The Essence Festival takes place every year in early July in New Orleans. Black business owners should prepare for the additional traffic by ramping up inventory, revising their staffing plans, and running promotions. These types of events bring people from around the globe, and black businesses should create strategic plans to avoid lack of inventory and insufficient staffing.
The New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce and the New Orleans Multicultural Network Tourism Network are two of the most valuable resources in New Orleans for black business owners and tourists. Feel free to visit their sites and/or call their offices for guidancne while in the city.
Over 450,000 people attended the Essence Festival in 2016. Events that bring tourist in the city are great opportunities for businesses to push promotions and drive sales. Tourists are prepared to spend money, and they’re looking for great products and customer service.
The I Am Black Business directory and mobile app are positioned to serve as key resources for tourists that would like to support black businesses at Essence.
We're encouraging business owners to submit their businesses to the directory in prep for the festival next week.