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Why so Blue? According to the New Orleans Morial Convention Center, the venue’s 279,000 foot brick red stripe was replaced by “Convention Center Blue,” a custom color by Richard’s Industrial Coatings to better complement new interior designs of the venue, its dynamic and changed Big Easy neighborhood, and the famous river nearby.

“The new shade of deep blue appropriately reflects our relationship with one of the most famous bodies of water in the world, the Mississippi River,” said Bob Johnson, President & General Manager of the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

Since 1981 when the venue opened, the building’s original exterior color scheme of light beige, brick red and dark green was based on certain colors particular to the neighborhood, an area crowded with small 19th century warehouses. The palette was designed to make the new, modern building better harmonize with its old-world surroundings. Over the years, the Convention Center’s brisk business helped spur the Warehouse/Arts District’s revitalization, dramatically transforming it to a dynamic entertainment district with fine dining establishments, hotels, art galleries, and new commercial & residential developments.

So, two years after undergoing a $60 million interior makeover, the New Orleans Morial Convention Center has entered a new blue period.  The new color gives the building a more classic look and complements the building’s redesigned interior palette, which is exhibited in 88,000 square yards of carpet and 26,000 new meeting room chairs.

“We’ve gotten incredible feedback from our client base about the new color,” added Johnson. “It’s amazing how this one cosmetic change can make such a huge difference in our appearance.”

The Convention Center’s 2006 renovation was so well-received that more building improvements have been implemented to further enhance the Center’s value to clients. More than $20 million of additional interior and exterior improvements have been completed or are underway, including an aesthetically-enhanced main entrance, additional landscaping, new furniture pods and technology upgrades to debut later in the year.