November 17 , 2005
Contact: Public Affairs Office
(202) 336-5700

APA 2006 Annual Meeting will be held in New Orleans

APA has been actively monitoring the New Orleans storm recovery, including a site visit on October 31. A number of factors went into the Board’s decision to keep the 2006 meeting in New Orleans, including:

• Parts of the city most critical to our meeting, the convention center area, our convention hotels, and the French Quarter, did not sustain any damage due to flooding and suffered much less serious storm damage than other parts of the city. These areas are well on their way to full recovery;
• Air quality tests conducted by federal, state, and private entities have shown that the air in New Orleans is safe;
• As of October 6, the Louisiana Office of Public Health announced that tap water is safe to drink in the convention center, downtown, and the French Quarter areas;
• In February New Orleans will host its annual Mardi Gras celebration. This spring and summer the city will also host a number of large conventions and society meetings. These events and others are expected to increase staffing and service levels across the city.

“All indications are that New Orleans is on a strong trajectory of recovery and will be well prepared to host our meeting next summer,” Norman B. Anderson, PhD, APA CEO said. “Our top priority in making the decision about New Orleans was the health and safety of meeting attendees and the city’s ability to provide the services necessary for a high-quality meeting. Based on health reports and our own site visit, we are satisfied with the progress being made. We look forward to a very successful meeting in New Orleans and to being a part of the revival of the city.”