As the largest metropolitan area in Louisiana and a major business center, New Orleans hosts a wide variety of trade shows, conventions and other industry events throughout the year.

New Orleans has a large selection of trade show venues for a city of its size, from a dedicated convention center offering one of the largest expo spaces in the country to a range of smaller facilities located inside hotels and other venues.

There are also several large sports venues in New Orleans that serves as exhibition venues at certain times of year, such as the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Finally, there are several trade show event locations in the suburbs and small cities of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area.

Below, we’ve listed the main trade show locations in New Orleans, starting with the city’s major convention venues before covering smaller halls and expo facilities located outside the center of the city.

New Orleans Morial Convention Center

The largest convention venue in the New Orleans area, the New Orleans Morial Convention Center offers more than 1.1 million square feet of exhibition space. The center was, up until 2005, the second-busiest convention center in the United States.

The New Orleans Morial Convention Center is located up from Canal Street, close to the Mississippi River. With a central location, the center is easy to access from most parts of New Orleans, making it an ideal option for large-scale events.

Following Hurricane Katrina, the Convention Center was renovated and upgraded, featuring a variety of new facilities including a 4,000 seat theater. Today, the Convention Center is the main location for large trade shows and industry events in the New Orleans area.

Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans

Best known simply as the “Superdome,” the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is one of New Orleans’ largest sporting and exhibition venues. The Superdome is primarily used for sports events such as NFL games, but also occasionally hosts trade shows and exhibitions.

The Superdome offers more than 162,500 square feet of exhibition space, making it a smaller venue than the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. Because it also serves as a venue for NFL games, it’s primarily used as an exhibition center during the football offseason.

Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center

Located in the city of Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans, the Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center is a 4,600 seat facility that’s a short drive from the centre of New Orleans. The facility often hosts smaller trade shows and events, offering 46,000+ square feet of exhibition space.

Because of the venue’s smaller size, the Pontchartrain Convention Center is typically used for more specific events than the larger New Orleans Morial Convention Center. The building has also been used for concerts and sports, including several UFC events.

Other Trade Show Locations

New Orleans is also home to a variety of smaller trade show locations, ranging from hotels to local community centers. Due to their smaller size, these venues tend to host smaller sized events aimed at a niche audience.