More areas stepping in to help with displaced meetings

While the list of cities able to take on New Orleans larger citywides is a short one, smaller cities are starting to chime in. Also in the News-Press article is Lee County, Florida's offer to help with smaller meetings, but it may not be easy:

At the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort in Estero, the phone has already started ringing. In addition to convention inquiries, the resort is likely to get some overflow from the 1,000-room Hyatt Regency New Orleans, which has canceled reservations at least through March 31.





“We’ve had a number of inquiries and we’re working trying to accommodate them,’’ said Carlos Cabrera, general manager of the 400-room hotel which can accommodate up to 900 people. The problem, however, is that the hotel already had full bookings for October.





“Some are too big, and others it’s just the space,’’ he said.

In a separate report, Birmingham, Ala., also is offering to host meetings that will fit its available space.