Optional Social Event

Our Friday social event after the conference ends is an afternoon tour at Mardi Gras World: Where Mardi Gras is Made! Mardi Gras World provides an authentic Mardi Gras experience.

The tour demonstrates what it takes to bring Mardi Gras to life year after year. The tour allows you to see firsthand the hard work and extensive planning that goes into this grand event. Since 1947, Blaine Kern Studios has built the breathtaking parade floats for major parades not only for Mardi Gras, but for parades all over the world. Mardi Gras parades would be nothing without the fantastical floats that line the parade route year after year. The hard work that goes into making these spectacles is what makes Mardi Gras in New Orleans the greatest show on Earth!

Our knowledgeable guides take the mask off Mardi Gras with an all-access Mardi Gras tour, winding through the massive studio where these magnificent floats are built from the ground up. You’ll learn about the history of this unique and festive tradition and go beyond its reputation to get a deeper understanding of the real Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras World is approximately a 35 minutes stroll from the Hyatt French Quarter Hotel. Our schedule anticipates a stop for lunch at the myriad venues available in the French Quarter on route. The scheduled time for the tour is 2:30 pm. Suggested alternative transportation is the #2 Riverfront streetcar. The estimated travel time is 30 minutes by streetcar.