by H. K. Wilson
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Celebrates Reopening With The Precast Show 2021
After more than a year, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center welcomed the return of major tradeshows
The MCCNO assembled an expert COVID-19 response team at the onset of the pandemic that recommended changes to the facilities’ health and safety protocols, including enhanced cleaning and remediation measures and gave a head start on becoming GBAC certified. Just prior to the show, mask mandates by the city were lifted and temperature checks suspended. The tradeshow floor was expanded from 200,000 gross square feet to 450,000 gross square feet to allow for social distancing.
“Since the Board’s early February decision to proceed with the show, everyone—members, exhibitors, co-participant organizations and the great folks in New Orlean—involved in this event demonstrated the resiliency necessary to create a safe, exciting and rewarding experience for all attendees,” Grubbe concludes.
The MCCNO boasts 1.1 million square feet of prime exhibit space in an entirely contiguous hall, for the largest single exhibit space in the country. As post-pandemic recovery and vaccination data continue to improve nationally, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is looking forward to hosting a full slate of events in the months to come. For more info, visit: mccno.com.
Minneapolis Convention Center Reopening Energizes Downtown
The center opens to a full house, with the U.S. Strongman Nationals and GeekCraft Expo taking place June 5 and 6, and the Minneapolis Remodeling Expo happening June 4-6. The summer calendar is filling up fast, culminating in the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association Marketplace on August 5-8.
For more info, visit www.minneapolis.org/minneapolis-convention-center/event-planners/why-mcc/ (and see the top eight reasons why the MCC is ready to host your next event).
Greater Richmond Convention Center Welcomes Visitors to Improved Facility
The GRCC is Virginia’s largest exposition and meeting facility. Facility managers made use of the pandemic downtime to make improvements that will better serve the health and well-being of future visitors. The GRCC announced that it received the Global Biorisk Advisory Council Star Facility accreditation for “work practices, procedures and systems are in place to prepare, respond and recover from outbreaks and pandemics.”
The GRCC also made a number of aesthetic improvements, including new digital signage and a digital sound system; new LED lighting; LED RGB color lighting; and more.
Among the events already slated for GRCC are: the Business Network for Offshore Wind forum, August 21-27; Community Transportation Association of America, November 7-11; and the International Conference on Missions annual convention, November 15-21.
For more info, visit www.richmondcenter.com.
On the Road to Recovery is a series about celebrating the innovators, the imagineers and the glass-half-full types who keep finding new opportunities in our topsy-turvy world. If your company has created new products or found a way to pivot and keep working during these difficult and challenging times, please email us at newsdesk@exhibitcitynews.com for inclusion in future stories in this weekly series.