NTA in NOLA: It’s All About the New

NTA is focused on New Orleans' first name as the association prepares for Travel Exchange, January 18 – 22, 2015.

"We're bringing a lot of 'new' to New Orleans," said Pam Inman, who became NTA's new president September 1. "We've listened to what members asked for, and because we'll be in the Big Easy, we want to give them the easiest and most successful ways to do business with their peers."

At Travel Exchange '15, NTA will again co-locate with the United Motorcoach Association, and NTA is unveiling a new twist on the first day of the event. A Sunday speed-networking session will allow NTA and UMA members to make business connections before the associations open their respective floors.

At Travel Exchange '14 in Los Angeles, NTA and UMA participants generated more than $150 million in total business. Joining NTA and UMA under the Travel Exchange umbrella in 2015 is the Faith Travel Association. The new association will have a full day of seminars, appointments and networking on Monday, January 19.

New on the convention floor at Travel Exchange '15 is the Associate Pavilion, an exhibit area that will give tour operators a centralized location to shop a variety of resources and tools brought to the show from NTA's associate members.

On Tuesday at Travel Exchange, NTA is bringing back features that members missed. One is a caucus time for states, provinces, and countries. DMO representatives, following a day of appointments with tour operators, will gather with tour suppliers and share leads, ideas, and insights with their local partners. Also on Tuesday is an NTA members-only luncheon.

And Tuesday evening offers "Rollin' on the River," an NTA-exclusive party aboard two ships, the steam-powered Natchez and the diesel-driven Creole Queen.

While NTA is bringing new ideas and events to New Orleans, the association will retain the successful elements of previous shows, which date back to 1951. Members attending each year from some thirty-two countries are counting on it.

"NTA is a core platform in our global tourism marketing program so, really, it's a no-brainer for us to be there every year," said Lindsay Jardine, tourism sales manager for Calgary Stampede.

2015 will mark forty-five years since NTA has held a convention in the Crescent City. It's a place where Travel Exchange and New Orleans can share a rich tradition mixed with just the right amount of "new."