A key maxim to successful marketing is to put your best foot forward. That famous idiom has become the stated strategy behind a full court press by Louisiana economic development leaders to showcase the value and strengths of doing business in Louisiana. And there are few venues with a larger stage to make your pitch than the city of New Orleans this week, ahead of Super Bowl LIX (59) on Sunday at the Caesar’s Superdome. And that strategy is the premise behind the Louisiana NOW Pavillion, which opened on Tuesday, right next to the Super Bowl Media Center in the heart of New Orleans.
As Joe Gallinaro with the Louisiana Radio Network (LRN) reports, state Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois explains that Louisiana NOW will showcase the state’s economic strengths, culture and business potential. “Louisiana has the lowest industrial electricity prices in the country. That makes us incredibly competitive. Louisiana exports 61% of the world’s liquefied natural gas today, 61%. That makes us incredibly impactful.”
The Pavilion is hosting business executives, athletes, dignitaries and artists from around the world. Bourgeois says Louisiana NOW will provide visitors with compelling stories about Louisiana’s economic strengths. That includes the project by Facebook parent company Meta – that’s building a $10-billion Artificial Intelligence (AI) data center in Richland Parish – about 100 miles east of Shreveport. And Bourgeois also touted their interactive exhibits. “There’s a Louisiana Wow Wall, and it’s just statistics and stories and evidence, if you will, of the innovation and the success that is coming out of Louisiana.”
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s office opened the Louisiana NOW Pavilion, describing it as an “equal parts meeting space, interactive exhibit, media center and theater featuring the story of the state’s transforming business climate.” Landry’s stated goal is to “sell Louisiana’s rail, river and road infrastructure” to out-of-state employers and businesses.
Yet there is an irony to Landry’s sales pitch which focuses on Louisiana’s rail, river, and road infrastructure as a lure for potential businesses to move to the state. The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR) just released a new report over the summer that assessed the state’s transportation infrastructure. PAR’s infrastructure policy brief stated, “High percentages of state roads and bridges are deficient, congestion in major cities is among the worst of similarly sized urban areas and drivers spend a disproportionately high amount of money on vehicle repairs caused by highway hazards.”
The report states that, “Louisiana’s transportation infrastructure should be an asset, not a liability.” PAR’s assessment is that the “state should significantly invest in its transportation infrastructure.” That helps at least partially explains why Louisiana again ranks #50 in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report for Best States, and #49 in infrastructure.
