Earlier this year flooding devastated several Louisiana communities, but it’s business as usual in Baton Rouge and Shreveport-Bossier City, two of the state’s most group-friendly locales.
According to representatives from each area, all hotels survived the floodwaters, and there was minor disruption in meetings business.
“There weren’t any cancellations or fallout from the flooding,” said David Bradley, vice president of convention and tourism sales for the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau.
In September, a month following the August floods, Visit Baton Rouge only had a handful of groups postpone their conferences due to concerns about a possible drop in attendance, according to Geraldine Bordelon, director of sales for Visit Baton Rouge.
“Sales associates followed up with all clients that were booked through the remainder of 2016 and reassured them that Baton Rouge is open for business and they can continue to plan their conference or event,” she said. “Visit Baton Rouge offered to craft a customized press release to each client’s group to assure that Baton Rouge is able to host their group.”
Similarly, in Shreveport-Bossier City, Bradley said the convention and tourism sales team stayed in close communication with meeting planners associated with upcoming events and current leads.
With the threat of Mother Nature out of the way, Baton Rouge and Shreveport-Bossier City continue to tout what makes them great meetings destinations, and both look ahead to healthy business in 2017.
“In 2015, Visit Baton Rouge booked over 100,000 room nights,” Bordelon said. “In 2016 we are expected to book 5 percent over that, and projections for 2017 will be 10 percent over 2015.”
And exciting business on the upcoming calendar in Shreveport, according to Bradley, includes the March 2017 Alpha Kappa Alpha South Central Regional Conference, which will welcome around 4,000 delegates.
Baton Rouge
Of the meetings-friendly properties that stood tall and unaffected by recent floods in Baton Rouge are the Baton Rouge River Center, the main convention facility, as well as the Crowne Plaza Executive Center Baton Rouge, Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel, the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino & Hotel, and Baton Rouge Marriott.
Aside from this terrific mix of meetings hosts, Baton Rouge offers plenty to keep groups intrigued and entertained after the meeting.
Visit Baton Rouge’s Bordelon suggests several experiences that should be at the top of any itinerary, including visiting the Rural Life Museum, Capitol Park Museum and Louisiana’s Old State Capitol.
“All of these are group-friendly with bus access and can be accommodated with a tour guide, if wanted,” she said.
The three attractions just mentioned, plus the Shaw Center for the Arts, all double as off-site venues that accommodate group receptions and meal functions.
PageBreakIf the only time for group exploration is after-hours, there are several nighttime opportunities awaiting meeting attendees, including a visit to L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge for slots, table games, private dining, a calendar of concerts and more.
“Historic Third Street is full of restaurants and bars that can be rented out by groups, and has an area that can be blocked off if your group is big enough,” said Bordelon, who explained North Boulevard Town Square in downtown’s Historic Third Street area is available for rental by groups that would like to have a private party.
“A great aspect about the downtown area is it is fully walkable, and if your group is staying at a downtown hotel, they can walk to dinner and nightlife,” she said.
And Perkins Rowe, a mixed-use area with great shopping and a movie theater, also has restaurants and bars with space for group events.
“Most restaurants will cater to your group’s needs by making a set menu tailored to your group,” Bordelon added.
Baton Rouge has an impressive lineup of group-friendly restaurants, including Galatoire’s Bistro and Mike Anderson’s Seafood, as well as culinary teambonding classes at Red Stick Spice and Louisiana Culinary Institute (LCI).
“LCI is known as the culinary epicenter of Baton Rouge,” said Bordelon, who added it often facilitates cooking and tasting demos, private leisure classes, fun cooking competitions, wine dinners and receptions.
With dozens of menus to choose from at LCI, the most popular is “The Louisiana Experience,” including gulf shrimp and grits, blackened catfish, and for dessert, a New Orleans-style bread pudding with chantilly cream.
Groups might also want to take advantage of local bodies of water when in Baton Rouge, including canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding at Greenwood Community Park and on the two lakes that surround Louisiana State University’s campus.
Shreveport-Bossier City
Meetings-friendly facilities in Shreveport-Bossier City include the Shreveport Convention Center, Hilton Shreveport, Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino, Homewood Suites by Hilton Shreveport/Bossier City and Hilton Garden Inn Shreveport Bossier City.
The area’s portfolio of off-site venues includes Robinson Film Center, Red River Brewing Co., which features ping pong tables, a covered patio and views of downtown Shreveport, and Sci-Port Discovery Center, a popular local attraction that also sports views of downtown Shreveport.
“The rooftop is a great space for sky-gazing with one of the center’s experts,” said Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau’s Bradley.
Silver Star Smokehouse in Bossier City, which serves award-winning barbecue, recently opened The Stage, an outdoor entertainment venue.
“Some of the hottest local and regional artists perform there,” Bradley said. “It is a great place for an off-site meeting and dinner.”
Like Baton Rouge, there are many engaging experiences awaiting groups after the meeting in Shreveport-Bossier.
The American Rose Society is an attraction that will tempt all the senses, including tasting roses in tea and jelly at the conclusion of a tour through beautiful fragrant gardens.
Groups can also take a backstage tour of Shreveport’s most iconic performing arts venue, the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, where idols including Elvis Presley have performed.
“Tours can include a surprise musical performance that brings the stage and venue to life,” Bradley said.
Hands-on experiences can be found at Holiday Lanes in Bossier City, which has a Play Therapy bowling package that offers meeting participants the opportunity to build teamwork, reduce stress and have fun, and Us Up North cooking classes, during which they’ll learn how to make the official meal of North Louisiana: fried chicken, hot water cornbread, greens and peach cobbler.
“Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on instruction and will be able to sample versions of each dish,” Bradley said.
Shreveport-Bossier is also home to six riverboat casinos along the Red River, including Shreveport-based Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino and Eldorado Resort Casino, and Bossier City-based Horseshoe Bossier City, Margaritaville Resort Casino, DiamondJacks Casino & Hotel and Boomtown Casino Hotel.
Casino action at those facilities, plus live horse racing and more casino games at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs make Shreveport-Bossier a happening place when the sun goes down.
