city of course so we booked comedian Jeff Civillico, the Kinfolk Brass Band, Ashlin Park Trio, LB High School Band, and Dave Brandrowski to give attendees a taste of the New Orleans spirit.
But the fun didn’t stay confined to the Ritz Carlton! In grand New Orleans fashion, we took the party to the streets. Before dinner, attendees participated in a traditional New Orleans music parade, sometimes called “Second lining.” It’s a quintessential experience in The Big Easy and was easily the most memorable part of the conference.
Setbacks happen. Fortunately, our team is always ready to take on challenges and deliver. It took several years of planning after the setbacks of 2020, but we’re proud to have helped our client provide a meaningful experience to their attendees. Filled with New Orleans’ wonderful, magical, and unparalleled culture, this conference also offered a sense of returning to normalcy after years of navigating extensive, but understandable social and health guidelines.