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In 2006, CCA National Convention attendees found themselves in a familiar place. They were strolling the Las Vegas strip, admiring their hotel – the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino – catching up with people within the career college sector, and of course, enjoying the conference.
It wasn’t supposed to be that way, though. See, Vegas wasn’t originally in CCA’s cards in 2006. The Career College Association initially scheduled that convention for New Orleans, Louisiana. America’s Most Interesting City. The Crescent City. The Big Easy.
Thanks primarily to Hurricane Katrina, which came ashore during the final days of August 2005, New Orleans has been but a shadow of those monikers throughout much of the last two years.
Initially after Katrina, many abandoned the city because of its uninhabitable, dangerous state. So, naturally, many businesses and business opportunities followed suit. Some residents permanently relocated. The city’s professional football and basketball teams left for a while. Convention planners who lined up New Orleans as a destination for business had to scramble to find new sites for their conventions. This included the annual CCA convention.
But like so many New Orleans residents, CCA made the commitment to return to New Orleans, which has valiantly worked to rebuild itself since the disaster. The Big Easy will now host this year’s annual convention from June 13 to 15.
“We were supposed to be there before Katrina came about,” said Katie Calabrese, CCA Director of Events. “It’s a great city, and it has a lot to offer. We felt like we needed to go back.”
And the city – considering all of the rebuilding, restoring and refurbishing – is definitely in need and ready for the kind of tourist attractions a convention like this brings.
“The city still has the fun aspect that it had and the same attractions that drew crowds pre-Katrina,” Calabrese said. “I think of it as an enhancement upon a great city to start with. The only difference comes from the people who live there. They’re more gracious to have people come in as tourists because they understand what it means to the economy.”
Not only will attendees have a chance to scatter about New Orleans and its reviving culture, but they’ll also be there for business as usual. There will be breakout sessions, meetings and forums from Wednesday to Friday afternoon. The weekend will be capped off by the Imagine America Foundation Gala Reception.
“I expect the attendees to enjoy it just as they have with all prior CCA conventions,” Calabrese said. “I expect everyone who comes to learn from the informative sessions that we have in our program. We want them to feel like they should come away with something and hopefully they will.”
In the pages ahead, Career College Central will give you a preview of what to expect from the conference, as well as things to do and places to go while in New Orleans.
One Can’t-Miss Session from Each Program Track
The Sites, Scenes and Sounds of New Orleans
They say that New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz.
Its food is distinctively unique to the city, the only indigenous cuisine in the United States. The dialect of the New Orleans people can’t be found anywhere else in our country either. As you drive into the city, welcome signs greet you with a sterling message about the land you have chosen to enter: America’s Most Interesting City.
Well, soon you’ll have a chance to see if any of New Orleans piques your interest during the Career College Association’s National Conference in New Orleans. There will be full menu of things to do during scheduled conference activities, but we at Career College Central want to make sure that you also have a chance to experience New Orleans culture for all that it is.
From dining on Cajun cuisine to taking in some of the best jazz, there’s plenty to do. Thus, we have pieced together a smorgasbord of things to do in the Crescent City. Here’s a sampling of what we’ve found:
Six French Quarter Restaurants
Galatoire’s
209 Bourbon St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.525.2021
www.galatoires.com
WORTHWHILE: The restaurant is in its fourth generation of family ownership since it was opened in 1905 by Jean Galatoire.
Port of Call
838 Esplanade Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70116
504.523.0120
www.portofcallneworleans.com
WORTHWHILE: It started as a small steak house in 1963, but it’s now famous for its burgers, which some consider the best in town.
Tujague’s
823 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
504.525.8676
www.tujagues.com
WORTHWHILE: At 150 years old, it’s the second-oldest restaurant in New Orleans.
Napoleon House
500 Chartres St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.524.9752
www.napoleonhouse.com
WORTHWHILE: Nicholas Girod, mayor of New Orleans from 1812 to 1815, first occupied the residence. He offered his house to an exiled Napoleon in 1821, but Napolean never made it.
Café Du Monde
800 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
1.800.772.2927
www.cafedumonde.com
WORTHWHILE: The original Café was established in 1862 in the French Market. It’s open around the clock.
Arnaud’s
813 Rue Bienville
New Orleans, LA 70112
1.866.230.8895
www.arnauds.com
WORTHWHILE: It has a second dining room called “Lover’s Lookout” with a mezzanine view that is to die for.
Five Restaurants Outside the Quarter
Jacques-Imo’s
8324 Oak St.
New Orleans, LA 70118
504.861.0886
www.jacquesimoscafe.com
WORTHWHILE: Owned and operated by Jacques Leonardi, who has a listed title of owner/chef.
Upperline
1413 Upperline St.
New Orleans, LA 70115
504.891.9822
www.upperline.com
WORTHWHILE: Opened in 1983 with no money for the first week’s payroll, but has now garnered national recognition for its Creole cuisine.
Clancy’s
6100 Annunciation St.
New Orleans, LA 70118
504.895.1111
WORTHWHILE: You won’t be able to tell when you walk in, but Clancy’s used to be an old po-boy sandwich shop.
Mother’s Restaurant
401 Poydras St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.523.9656
www.mothersrestaurant.net
WORTHWHILE: Mother’s served as a hangout for the U.S. Marine Corps during and after World War II.
Commander’s Palace
1403 Washington Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.899.8221
www.commanderspalace.com
WORTHWHILE: Commander’s Palace has been a staple in New Orleans since 1880. It also has a restaurant located in Las Vegas.
Three Jazz Lounges
Preservation Hall
726 St. Peter St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
1.888-946.JAZZ (5299)
www.preservationhall.com
WORTHWHILE: It was built as a private residence in 1750. It evolved into a tavern, an inn, a photo studio and an art gallery. Veteran and youthful musicians often mix it up to give the crowd a variety.
Club 300
300 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.581.2534
www.neworleansjazzbistro.com
WORTHWHILE: There’s an appetizing blend of live jazz and Louisiana cuisine that is sure to please.
House of Blues
225 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.310.4999
www.hob.com
WORTHWHILE: It’s a nationally renowned chain with a Southeastern flair and charm that comes with the bands that grace its stage nightly.
A Few Shops
Saks Fifth Avenue
301 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.524.2200
www.saksfifthavenue.com
Valobra Jewelry & Antiques
333 Royal St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.525.6363
www.valobra.net
Fischer-Gambino
637 Royal St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.524.9067
Three Museums
Louisiana State Museum
614 St. Ann St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
lsm.crt.state.la.us
New Orleans Museum of Art & the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
One Collins Diboll Cir., City Park
New Orleans, LA 70124
504.658.4100
www.noma.org
Newcomb Art Gallery
Newcomb College/Tulane University
New Orleans, LA 70112
504.865.5328
www.newcomb.tulane.edu
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