Morial CC Selects Centerplate

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has executed a contract for hospitality services with Centerplate.

“New Orleans’ culinary brand is very important to our facility as it is for the city,” says Convention Center President/General Manager Bob Johnson. “Centerplate fully understood that we wanted to change the paradigm of convention centers’ hospitality experience and that is what won them the contract.”

The occasion was commemorated by the two parties signing a cake, topped with a declaration reproduced in icing, using an edible ink pen.

As part of its winning proposal, Centerplate had created a hospitality strategy that celebrates the culinary history and rich culture of the city of New Orleans.

“We have been proud to be a member of the New Orleans community for more than a decade, and are thrilled to extend our services to the convention center and play an even greater role in this special city,” says President/CEO Des Hague. “It provides an opportunity to leverage our vast experience in convention centers to enhance the appeal of the center and contribute to the economic growth of New Orleans."

The term of the contract begins July 16, 2011, for an initial seven years but an “evergreen” clause in the contract stipulates that every year that Centerplate meets specific performance thresholds adds another year to the end of the contract.