At work

On Sunday IPW (International Pow Wow) - the largest tourism conference in the U.S. and one of the largest world-wide, with over 6.000 participants (among them 500 journalists from all over the world) started, and since then time is flying.

Sunday started at 8 am with the traditional German delegation's breakfast in our hotel, followed by Media Brunch in the historic Orpheum Theater (see pics), built in 1918. This newly renovated art-déco venue is a real gem and the New Orleans CVB did a great job in setting up different gourmet stands operated by local restaurants, serving food and drinks, while different bands on the stage took care of entertainment.

At 11 am the busses for different media tours departed. We chose a "cocktail tour" (Peter) and the "culinary neighborhoods tour" (me). The bus with about 15 people stopped at different places in N.O.'s neighborhoods,: first, at a poboy place - a hole in the wall - where they served great roastbeef poboys (loaded sandwiches). Then we drove to a Cajun restaurant called "Upperline", where we tried gumbo (the local stew with rice and peppers and meat or seafood) and turtle soup. On we went to an Italian Bakery where we got a taste of their cannoli, to a seafood place where they boiled the last crawfish of the season, to St. Roch Market (a renovated market hall, formerly a fish market, now a gourmet market) and arrived back to the French Quarter at about 2:30 pm.

Peter and I decided to meet up there and to walk back to the Cajun-Zydeco Music Festival in Armstrong Park to hear Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys perform on stage. It was a good concert and we enjoyed it, except for the fact that we only had about half an hour to shower and to get ready for the big IPW opening party in the Superdome, the huge football stadium.

Considering that it was a couple of thousands of people, they did a great job in organizing this party. Famous local musicians - as Kermit Ruffins or Dr. John - were performing on the center stage, they had a parade of Mardi Gras floats throwing beads, the Mardi Gras Indians where there and, again, lots to drink and some to eat at different food and bar stations. The venue is huge and it was hard to meet people, but at least we met our Japanese friend Hiro and had a lot of fun.

Yesterday was a long exhausting workday, called "Media Day" with appointments with tourism organizations, destinations, attractions etc. all day Over 20 appointments, just with a lunch break in the big ballroom. During lunch in the big hall Gladys Knight, 72 years old and still having a big voice, performed and the Mayor of N.O., Mitch Landrieu (see pic), gave his welcome speech.

After the official appointment schedule was over we had a media reception - same little bites to eat and lots to drink - followed by a "California Party", which was rather a concert, taking place in the Convention Center's theater. They had brought famous singer Aloe Blacc (pic) - he became famous with the song "I Need a Dollar" - for a concert and crowds (especially female-middle-aged) went nuts.

Took a taxi back to the hotel with three colleagues of us and just had time to shower and dress down before we walked over to Royal Street, to Latrobe's, where the Texas Party took place. Not really a distinct "theme party", with the exception of a DJ from Austin. As always, it was mostly about drinking and it was sort of hard to grab little bites carried around on trays. The loud music made conversation difficult and we left at about 9:30 pm, tired to the bones, but still wired up, so that it took a while until we fell asleep.