Event Planners’ Guide to Louisiana

By Nicole Dufour

Known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and legendary cuisine, Louisiana is in a class by itself and remains a favorite destination for dynamic gatherings and conventions. From the tip to the toe of the boot-shape Bayou State, planners have a wealth of world-class venues, unique accommodations, and one-of-a-kind experiences to choose from. Whether it’s the lively party atmospheres of New Orleans and Shreveport-Bossier City or the Creole and Cajun feel of Baton Rouge, planners will find the right vibe in Louisiana.

Central Louisiana

Alexandria/Pineville
AlexandraPinevilleLA.com; @APACvb

In the bullseye center of the state, the Alexandria-Pineville area in Rapides Parish creates a unique, accessible hub of meeting facilities, hotels, and attractions.

Downtown Alexandria’s Randolph Riverfront Center features 30,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a main exhibit hall that accommodates 3,400. Other components include 4,500 square feet of pre-function space for 300 people and an outdoor exhibit area. The Alexandria Convention Center has 23,300 square feet of flexible meeting, exhibit, and function space and divides into at least 16 rooms. One area with 13,000 square feet of open event space accommodates gatherings for 2,000 guests. Alexandria hotels with meeting facilities include the 187-room Best Western of Alexandria Inn & Suites & Conference Center, which has 11,830 square feet of event space and accommodates 500 people theater style.

Across the Red River in Pineville, the Country Inn & Suites & Conference Center features 6,600 square feet of event space for 600. The hotel and conference center is a short drive from Alexandria International Airport and area attractions, including the historic Kent Plantation House, Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site, and the Alexandria Zoo.

Natchitoches
Natchitoches.com; @NatchitochesTourism

The oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase, historic Natchitoches–pronounced Nack-a-tish–offers venues, attractions, and a European colonial ambiance that make this charming city a popular meeting and event destination.

The Natchitoches Events Center features 40,000 square feet of event space, including a dividable 15,000-square-foot exhibit hall and three 1,200-square-foot meeting rooms, with a venue capacity of 1,000. Northwestern State University features 40,000 square feet of function space for 350 people seated theater style while the Natchitoches Conference Center has event space and catering for a capacity of 250 people.

For special events, Mariners Restaurant, overlooking picturesque Sibley Lake, offers 8,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space for 750 guests. The restaurant’s globe-trotting owners have built a menu of signature dishes infused with a contemporary Louisiana style. For small private dinner parties, Mariners’ private “chef’s island”–accessible by a short boat ride from the restaurant–features a prix fixe menu and pairings.

Greater New Orleans Area

Kenner/Jefferson Parish

VisitJeffersonParish.com; @VisitJeffersonParish

VisitKenner.us; @VisitKenner

Part of the metropolitan New Orleans region, Jefferson Parish encompasses both sides of the Mississippi and spans from Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. The cities of Metairie and Kenner offer numerous shopping centers, restaurants, and convention venues and are close to New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport. Jefferson Parish takes a wilder turn across the Mississippi River, where the landscape features majestic swamps and wetlands, Gulf beaches, and national and state parks.

Top local venues include Kenner’s Pontchartrain Center. The facility contains approximately 75,000 square feet of event space, including a main function space that fits 1,700 for banquets and 3,720 seated theater style Across the Mississippi River in Westwego, the multipurpose Alario Center, adjacent to Bayou Segnette State Park, has more than 57,000 square feet of function space, including a 2,000-square-foot arena.

Major hotels with meeting space include the 319-room Hilton New Orleans Airport, which has 16,746 square feet of meeting space, a 48-seat amphitheater, meeting rooms, and a pillar-free ballroom that fits 700 guests.

New Orleans

NewOrleans.com; @VisitNewOrleans

With more than $1 billion in anticipated or completed meeting and hospitality-related renovations underway, New Orleans continues to build on an already impressive arsenal of visitor amenities. Caesars Entertainment, Inc.’s renovation and rebranding of Harrah’s Hotel and Casino into Caesars Hotel & Casino New Orleans continues. Part of the project includes a new 340-room Nobu Hotel New Orleans and Nobu restaurant scheduled to open in 2024. Meanwhile, Kimpton Hotel Fontenot recently opened a new 125-seat French brasserie named King. The hotel, which opened in 2021, contains 12,000-plus square feet of flexible event space and fits 550 guests in its largest area.

Meanwhile, city planners have big plans for New Orleans’ riverfront and convention center area with the Riverfront Development District. This joint effort between the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority and the adjacent River District Neighborhood Investors involves a 39-acre mixed-use development adjacent to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Components include more green space, dining, retail, housing, and entertainment options, including a new Topgolf.

Hotel Monteleone recently revealed its new Iberville Tower after a two-year renovation. The new tower features 160 upgraded rooms and 48 brand-new suites, as well as the Iberville Ballroom, which features four separate spaces totaling 6,236 square feet. The ballroom can be used as one area or four individual spaces. Smack dab in the core of the city’s Art & Warehouse District, The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center offers 230 guest rooms and specialty suites, including those that pay homage to some of the nation’s greatest presidents, while its conference center spans 18,000 square feet of space. For even more historical learning, the hotel is located across from The National WWII Museum.

On a smaller scale, groups hoping to incorporate New Orleans’ fun and funkiness should check out one of the city’s newest attractions, JAMNOLA (Joy, Art & Music New Orleans, La.). Touted as a “cultural funhouse,” the attraction near the French Quarter features 17 immersive exhibits by 30 local artists and showcases the city’s iconic music, food, and theatrics. With 5,400 square feet of available event space, the venue can accommodate groups of 300 for private events.

The River Parishes

LARiverParishes.com; @LARiverParishes

Spanning a 30-mile stretch along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, The River Parishes—including St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James—is a hot spot for groups looking for antebellum homes, cultures, and countless things to do and see.

Top meeting venues in the area include the St. John the Baptist Parish Community Center, containing 42,000 square feet of event space, and the Edward A. Dufresne Community Center, with 30,000 square feet
of event space. Several historic plantation homes in the area, including Destrehan Plantation and Oak Alley Plantation, offer thousands of square feet of event space for groups. Overnight accommodations, as well as dining options, are also available at many of the historic attractions.

Visitors can sample more local flavors–particularly jambalaya, gumbo, and po-boys—at Spuddy’s Cajun Foods in Vacherie. Save room for dessert at La Bon Boucon, also in Vacherie. Thirsty travelers should head to the River Road Distillery in Paulina and sample a Blackberry Coconut Sour with rum produced from the local sugarcane or take a tour of the distillery.

The Northshore

St. Tammany Parish

LouisianaNorthshore.com/Meetings; @LANorthshore

Positioned at the confluence of Interstates 10, 12, and 59 and just 40 minutes north of New Orleans across Lake Pontchartrain, St. Tammany Parish features 3,000-plus hotel rooms and excellent venues and amenities for small- and mid-sized gatherings. Cities include parish seat Covington, Slidell, Mandeville, Madisonville, and Abita Springs.

St. Tammany’s largest venue, the Castine Center at Pelican Park in Mandeville, offers 46,000 square feet of versatile space and three meeting rooms. Another popular venue, The Harbor Center in Slidell, features the Grand Hall with 18,000 square feet of column-free space for 2,500 people.

For other options, in the heart of historic downtown Covington, the 48-room Southern Hotel features more than 3,800 square feet of elegant event space for banquets of 150 and receptions for 225 guests. Re-opened in 2014 after a meticulous restoration, the landmark also features a five-suite Garden House available for intimate events and lodging. The hotel also recently opened its new French-inspired restaurant, Gloriette.

Northeast Louisiana

Monroe-West Monroe/Ouachita Parish

Monroe-WestMonroe.org; @DiscoverMonroeWestMonroe

Located on Interstate 20 between Jackson, Miss., and Shreveport, the upstate hub of Monroe-West Monroe has 2,000 guest rooms and a variety of facilities for gatherings and conferences of all sizes. The Monroe Civic Center Complex, northeast Louisiana’s largest meeting facility, contains several components, including a convention center with more than 22,000 square feet of event space. The complex also features a 14,000-square-foot dividable conference hall, an arena with 46,025 square feet of exhibit space, and seating for 7,600. Other features include a theater featuring a stage, lighting, dressing rooms, and seating for more than 2,200. For smaller events in a rustic setting, Bayou Pointe Event Venue on Bayou DeSiard accommodates 450 for banquets and 750 for receptions in its main ballroom.

Across the Ouachita River, the multi-function West Monroe Convention Center contains three conference halls and accommodates groups of 1,000 people. Adding more amenities to the mix is the new 112,000-square-foot West Monroe Sports & Events indoor sports complex, opening this fall. Components include eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, and multipurpose event space.

North Louisiana

Ruston/Lincoln Parish

ExperienceRuston.com; @RustonCVB

Overlooking the Louisiana Tech University football field, The Club Lounge at the 70,000-square-foot Davison Athletic Complex accommodates 320 for seated dinners and 425 for receptions. Meanwhile, the 12,415-square-foot Lincoln Parish Library Event Center offers a versatile, multi-room venue for 675 guests.

Other options include the Ruston Civic Center, which fits 600 guests, and the multi-function White Oak Venue, which is under new management and expanding its meeting amenities. The venue accommodates 300-plus guests for outdoor events and 250 guests indoors. For a different twist, downtown Ruston’s outdoor Railroad Park features a covered stage and amphitheater and fits gatherings of 600. Lincoln Parish’s newest event venue, Bella Rouge Venue, is located on 70 acres in Simsboro and holds a capacity of 300 guests for receptions, dinners, and other events.

Covering 22 blocks, historic downtown Ruston is a food, art, and entertainment hub. “Our downtown is a great place to entertain and relax between meetings. It offers everything from a vibrant nightlife to local boutiques and delightful farm-to-table dining experiences,” says Emily Stogner, marketing and communications director of Experience Ruston.

Downtown, visitors might grab a beer and listen to local bands at such haunts as the Sundown Tavern, Dixie Center for the Arts, or the Heard Freighthouse Food Park. For an excellent selection of craft beer and wood-fired pizzas, try downtown favorite Utility Brewing. When it’s time to exercise and explore, the Ruston area has numerous hiking and biking trails, as well as golfing and fishing at Lake D’Arbonne and Jimmie Davis state parks.

Other outings include visiting the Eddie G. Robinson Museum at Grambling State University. The attraction features exhibits and memorabilia to celebrate the contributions and achievements of the coach with the most wins in college football history. Other attractions include Rock Island Greenway, a city-wide bike trail, and the North Louisiana Military Museum, featuring a collection that spans more than 200 years of military history.

Shreveport-Bossier City

Shreveport-Bossier.org; @VisitShreveportBossier

The Shreveport-Bossier City area offers 400,000 square feet of meeting space and approximately 10,000 hotel rooms. For large expos and conferences, the 350,000-square-foot Shreveport Convention Center fits 8,600 in a 95,000-square-foot exhibit hall and as many as 2,000 guests in a 16,000-square-foot ballroom configuration. The convention center connects to the 311-room Hilton Hotel Shreveport, which has additional space for smaller events.

From roses and wine to music and science, this corner of the Bayou State offers groups an array of creative excursion and teambuilding options. Ten minutes from downtown Shreveport, visitors can engage their senses
at the American Rose Center. Groups can stroll the attraction’s lush gardens while learning lessons about the care, cultivation, and history of one of the world’s most popular flowers.
Besides smelling the roses, visitors can even get a taste of the fragrant flower and sample some of the rose tea and jelly available at the center.

Groups can also visit the Southern University Museum of Art, featuring art and artifacts from West and South Africa, along with exhibits exploring generations of Black life in Shreveport. For excellent teambuilding possibilities, there is Agora Borealis, a dynamic arts marketplace where 300 local artists showcase their creations. Groups can partake in many workshops, including body product making, glass blowing, and jewelry making.

South Louisiana

Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish

VisitBatonRouge.com; @VisitBatonRouge 

Groups get a one-of-a-kind experience when they gather in Baton Rouge, says Geraldine Bordelon, senior vice president of destination sales for Visit Baton Rouge. “Our dedicated sales team remains ready and eagerly anticipating the opportunity to assist planners in any way possible,” Bordelon says. “We mean it when we say we offer Southern hospitality at its finest. We invite visitors to be our guests and enjoy their time in the city.”

The city’s premiere convention center, Raising Cane’s River Center, features 70,000 square feet of exhibition space to fit 335 10 ft x 10 ft booths, a 2,000-seat performing arts center, and 26,336 square feet of ballroom space. Additional components include a 27,000-square-foot plaza-level entrance and 17 meeting and event rooms. Other options include the 2,680-square-foot Pelican Room & Sports Bar, which holds a capacity of 200 people. Another space at the center, the 3,100-square-foot Riverview Room, opens to a large veranda and offers dramatic views of the Mississippi River and the USS Kidd Veterans Museum and Naval Destroyer.

Venue alternatives at hotels include the Crowne Plaza Executive Center, which contains 30,000 square feet of event space and holds 1,500 people. Meanwhile, The Baton Rouge Marriott offers 17,879 square feet of event space and accommodates 1,000 in its largest area. The Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center boasts more than 34,176 square feet of event space, including a 7,128-square-foot ballroom that holds 800. Featuring 12,685 square feet of event space, Renaissance Baton Rouge accommodates 800 people in its largest ballroom, which is 7,488 square feet. L’Auberge Casino Hotel contains a 13,000-square-foot event center that can be divided into three 4,200-square-foot meeting areas. The space fits 1,600 guests in a theater layout or 800 for receptions. L’Auberge also offers two meeting rooms for 75 people and outdoor festival grounds that accommodate 2,500.

New meeting locations in Baton Rouge include The 121, a charming two-story downtown structure designed with a broad, elegant wrought-iron veranda. The 121 contains 5,200 square feet of event space and accommodates 250. Meanwhile, the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center recently created a new underground event area in a unique space that’s part of Louisiana political lore. Built more than a century ago as an underground link between two hotels—The Heidelberg Hotel (now the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center) and The King Hotel (now the Hotel Indigo)—the famed tunnel gained notoriety in the 1930s as an escape route used by infamous Louisiana Gov. Huey P. Long to avoid the media and conceal his mistresses. Now redeveloped as an elegant event venue—featuring exposed brick walls, an antique bar with an Absinthe fountain, and a portrait of Long himself—The Tunnel is a 1,050-square-foot space suited for private dinner parties and events for 50 people.

In 2024, the new 90-room boutique Origin Hotel in downtown Baton Rouge will open,  featuring a French restaurant and top-floor suites with stunning river views.

Lafayette/Lafayette Parish

LafayetteTravel.com; @LafayetteTravel

Touted as the capital of Louisiana’s Cajun culture, the vibrant city of Lafayette is a place and experience not to miss.

“Our region—called Acadiana—is a flavorful combination of spirited festivals, savory cuisine, outdoor activities, breathtaking scenery, and a rich cultural history,” explains Jesse Guidry, vice president of communications for Lafayette Travel. “We know how to balance business and pleasure. That, coupled with our one-of-a-kind culture, creates an unbeatable blend for the best events.”

For gatherings of 50 to 2,000, Lafayette’s Cajundome & Convention Center complex contains more than 37,300 square feet of exhibition space and nearly 20,000 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities. Other components include a 5,000-square-foot mall area for concerts and sports shows, a lobby, and reception areas. The campus also consists of the 13,500-seat Cajundome arena. Hotels with event space include the 327-room Doubletree Hilton Hotel Lafayette, which has 18,124 square feet of event space and holds a capacity of 1,242 people in its 9,409-square-foot grand ballroom. Numerous other national hotel brands and chains provide the area’s 5,400 guest accommodations and many offer meeting spaces for smaller events.

Landscaped with historic oaks and open fields of green, the 100-acre Moncus Park accommodates get-togethers of all shapes and sizes, from networking events to company crawfish boils and receptions. The park hosts music and other fun at Food Truck Fridays. On Saturdays, the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market sets up shop at the park to showcase homegrown culinary, artisanal, and musical creations of Cajun Country.

Groups can explore the region’s flora and fauna during teambuilding activities at the Acadiana Park Nature Station. The attraction offers educational programs, night hikes, nature walks, and other activities. From there, visitors can kayak down the Vermilion River to Vermilionville Living History Museum, where they can tour a historic Cajun village and sample local cuisine.

Lafourche Parish

LACajunBayou.com; @LACajunBayou

About 45 minutes south of New Orleans, Lafourche Parish offers an authentic Cajun experience through its cuisine, history, culture, and outdoor adventures.

Venues include the Warren J. Harang Auditorium in the parish seat of Thibodaux. The facility features a 10,094-square-foot main function space and 7,018 square feet of flexible space that divides into four separate rooms. Another venue, the Thibodaux Regional Conference Center, contains 1,000 square feet of event space that holds 400 people. Farther south, the Larose Civic Center features more than 16,000 square feet of event space and accommodates 900 guests in the 7,600-square-foot B.P. Pavilion. Other components include a 6,565-square-foot gymnasium that holds 800 people, and smaller meeting rooms that fit groups of 200. Hotels with meeting space include Thibodaux’s 94-room Carmel Inn, which accommodates gatherings of 220 people. The 110-room Hampton Inn offers space for smaller gatherings of 80 people.

According to Ian Wallis, sales and marketing manager with Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, Lafourche Parish also offers an endless array of outdoor adventures.

“Zam’s Swamp Tour is an excellent way to explore and learn about our local wildlife and environment,” he says. “The tour begins with a walk through an ecological park filled with alligators, snapping turtles, nutrias, and other animals. From there, the Cajun guide takes you into the swamps, where you’ll see more and learn the tricks and tips of Cajun life on the bayou.”

Airboat Tours by Arthur uses a small fleet of six-passenger airboats for breathtaking excursions across marshes and deep into cypress swamps. Airboat excursions are available for larger groups, using 15-passenger U.S. Coast Guard-approved vessels. For visitors looking for activities closer inland, Geaux Paddle rents out kayaks and paddle boards for the day at the Nicholls Bayou Side Park in Thibodaux.

Lake Charles

VisitLakeCharles.org; @LakeCharlesCVB

Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana is a vibrant industrial, gaming resort, and educational hub filled with amenities for gatherings of all sizes.

“Whatever you seek in a successful event–whether it’s upscale, down home, lively, or just laid back, you’ll find it here in Lake Charles,” says Taylor Stanley, vice president of sales with Visit Lake Charles.

Top venues include the Lake Charles Civic Center, which has 83,000 square feet of customizable event space and includes a coliseum, theater, exhibition hall, and amphitheater. The venue has three meeting rooms accommodating 200 to 800 people and an 11,250 square-foot mezzanine level area ideal for receptions and exhibits. The West Cal Arena & Event Center in nearby Sulphur boasts 17,705 square feet of flexible meeting space, including a 14,000-square-foot exhibition hall that holds 800 for banquets and 1,200 with theater-style seating.

 

For other options with accommodations, the Golden Nugget Casino features 1,100 guest rooms and 29,305 square feet of flexible meeting space for a capacity of 2,500 people. Next door, the 1,000-room L’Auberge Casino Resort boasts 26,000 square feet of flexible event space and holds 1,402 people theater style in its largest ballroom. The casino resort has additional meeting rooms for small- and mid-sized events of 200 to 400 guests.

Opened in 2022, the 252-room Horseshoe Casino & Hotel Lake Charles—a $200 million construction project—added 3,835 square feet of flexible meeting space to the area. Meanwhile, Lake Area Adventures, a family- and group-friendly entertainment facility, opened earlier this year and features a ropes course, gaming lounge, recreational swimming pool, a private party room, and a new restaurant called Terrace. In late 2024, Lake Charles’ popular local microbrewery, Crying Eagle, will open its highly anticipated lakefront location, featuring a taproom
and bistro.

In nearby Kinder, the Coushatta Casino Resort boasts an all-new conference center that offers 53,000 square feet of meeting space, including two ballrooms that feature seven breakout rooms. The new meeting facilities all feature state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and Wi-Fi. When the meeting is over, the resort offers the most spacious casino floor in southwest Louisiana with a variety of playing options, such as thousands of slot machines, Vegas-style table games, live bingo and poker, off-track betting, and the Rez Sportsbook, where players can watch live sports and bet at 18 different kiosks. The resort is also home to Koasati Pines, an 18-hole, par-72 course surrounded by massive native trees, which has its own special “gambling” hole.

New Iberia/Iberia Parish

IberiaTravel.com; @Iberia_Travel

Established in 1779 by Spanish Canary Islanders and, later, Acadians, New Iberia in Iberia Parish offers more options for a complete Cajun cultural immersion. The Bayou Teche Museum has interactive exhibits that showcase local history, including the Civil War, segregation, local cuisine, Mardi Gras, and the native Chitimacha tribe. Visitors can take a walking tour of New Iberia’s downtown—listed on the National Register of Historic Places—to trace the steps of the famed, fictional New Iberia detective “Dave Robicheaux,” from the novels of Pulitzer Prize-winning author James Lee Burke. Downtown also features the Shadows-on-the-Teche, an 1830s plantation home once occupied by Union troops during the
Civil War.

Beyond the city limits, visit the world-famous Jungle Gardens on Avery Island. Nearby, explore the Jefferson Island Rip Van Winkle Gardens, which boasts 15 acres of semi-tropical gardens among 350-year-old oak trees and a lake. The historic Joseph Jefferson Mansion is open for tours.

St. Landry Parish

CajunTravel.com; @VisitSTLandryLA

Just north of Lafayette, St. Landry Parish offers an excellent combination of event venues, attractions, and unique cultural offerings. The parish features 12 municipalities, including parish seat Opelousas.

Topping the list of local venues is Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino, which includes a 117-room hotel with two meeting rooms for a capacity of 60 people. The venue has a clubhouse that accommodates 300 people and an event center that fits 1,200 people. The gaming and entertainment destination also features three additional meeting rooms with capacities of 120, 200, and 319 respectively.

For other venue options, Bayou Teche Brewing in nearby Arnaudville contains three event areas, including a 3,000-square-foot beer garden and taproom. The venue is also available for full rental.

St. Landry Parish is one of Louisiana’s most important French cultural centers, particularly for the historic ethnic group Creoles of color. Visitors can learn more about this fascinating and vital part of the state’s history at the Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center. The museum recently unveiled a new exhibit, “Still Rising: Free People of Color,” detailing this influential group’s cultural impact on the region. For more history, Opelousas’ Le Vieux Village Heritage Park & Museum features the historic Venus House that was owned by a freed woman of color.

More places to visit and sights to see include the Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning General Store, swamp tours, numerous historic churches, more than 700 antique vendors in a 20-mile radius, Cajun and Zydeco music venues, bayou kayaking, canoeing, and paddling adventures. For local flavor, do not miss a chance to savor boudin-stuffed chicken wings at family-owned DezMeaux’s Boudin
in Opelousas