I hope everyone stayed safe during the recent storm! While summer may be winding down, things are heating up at the Morial Convention Center. We’ve had a busy year working on behalf of small and emerging businesses here in New Orleans and we are going to continue our commitment to being a leader in this space.

But before I go into what we’ve been up to this year, a few congratulations are in order. Join me in honoring the winners of the 2023 Morial Awards: Obatala Sciences (2023 Small Business of the Year) and VPG Enterprise (2023 Corporation of the Year). Check out our Profiles section to learn more about each of these deserving companies.

In other news, the stats are in and our SEB program continues to grow! The numbers say it all:

2024 YTD (Q1 &Q2) SEB spend metrics:

• YTD Overall Spend: $33,054,885.38
• YTD Overall SEB Spend: $10,301,570.60
• Total SEB Spend YTD: 31%

SEB Capital Improvement Plan:

• Stage 1 Phase SEB Spend on CIP to date: $7,322,595.99
• Roof SEB Spend YTD: $8,308,127.38

I’d like to personally thank everyone who attended our “Win with NOENMCC” event on August 30th. The turnout was spectacular and we hope everyone left the event more informed and ready to pursue opportunities from the Convention Center, RDNI, the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Super Bowl 59’s procurement program, The Port of New Orleans, and more. Check out the “Stay Connected” page for all the details!

To stay in the know on the most up to date opportunities at the Convention Center, I encourage you to visit our online portal regularly or download the SEBconnect app. There’s always something happening and you’re going to want you to be a part of it!

Here’s to staying connected!