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The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has scored high ratings with the people who know their meetings. An analysis by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) of its 2009 Annual Meeting, held in January in New Orleans, attended by more than 3,000 meeting planners and executives, found that their overall New Orleans experience, was extremely positive, ranging between 89 percent and 95 percent favorable.

In addition, the study—PCMA Convening Leaders, Annual Meeting Survey Results—found that 93 percent of attendees indicated that they would recommend New Orleans as a meeting venue to a colleague and 89percent reported that they would consider hosting a future meeting in New Orleans. 

 “I’m delighted that the PCMA members surveyed gave such a favorable review of the Convention Center and of New Orleans,” said Bob Johnson, President/General Manager of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. “We consider their opinions like the gold standard of the industry, so it’s an honor to have made such a positive impression on such a discerning group.”

The survey solicited opinions from attendees of the 2009 PCMA Annual Meeting about their overall perceptions of the meeting and its specific elements. When asked about High marks also were realized for the three Hospitality Helping Hands (HHH) projects, PCMA’s  "hands-on" community service initiatives where attendees help the chosen charity. The New Orleans HHH projects included a home rebuilding event in the St. Bernard housing projects, a landscaping event in City Park, and a landscaping work project at historic Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Favorable ratings ranged from 98-to-100 percent by respondents to the PCMA study.

“New Orleans has outdone themselves and the bar has definitely been raised for all future host cities,” said Deborah Sexton, President/CEO, PCMA. “New Orleans can be proud that they pleased one of the most astute groups of meeting planners that assembles each year.”

PCMA uses the “PCMA Convening Leaders, Annual Meeting Survey Results” in gauging the satisfaction levels for the annual meeting and in considering programming plans for the next annual meeting.