The big easy beckons: it's more than just music and Mardi Gras. New Orleans stimulates your senses and enlivens your spirit. (Special Section: ARMA 2002 New Orleans: special section).

When in New Orleans, you may hear locals say, "Laissez les bons temps fouler!" (Let the good times roll!)

Definitely take the phrase to heart. The Big Easy is all about good times, and everything from Cajun cuisine to blues music is served up with a relaxed, live-and-let-live attitude.

In 1718, Jean-Baptiste le Moyne discovered the location that would become the Crescent City. Today, New Orleans remains an interesting combination of Spanish and French cultures, making it a truly unique American city. It blends mystery with history and offers visitors a glimpse of the Old South and Europe at once.

It's a city that's both refined and raucous. Here, you can step back in time and stroll through centuries-old cemeteries and pre-Civil War plantations. Ride a streetcar or relax in a sidewalk cafe and soak up the ambiance of Spanish architecture and moss-draped oak trees. If you want to "kick it up a notch" you can hang out in the infamous French Quarter hotspots and nightclubs along Bourbon Street. At almost any hour of the night, you can eat, drink, and listen to live blues and jazz music.

With everything from alligators to Zydeco, New Orleans has something for everyone. Whether it's your first or thirty-first visit, you'll definitely want to leave your work behind to play in the Big Easy.

Queen of the Mississippi

New Orleans' streetcar system is more than 150 years old--the oldest continuously operating streetcars in the world. Streetcars were once the city's only form of public transportation and, at S1.25 for a round-trip excursion, still serve as a fun, inexpensive way to get around. The best way to introduce yourself to the city is to hop on a streetcar and tour New Orleans' distinct neighborhoods.

In the French Quarter, also called the Vieux Carre, you'll find Jackson Square, the oldest part of town, and Bourbon Street. The French Quarter features some of the most unique architecture in the world. Down its narrow streets, you'll see rows of two- and three-story French- and Spanish-inspired structures and townhouses with courtyards, carriageways, and decorative cast-iron balconies. One of the most photographed (and visited) attractions in New Orleans is the St. Louis Cathedral. Located in the French Quarter, facing Jackson Square and the Mississippi River, it stands as the oldest continually operating church in the United States. With its stained glass windows, frescoes and murals, it's also one of the loveliest.

You can see the sights along the riverfront by riding the "Ladies in Red," vintage streetcars painted red and gold. This 1.9-mile line connects the cultural and commercial developments along the revitalized riverfront. The Central Business District includes the Louisiana Superdome, the Morial Convention Center, the Riverwalk, and the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas (www.auduboninstitute.org). At the Aquarium, one of the top-five in the United States, you can get up close to sharks and jellyfish. In the Riverwalk Marketplace, you can shop in a mall-like atmosphere with a few surprises: You can learn to cook Cajun in just two hours at the Cookin' Cajun Cooking School inside.

North of the river is the Warehouse Arts District, a neighborhood full of refurbished buildings that house condominiums, restaurants, retail shops, art galleries, museums, hotels, and small businesses. This area is the site of a growing art community, and galleries are open in many old warehouses.

At the New Orleans Museum of Art (www.noma.org) you can admire a collection of Impressionist paintings by Edgar Degas, who painted just 20 blocks away. Don't miss the collection of Carl Faberge Imperial Russian eggs. To celebrate the Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase (2003), the museum is featuring an exhibition that illustrates how Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte forever changed the world with the stroke of a pen. The exhibition uses art, historical documents, and furniture to reveal the vision of both men and their countries.

Nearby, the National D-Day Museum (www.ddaymuseum.org) is four stories and 70,000 square feet of personal stories and dramatic WWII exhibits, including a reproduction of a "Higgins" boat, and Spitfire and Avenger airplanes. A new section chronicles the American landings in the Pacific.

Farther uptown sits the historic Garden District, where you can go back in time and stroll through lush gardens and magnificent mansions built by American, British, and Irish merchants. This area evolved out of the Livaudis Plantation, which was divided in the 1820s. On one of the mansion-lined streets, you can find the home of "Vampire Chronicles" book series author Anne Rice. Another don't-miss mansion is the Spanish-inspired Longue Vue House and Gardens (www.longuevue.com).

The University area, comprised of Tulane and Loyola universities, also includes the Audubon Park and Zoo. The zoo is home to a Louisiana swamp exhibit featuring rare albino alligators.

If you love trolling for antiques, make your way to Magazine Street. It offers more than three miles of antique shops and art galleries.

Tours are another way to see the best New Orleans sights. Bicycles, carriages, streetcars, and riverboats can all be rented to take you around town. If you can spare a few hours, tour alligator-infested swamps and bayous or take a trip down the old Mississippi on a riverboat. By foot, you can tour Cajun country, city cemeteries, the Garden District, swamp country and plantations, or take walking tours of New Orleans' cultural, historical, or artistic attractions.

New Orleans sits between the Mississippi to the South and Lake Pontchartrain to the North. The lake is a 40- by 25-mile body of water that features the longest bridge in the world, the 23.5-mile Greater New Orleans Causeway. Lake Pontchartrain's shores shelter the Old Spanish Fort, a resort built around a former fortress, and the West End, where seafood and yachting are popular pastimes. For a real day trip, the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park Barataria Preserve, 20,000 acres of pristine wildlife habitat, lies just outside town.

Cajun Cuisine

Food is a big part of New Orleans' culture. Besides blues and jazz, New Orleans also is the birthplace of the po'boy sandwich. But don't forget to sample the crawfish and jambalaya, too.

Antoine's Restaurant, in continuous operation for more than 160 years, just may be the most famous restaurant here. Located on St. Louis Street, many of its recipes are the same as the day it opened.

Put Cafe Du Monde on your must-see list. It's the birthplace of the beignet, a square doughnut dusted with powdered sugar, and you can get one with cafe au hit (coffee with chicory and hot milk) 24 hours a day.

Just across from the Morial Convention Center, you'll find Mulate's, a casual restaurant offering live Cajun music and authentic Cajun cuisine, including stuffed pork tenderloin and fried chicken.

Another New Orleans favorite is the Red Fish Grill on Bourbon Street. With whimsical decor like oyster mirrors, hand-painted tables, and a sea of metal fish on the ceiling, you'll find more than just seafood here.

If you want a themed dinner, visit Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Cafe or the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. on Decatur Street in the French Quarter.

New Orleans After Dark

Don't let the light-hearted atmosphere fool you, New Orleans has a dark side. (Why else would Anne Rice live here?)

A good place to peek into the spirit world is the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum on Dumaine Street. Blue candles burn in honor of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau in halls decorated by pictures of Voodoo rituals and magical drawings used to summon the spirits. Visitors can make offerings of rum, cigars, or money to a Voodoo spirit.

You might be wary of touring a cemetery, but New Orleans' "cities of the dead" are worth a visit. Because of the city's high water table and below sea-level elevation, residents had to build above-ground resting places for their loved ones. The practice of burying people in large, richly adorned above-ground tombs dates back from the time when New Orleans was under Spanish rule. There are 42 cemeteries in the metropolitan New Orleans area. Two of the most beautiful are Metairie Cemetery, featuring architecture from all over the world, and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and 2.

If you'd rather play games than dally with nocturnal spirits, visit Harrah's, between the French Quarter and the Central Business District. It offers miles of slots, poker, craps, blackjack, and more, 24 hours a day.

If you are looking for a romantic rendezvous with your significant other or just a breathtaking view of New Orleans at night, try 360 Degrees. Formerly "Top of the Mart" the trendy, circular lounge surrounded by windows has been renamed, renovated, and redecorated, but it still revolves a full revolution every 90 minutes to give you the best panoramic views of the city.

For the best places to hear jazz, head for the French Quarter. Snug Harbor, Preservation Hall, the Storyville District, the Funky Butt, and Donna's Bar & Grill are just a few nightspots where you can quench your thirst for good music and drinks.

Day or night, there is always something to do in New Orleans. No matter what kind of fun you're looking for, you'll find it here--with "lagniappe" (a little something extra).

For more information, visit www.neworleanscvb.com.

Preliminary Conference Schedule
September 29-October 2, 2002

Held at Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel
Friday, September 27
Preconference Seminars (additional fee)       8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
RIM Foundation, Legal Information
  Management, Technology Training

Saturday, September 28

Preconference Seminars (additional fee)       8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
RIM Foundation, Legal Information
  Management, Technology Training
ARMA Leadership Meeting                       9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention
  Center unless otherwise noted

Saturday, September 28

Registration and Bookstore Open               3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
First-Time Attendees Orientation              5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 29

Registration Open                             7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Bookstore and Technology Center Open          7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
International Region Meeting and Reception    8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
ISG Networking Sessions (Hilton New Orleans
  Riverside)                                  8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Region Meetings                               9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Exhibit Hall Opens                            11:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Lunch in Exhibit Hall                         12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Educational Sessions                          2:00 p.m.-5:15 p.m.
ISG Reception (Hilton New Orleans
  Riverside)                                  6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
ICRM Meeting and Reception (Hilton New
  Orleans Riverside)                          6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Welcome Party (Harrahs)                       8:00 p.m.-11:30 p.m.

Monday, September 30

Registration Open                             7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Technology Center Open                        7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
OPENING CEREMONIES--Keynote Speaker           8:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m.
Bookstore Open                                10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Educational Sessions                          10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Exhibits Open                                 11:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Lunch (on your own)                           12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Educational Sessions                          2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Reception in the Exhibit Hall                 4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 1

Registration Open                             8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Technology Center Open                        7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
General Assembly--Keynote Speaker             8:30 a.m.-9:45 a.m.
Exhibits Open                                 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Bookstore Open                                10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Federal Government Day                        10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Educational Sessions                          10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
Lunch in the Exhibit Hall                     12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Educational Sessions                          2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Awards Event Reception (Hilton New Orleans
  Riverside)                                  6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Awards Event Dinner and Program (Hilton New
  Orleans Riverside)                          7:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.

Wednesday, October 2

Registration Open                             8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Technology Center Open                        7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Educational Sessions                          8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Association Luncheon (Hilton New Orleans
  Riverside)                                  12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
Keynote Speaker (Hilton New Orleans
  Riverside)                                  1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Conference Adjourns                           2:00 p.m.

Sensational Sessions

The heart of this year's conference will be the preconference and conference sessions. Several exciting and innovative topics, presented by cutting-edge business experts, will educate and inspire information management professionals and help you celebrate your profession while exploring the future.

The preconference seminars will focus on

* Records and Information Management: The Foundation

* Information Management Solutions in the Legal Environment

* Technology Basic Training for Records Management

The main conference will feature sessions on topics ranging from "Creating a Career you Love" to "Web Site Records Retention Issues and Challenges," thus offering a broad range of topics for RIM professionals at every rung of the career ladder. The following are just a few of the conference session offerings:

* Disaster Preparedness and Response for Records Managers

* Strategic Planning in RIM Environments

* Marketing Your Program

* Business Process Re-engineering Using Workflow Software

* A Trial Lawyer's Take on the Admissibility of Electronic Records in Court

* Building and Applying Retention Schedules That Work

* Partnership of Information Technology and RIM

These educational sessions are a vital part of the conference, providing personal career growth and greater knowledge of business trends. Full program details will be available on the ARMA International Web site (www.arma.org) beginning June 1.

Where to Stay

Although you may not be sleeping much in New Orleans, you will still want to book a hotel room at one of the many conference hotels in the area. The official conference housing form with which room reservations must be made will be available on the ARMA Web site (www.arma.org) beginning June 1. All reservations must be made through the New Orleans Housing Bureau.

Affordable accommodations are available near the convention center, including the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel, the conference headquarters hotel. Other conference hotels are the Ambassador Hotel New Orleans, Doubletree Hotel New Orleans, Embassy Suites Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, Le Meridien, Queen and Crescent Hotel, Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel, and Wyndham New Orleans. Nightly single and double room rates range from $132 to $219. Free shuttle service will be available between the conference hotels and the Morial Conference Center.

Tips for Travelers

* Before leaving home, pack an umbrella, comfortable shoes, a light jacket, and a camera. New Orleans is one of the sunniest cities in the country, but it does occasionally rain in the afternoon. Expect temperatures to rise to about 85 degrees in the afternoons and fall to 65 degrees at night.

* Buy a VisiTour Pass. Available in one-day ($5) or three-day ($12) denominations, the pass allows unlimited rides on the streetcars and buses. They can be purchased in hotels and shopping areas.

* Brush up on "New Orleansese." When you catch a streetcar, you'll stand on "neutral ground," not the median. When you order a "dressed" sandwich, it will come with the works. For directions, uptown is "upriver," and downtown is "downriver."