The New orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors bureau has its work cut out trying to convince the world that post-Katrina New orleans is the fabulous vacation place it was before the catastrophic events of 2005. In an attempt to revive the city's fortunes, the agency has received almost $9 million in federal funds and will be responsible for re-branding the city and persuading visitors to return to re-vamped, renewed New orleans.

Ironically, the traditional tourist areas in the French Quarter (and especially Bourbon Street) were relatively unscathed by the storm, as it was the outer lying areas and neighbourhoods of the city that suffered the most damage. Even so, many people have been put off visiting New orleans because of the negative perception given by the news coverage in the aftermath of Katrina, according to Kelly Schulz, VP of communications and public relations at the Visitors bureau. As a result the city has invested in a new campaign named 'Forever New Orleans', which is designed to stress the Big Easy's 'resilience, unwavering spirit and culture'. "The one thing that Katrina didn't wash away was our culture and the experience and emotional connection people have with this city," says Schulz.

35 percent of New Orleans' operating budget is generated by tourism and hospitality, amounting to $5 billion in a good pre-Katrina year, so the campaign's success is critical to the city's economy. In 2004, the city attracted almost ten million visitors and employed 85,000 workers in the tourism sector. Post-Katrina the city has struggled to get anywhere near those figures, with only 3.7 million visiting during 2006. That creates a huge hole in the city's finances and many New orleans residents wonder just how the city will recover, if ever.

However, things may be looking up if this year's Mardi-Gras is any indicator. Pre-Katrina visitor figures for the festival topped the one million mark and this year's were estimated at 800,000 - up 100,000 on 2006's figures. The event is crucial to the city's finances as it generates as much as $20.5 million in tax revenues alone. On the downside, although visitors are returning for one-offs such as Mardi-Gras, in general hotels in New Orleans are running at a dismal 35 per cent occupancy.

So, although the restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels in New Orleans' tourist area may be open for business, many of their proprietors are wondering if the visitors will ever return in the numbers seen before the disaster that was hurricane Katrina. Only time, and perhaps an aggressive marketing campaign by the New orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors bureau, will tell.

tom Hanks, Justin Timberlake, and Hall of fame nfl quarterback Steve young were among the many celebrities participating in the Consumer Electronics show (CES) in las Vegas in early January 2006. The show floor was 28 football fields worth of space with 2,500 trade show exhibitors vying for attention in 1.6 billion square feet of convention exhibits.

More and more trade show exhibitors are finding that a great way to get noticed is to introduce an element of show business into their trade show display appearance. According to technology industry analyst Rob Enderle, Each year theyve (CES) had more of a Hollywood presence and this year is the biggest year. At the CES, Intel hosted a performance by the black Eyed Peas, Motorola featured the Foo Fighters and Verizon Wireless had hip hopping by Yellowcard and Maroon 5.

Celebrities and celebrity look-a-likes, athletes and former pros, comics, actors, musicians, and scantily clad booth babes all are attention-getters that can draw crowds of business prospects to your trade show booth.

Clients often ask how they can add glitz and pizzazz into their trade show display experience. Here are a few things to consider:

1.The obvious first step is to hire show stoppersthis can run the entire gamut from famous celebrities to clowns on stilts. Even your smiling, energetic and well trained booth staff can do the job of attracting attention.

2.Make your trade show exhibit exciting by incorporating movement, color, lights and action. practice what motion picture producers do when they yell into their bullhorns, Lights! Action! Gobo lights traveling across a tension fabric can provide changing color and mesmerizing interest. New technologies bring high drama to your trade show booth such as 3D video/laser image displays suspended above.

3.Display a sense of humor. Think Billy Crystal and have your trade show booth staff prepare a few funny things to say when they meet and greet attendees. Remember that humor sells and it also helps to break the ice and get your crew off to a friendly start.

4.Bring Internet access into your booth that showcases your professionally designed company website. Incorporate on a large backdrop screen robotics, holographics and waterscreen projections. Be sure to take into consideration your trade show exhibit suppliers advice and expertise on graphics, portability and trade show cost management.

5.Make your booth exhibit interactive so that you can involve people with a touch, feel, sight and sound experience. Experiential activity is better and longer lasting than passive involvement.

6.Provide exciting, fun giveawayslarge or small, everyone likes to win something. By offering a drawing on a glitzy prize perhaps a two night free stay at the luxury resort would make it fun for your trade show attendees to allow them to have the magic continue.

By thinking creatively you can take your trade show exhibit to another dimension. A show biz element brings the buzz to your trade show exhibit. And, remember, there is no business like show business.

When it comes to the state of florida, there is really nothing more anyone can ask for when it comes to having fun. One great thing about florida is that no matter where you are anywhere in the state, you are never more than an hour and a half a way from the ocean. Not many places in the world can brag about that unless they are a small island.

florida has a land mass of 58,560 square miles, and with in this tropical paradise lies cities with rich cultural heritages. Each city will oblige any person with something that picks at their interests.

Miami is a city that is starting to looks like a new Manhattan island. Miami is currently undergoing a major building hike with over 80 high rise towers under construction, including the Biscayne Wall skyscrapers, like ten Museum Park, Marina blue, Marquis, 900 Biscayne Bay, Everglades on the Bay and Freedom Square. Near Miami is the famous Miami beach where millions each year swim and partake in the clear water.

The florida Keys are 15 miles south of Miami and extend in an arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West. They compose of about 1700 islands and contain one of the longest bridges, The Seven Mile Bridge, which can be seen in modern movies action scenes like True Lies. Tourists can go to Key West and mingle with locals, shop at stores, and feast on local restaurants like Key West Historic Seaport at the Key West Bight.

one of Florida's main hotspots is, of course, orlando. It's full of amusement parks for which adults and kids can have an equal amount of enjoyment. walt Disney World resort, Universal orlando resort, and sea World all call Orlando home. Although Orlando is widely known for its abundance of tourist attractions, downtown orlando is undergoing major redevelopment with a number of residential and commercial towers. There are also plans to build a brand new performing arts center, orlando Arena, and improve the florida citrus Bowl.

most of southern florida contains nearly a million and a half acres of massive grass and water covered surface that is about 60 by 120 miles in size. This area is called The florida Everglades National Park. The waterways are inhabited by otters, manatees, alligators and crocodiles. The park is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist naturally.

Giving visitors nearly endless amounts of fun, florida is a great place to visit and an amazing place to call home. With a ride to outer space at The Kennedy space Center, or taking a safari through the florida Everglades, florida can easily be called one of the best spots on planet Earth.

This article was written for our friends at Orlando to explain the benefits of visiting this beautiful state. Article written and distributed by Steve Cancel, IT Manager of Michigan Web Site Hosting.