If you’re attending Fresh Summit in October, odds are you may not be aware of the facts and realities associated with the distance that surrounds the convention center and what that means for you and your team while in New Orleans. Knowing first hand how every minute counts when setting up and managing time before, during and after the big show, we are sharing facts and tips that we know fresh produce marketers, exhibitors and attendees will appreciate as you plan for the big event. As a bonus, we created a handy, customized map for you to print and share with your teams to help you prepare.

The Facts:

• The New Orleans Convention Center is about 1.1 miles long. (From Julia St. to Henderson St.) And so the length of Fresh Summit expo is about a half of a mile!
• The Convention Center includes halls A through J. Fresh Summit will take place in halls E through J (furthest halls from most convention hotels).
• Convention Way, the main drag in front of the convention center is crowded and there are limited drop off/pick-up locations in front of the building.
• There are three show entrances located at hall F, hall H and hall I1. The ribbon cutting will be in hall H.

Our Tips:

• It’s about a mile walking distance from the Hilton to the hall E in the convention center where Fresh Summit starts, so whatever you do, wear comfy shoes!
• Know the distance and time it takes to get from where you are staying to the exact hall in the convention center where you need to be.
• If taking a cab, ask your driver to drop you off at the exact hall where you need to be. HINT: hall A is not the ideal drop spot for this year’s show.
• There are two GES service desk located in the back corners of hall E and hall J (both on the Riverwalk side of the convention center)
• Try taking an alternate route on Tchoupitoulas St. or Magazine St. to a cross street that intersects near where you need to be and bypass Convention Way when possible.
• Consider shipping your booth materials and fresh produce for the show ahead of time versus unloading in front of the convention center. You certainly don’t want to have to carry boxes for miles!
• We highly recommend a pedometer for you and your team to track your steps while in NOLA. Yes, this is a lot of distance walking in our near future but that can be a GREAT THING! Ask @WhyNotFresh about the Jawbone Up – her preferred method of fitness performance tracking.

We hope you find this information and the map useful as you plan for Fresh Summit. Tweet @TheCoreBlog using #FreshSummit and let us know if we can answer any questions that may help you with your experience in the Big Easy.