“The Convention Center’s support has ensured sustainability of the Urban League and its programs, and as partners, we launched the Ernest N. Morial Award. This award recognizes investments in the small business ecosystem to ensure its strength and vitality, which aligns perfectly with our work at the Urban League of Louisiana. Small businesses and corporations both, through their hiring and procurement practices, have a responsibility to practice equity and create opportunities that empower communities and change lives. When they are successful in this work, their efforts should indeed be applauded.”

Judy Reese Morse
President and CEO, Urban League of Louisiana

WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO

Small businesses are the foundation to local economies bringing growth and innovation to the community in which they live and work. That’s why the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority (“Authority”), the governing board of New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is committed to ensuring equity in economic opportunities for our community’s small and emerging businesses.

Through its policies, procedures and the Small and Emerging Business Opportunity Program, the Authority seeks to promote contractor, subcontractor, vendor and supplier opportunities for Hudson-certified Small and Emerging Businesses (“SEB”) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (“DBE”) by encouraging the hiring of local vendors for the purchase of goods and services. The Authority provides easy access to new business opportunities through their SEBconnect app, and through the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority’s website at exhallnola.com.

Since the Small and Emerging Business Program launched in 2019, they have registered 687 Certified Vendors and awarded over $9 million to SEBs and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises.

HOW WE ARE IMPACTING COMMUNITIES

The Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority (“Authority”), the governing board of New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, has realized substantial community impact in the fulfillment of their mission to ensure equity in economic opportunities for our community’s small and emerging businesses (SEB).

Some of the Authority’s recent SEB Program initiatives include:

  • Continuing to promote supplier equity, diversity and inclusion in our purchases and contract opportunities.
  • Cultivating meaningful experiences that connect SEB vendors to opportunities with other equity stakeholder/partners across the city and state.
  • Adopting a Small and emerging Business Opportunity program policy. (2019)
  • Increasing the certified access to the opportunities by launching the SEBconnect app. (2019)
  • Providing easy access to new business opportunities through the Authority’s website at exhallnola.com.
  • Increasing the MCCNO database to 678 certified vendors (2020)
    Awarding over $9 million to SEBs and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises.
  • Partnering with local organizations such as: Urban League of Louisiana, Hispanic Chamber, New Orleans Regional Black Chamber.
  • Distributing a monthly Small and Emerging Business Opportunity Program (SEBOP) Newsletter that spotlight SEB vendors.

HIGHLIGHTED INITIATIVES

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