Nancy Trosclair, DMCP
President, Destination New Orleans
What are three great ways to incorporate the voodoo heritage of New Orleans into meetings?
- Event Theme Decor: Our voodoo heritage is rich with dynamic color and interesting textures and has so many specific characteristics that lend themselves perfectly to a wonderfully rich event decor concept. Lush subtropical plantscapings, colorful folk art, fabrics and beads, rustic lanterns, abstract prints, exotic feathers and talismans, and lots of candles and candelabras help to create an almost bohemian feel to an event. Voodoo altars can be created—from the very simple to the very elaborate—and lend an aura of pure, uplifting spirituality to every event. Voodoo-themed events are exotic, truly spectacular, and the unique beauty inherent in them won't soon be forgotten by your attendees.
- Speakers, Performers, Educators, Blessings and Rituals: Since voodoo has been so often misunderstood and misrepresented, especially by Hollywood movies and television, meeting agendas can provide the perfect opportunity for educating attendees about the true positive spiritual nature of voodoo. Having a voodoo practitioner or priestess as a presenter is not only interesting but enlightening. Workshops, company blessings and rituals that ask for success and harmonious work environments can be customized and created specifically for any type of group, business or corporate entity. These presentations and performances, which often incorporate lively drummers and dancers in traditional dress as well as snakes and other ritual elements, are not only functional and dramatic but highly entertaining and memorable.
- Team Building, Hands-On Workshops and Tours: With the guidance of knowledgeable voodoo practitioners, priestesses, priests and tour guides, numerous hands-on activities can be created and customized to fit the interests and objectives of any group. Cemetery and city tours can include specific ritual sites, museums, shops and Congo Square—where voodoo was practiced and jazz was born—and even the tomb of Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. Workshops, team-building activities and treasure hunts can be designed to focus on the positive practice of voodoo. The making and creating of gris gris bags and voodoo dolls, and an understanding of the magic behind them, make for a memorable meeting experience in New Orleans while also giving attendees something positive and uplifting to take home with them.