Local biz owners and hospitality workers welcome back Essence Fest post-COVID
Source: nola.com, Missy Wilkinson reporting

For weeks, Camille Whitworth has been prepping her craft cocktail bar, Baroness on Baronne, for the Essence Festival of Culture. Anticipating supply chain and staffing issues, she stockpiled go-cups, double-ordered spirits like whiskey and chartreuse and recruited former employees to come back for the four-day New Orleans celebration that’s “the Super Bowl” for her Central Business District hotspot.

“It’s all hands on deck,” Whitworth said. “Traditionally, before COVID, we have been slammed [for Essence Fest]. I don’t know what to expect this year. I’m preparing as if it’s pre-COVID numbers, and that keeps me busy.”

After halting for two years during the coronavirus pandemic, Essence Fest has returned to New Orleans, and so have the attendees, social media influencers, pop stars and beauty and fashion brands that make the sprawling celebration — this year themed “It’s the Black Joy For Me!”— so special. Hotel occupancy rates are hovering at 93 percent for Saturday night, according to an informal survey by New Orleans & Co. of 26,000 hotel rooms in and near downtown...read more

Tech Giant GDIT Opens New Orleans Office to Support $136 Million Navy Contract
General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a business unit of General Dynamics, officially opened its new New Orleans office Thursday at the University of New Orleans research and technology park “The Beach.”

The office will support 50 new jobs, and the company anticipates additional positions will be added as work continues on the U.S. Navy Enterprise Service Desk, a four-year, $136 million contract to modernize and consolidate existing IT operations. The Navy Enterprise Service Desk will be staffed at the company’s offices in New Orleans and Bossier City, Louisiana, where teams will apply the latest in artificial intelligence, machine learning, predictive analytics and natural language processing to the Navy’s global operations.

“The opening of this mission-critical GDIT facility in New Orleans continues Louisiana’s long and rich history of supporting the U.S. military,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “The decision to locate on the University of New Orleans campus demonstrates the important role that higher-education partnerships play in supporting the growth of the technology sector in our state. On behalf of the State of Louisiana, congratulations to GDIT, UNO and the state, regional and local partners who worked together to make this project a reality.”
LCCF Hosts Seminar: Access to Capital and Credit Management
LED offers award-winning program to support Small Businesses


LED’s award-winning suite of Small Business Services can be a game changer for small business owners looking to take their next steps to success. From support for veterans and diversity initiatives to networking opportunities and educational programming, there’s no shortage of ways for Louisiana entrepreneurs to get the support they need.
 
LED’s small business programs include:
 
​​Bonding Assistance Program
Offering surety backed bonds
 
‍CEO Roundtables
Enabling peer-to-peer learning opportunity for small business executives‍
 
Louisiana Contractors Accreditation Institute
Presenting seminars and courses to small and emerging construction firms‍
 
Hudson Initiative
Helping small businesses access state purchasing and contracting opportunities‍
 
Mentor-Protégé Recognition
Connecting small and emerging businesses with industry experts‍
 
Pathway to Assist Veteran Entrepreneurs (PAVE)
Creating access to the tools for Louisiana veterans need to start or manage a business
 
Small and Emerging Business Development Program
Offering training for small business growth tactics‍
 
Small Business Loan Guaranty Program
Driving small business development and expansion‍
 
STEP Grant
Assisting small businesses to grow exports‍
 
System for Integrated Growth
Customizing strategic research and technical assistance to boost growth‍
 
Veteran Initiative
Providing veterans access to state funding
 
Veterans First Business Initiative
Certifying veteran, active-duty or reserve military, and Gold Star spouse business ownership
 
Our Vice-President for Operations & Governmental Relations Kelisha Garrett had the opportunity to attend and serve as a panelist for the 3rd Annual Biz Chief’s Conference in New Orleans.

CAPITAL CITY REGION
Baton Rouge Chamber Hosts Online Webinar
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
STATEWIDE
DOES YOUR BUSINESSS HAVE A GAMEPLAN FOR DISASTER?
All vendors wishing to do business with the State of Louisiana must register online. Please use the following link to register as a vendor

 During the registration process, select all of the commodities your company is able to provide. You will then receive an email notification each time a bid is posted in one of the commodities for which you've registered.

Vendor Resources Page - Office of State Procurement’s website: 
 
Webinar: Emergency Procurement and How to Register
 
Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
The SBA offers disaster assistance in the form of low interest loans to businesses, nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters located in regions affected by declared disasters. SBA also provides eligible small businesses and nonprofit organizations with working capital to help overcome the economic injury of a declared disaster.
3901 MacArthur Blvd,
Box 6012 New Orleans, LA 70114
Phone Number: 1 504-655-7572