New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority Expects Full Launch of Ernest N. Morial Search for a new CEO
Submitted by Ernest Morial Convention Center, New Orleans
new orleans – Michael J. Sawaya, president and CEO of the New Orleans Ernest Morrill Convention Center (NOEMCC), announced Thursday that he will serve as the director of the Audubon Nature Institute after New Year’s Day this year President and Chief Executive Officer.
“We are deeply grateful to Mike for his leadership in honing the mission and vision of our convention center and propelling us to the top of the national meetings and events market,” said Ernest N. Morial New President Russell W. Allen. Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority. “We wish Mike endless success at Audubon as we continue to build on our shared achievements and drive further innovation and advancement in our industry.”
“The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and Mike have been valuable partners for New Orleans companies as we position our city as a top convention destination, built for hosting and delivering great value and real-world benefits to New Orleanians. benefits,” said Walt Leger III, president and CEO of New Orleans Inc., the official destination sales and marketing organization for the New Orleans tourism industry. “In our combined efforts, we have built and maintained strong relationships among the hospitality and tourism industry and the businesses that come back year after year to host some of the nation’s most sophisticated and impactful conferences. We are excited for Mike and Audubon , I am confident we will continue to accelerate this important work with the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center under his successor’s leadership.”
At the Convention Center, Sawaya drove significant advancements at the facility, including a $557 million transformational capital improvement program, a nationally recognized sustainability program that achieved LEED Gold certification, $1 billion in new mixed-use commercial and residential development of the community and Omni Hotels & Resorts’ commitment to invest $500 million to build a 1,000-room headquarters hotel.
“Serving as the leader of this convention center for the past six and a half years has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my long and blessed career,” Sawaya said. “Together we have achieved incredible success and I am extremely proud of the work we have accomplished together as a team – enhancing our facilities and services to remain a premier center for conferences, exhibitions and events and to serve as a center for excellence Conferences, exhibitions and events set the standard in our industry.”
Commissioner Ernest N. Morial of the New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority is expected to launch an extensive national search process to find the next president and chief executive officer.
The Audubon Nature Institute operates 10 museums and parks dedicated to nature, including the Audubon Zoo and the Audubon Aquarium.
About the Ernest Morial Convention Center in New Orleans
new orleans is Built for hosting! With 1.1 million square feet of main exhibition space on one floor, all under one roof, NOENMCC is the sixth largest convention center in the United States. NOENMCC is the recipient of the 2025 Exhibitor Magazine Center of Excellence Award and has been consistently named a top regional workplace by the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate. The recent LEED Gold certification makes NOENMCC the largest LEED certified project in Louisiana, the largest LEED v4.1 operations and maintenance certified conference center project in the United States, and the first conference center in the world Obtained initial certification to LEED Gold v4.1 O+M. A major contributor to the city’s strong tourism economy, NOENMCC events have generated $90.1 billion in economic impact since opening in 1985.
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