A reader has requested any news about Susan Zimmerman, who worked at the Hilton Riverside as a sales manager, and her family. Please e-mail me if you’ve heard anything, or leave a message in the comments area below.

A reader is looking for Diane Lyons, owner of ACCENT on Arrangements from New Orleans, last known sighting was at the Hilton Riverside. Has anyone seen her?

A Message to our Industry Friends
From Joe Popolo, president of Freeman and Craig Smith, president-U.S. of AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions:

Thanks to everyone for your great concern for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We have already received many calls from industry friends and clients wondering about the status of our Freeman and AVW-TELAV family of employees in New Orleans and surrounding areas.

While the complete status of the New Orleans Freeman and AVW-TELAV office facilities and our employees’ families are still developing, here is the current status: Most of our employees have checked in, appear to be safe and have temporary living arrangements outside the city. We have made arrangements for them to get immediate paychecks, and are also working on short-term and long-term solutions for their positions with our company.

For those of you who have indicated a desire to help our employees, please check back on our web site for more details. At this time, they have indicated that there is no way to send supplies or clothing. We expect to set up a voluntary donation fund for employees and friends who wish to send money.

Our sales staff has been in touch with as many New Orleans-bound clients as possible. For those who have questions or need information about their events, see below:

To assist Freeman customers who have upcoming events in New Orleans:

1. Exhibitors who are concerned about upcoming shows in New Orleans, please call:

Freeman Customer Support Center: 888-508-5054.
AVW-TELAV Exhibitor Services: 214-623-1361

2. Exposition and Event managers who have upcoming events in New Orleans, please call:
Freeman: Mike Bruley: 504-628-3202, or 214-670-9000
AVW-TELAV: Darren Temple: 214-623-1346, or 214-869-4949

We know Freeman people naturally rise to a challenge, and rest assured we are coordinating a centralized effort by all our branch offices to provide assistance to our employees and clients affected by Hurricane Katrina as soon as possible. Until our staff, as well as local authorities, can get back in to the city to better evaluate the situation, it will be difficult to determine the exact amount of damage done to the local area and related facilities. Until then, thank you for keeping our staff in your thoughts, prayers, and hopes that they and their loved ones remain safe.

From the Hyatt Regency New Orleans Web site:

Hyatt is in the process of alerting its customers who have reservations through March 31, 2006 that the hotel will not be able to accommodate them and that all cancellation fees will be waived. In addition, Hyatt’s national sales force have contacted all meeting planners who have programs scheduled at Hyatt Regency New Orleans between now and March 31, and are in the process of assisting these groups with relocation to other destinations.

Meeting Professionals International has set up a really nice Katrina Resources Page that includes places to post job offers, supplier discounts and services, planner services, and a whole lot of other useful stuff for both those in the meetings/hospitality business, and those who just want to help in some way.

And, with the loss of so many meetings (NOLA convention and tourism alone makes up almost 46 percent of the state’s total traveler expenditures!), and the rest of the area wants you to know it’s still open for business. This from the Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau:

More than 204,000 convention and meeting delegates were scheduled to meet in New Orleans over the next two months. That’s an economic impact of roughly $44 million that the state desperately needs in this time of crisis.

Below are visitor offices that can provide you with information and details.

Alexandria/Pineville Area CVB
707 Main Street
Alexandria, LA 71301
318-442-9546
800-551-9546
www.louisianafromhere.org

Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
730 North Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
225-342-8100
800-LA Rouge
www.bracvb.com

Southwest Louisiana/Lake Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau
1205 North Lakeshore Drive
Lake Charles, LA 70601
800-456-SWLA
www.visitlakecharles.org

Lafayette Convention & Visitors Bureau
1400 NW Evangeline Throughway.
Lafayette, LA 70501
337-232-3737
800-346-1958
www.lafayettetravel.com

Monroe/West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau
1333 State Farm Drive
Monroe, LA 71202
318-387-5691
800-843-1872
www.monroe-westmonroe.org

Natchitoches Convention & Visitor Bureau
781 Front Street
Natchitoches, LA 71457
800-259-1714
www.natchitoches.net

Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau
400 North Trenton Street
Ruston, LA 71270
318-255-2031
www.rustonlincoln.com

Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau
629 Spring Street
Shreveport, LA 71101
318-222-9391
www.shreveport-bossier.org

West Baton Rouge Tourist Information & Conference Center
2750 North Westport Drive
Port Allen, LA 70767
225-344-2920
800-654-9701

From Hilton’s Web site:

Hilton Hotels Corporation is also waiving group cancellation damages for meetings through November 30, 2005 at hotels in the New Orleans area. The company has established a Hurricane Group Bookings Hotline for inquiries: 1-866-973-8030.

If you start feeling really angry about all the problems we’re being inundated with on the news today, it’s easy to start blaming and pointing fingers, whether at the local or national politicians, or the people who are looting and shooting up New Orleans. Patti Digh has some things to think about that are more than worth a read.

Here’s a note we received from Carling Dinkler:

To all customers, associates and friends,
We got out of New Orleans on Sunday and moved 150 miles west of the city to stay with close friends. We are for the moment safe. The city is a total disaster and each hour the reports get worse. The deaths in New Orleans are real and quite heartbreaking. There is no power, water or anything in the city of New Orleans. We are not sure how our homes and office made out but it does not look good. Most have lost everything. Although we are fortunate to have an office in Las Vegas, I have decided to stay nearby so that we can go home at some point to see what is left. We will most likely move our New Orleans office to Las Vegas in the next few weeks and work as best we can from there. The days ahead will not be easy but with all your help and prayers we will make it and we will rebuild our wonderful city. One million people did leave the city so there will be a future we just do not know when. For now we must focus on our families and loved ones, as some are still missing. As most of you who know me, I am by nature a fighter and I will continue to fight even knowing the days ahead will be very trying.

Please understand that we value each and every one of our clients but we have to figure this mind blowing problem out before when can go forward with any proper plans.

Finally we value our relationship with each and every one of our customers and will communicate as we know what is happening. Daralyn Chase in our Las Vegas office is there to help and can be reached at (702) 228-6393 or daralyn@customconventionslv.com. Our Vegas office will hold the fort down until we can join them. It would be very helpful, as we do not have access to any of our files, if any customers with up coming programs in New Orleans, could forward all meeting information and contracts to Daralyn in Las Vegas.

At this time, I must focus all those whose lives have been affected by this horrific disaster. We appreciate your understanding and ask for your prayers.
Sincerely,
Carling Dinkler, III
Custom Conventions

You got them, Carl. Thanks for letting us know what’s going on with you.

From the New Orleans CVB Web site:

Meeting Planners: All city-wide conventions are cancelled through January December 1 (it was Jan. 1, then changed to Dec.). Additional assessments will be made during the next two weeks when we are out of search and rescue mode. Contact the following staff in Washington and Chicago:
Donna Karl 630-357-3480
Peggy Hagaman: 847-236-0200
JoAnne Hunsicker: 703-379-2233