Rex, King of Carnival and the New Orleans Tourism Industry Issue Official Invitation to Mardi Gras
To alert the world that Mardi Gras and the carnival season is upon us, Rex, King of Carnival is issuing his proclamation via the New Orleans tourism industry to the world.
Carnival begins each year on “Twelfth Night,” so the city is delivering the proclamation, created by the Rex organization’s School of Design, to citizens of the planet, beckoning them to attend the 2014 Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
“It is a great honor to announce the city’s most famous event with Rex, King of Carnival,” said Mark Romig, President and CEO of New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, NOTMC. “The Rex 2014 Royal proclamation continues a carnival tradition more than a century old.”
The Rex organization began creating its Royal Invitation in 1872 when a group of young New Orleans leaders decided to issue invitations and a proclamation, inviting all to come to the Crescent City to join in its unique Mardi Gras celebration. In the days before mass media, broadcast, and tourism industries, the beautiful art posters and brochures were distributed in railroad stations, plastered on train cars, posted in centers of commerce, and placed in public buildings around the nation in major U.S. cities.
“We are pleased to build on the tradition of the Rex organization in inviting the world to the ‘Grand Celebration’ of Mardi Gras,” said Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the NOCVB. “It is a great time for visitors to experience the cultures and traditions of New Orleans as the city comes alive with festivity for Carnival Season.”
The 2014 Royal Invitation incorporates artwork from 1886, inviting visitors to “gather, from far and near, to join in the many celebrations and processions which will shortly unfold under the joyful Carnival banner.”
Each year, both the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation and the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau issue an electronic version of the Invitation to the nation and to international destinations, as well as over 60,000 travel trade professionals and tour operators. Both tourism corporations will feature the Royal Invitation on their website homepage.
About New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC)
The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation promotes the city as a leisure tourism destination throughout the year. Annually, NOTMC’s marketing campaigns include strategic print, broadcast, Internet advertising, and public relations. Websites: www.NewOrleansOnline.com; www.FollowYourNOLA.com; NewOrleansMuseums.com; RadioFreeNeworleans.com; GoNola.com. Social media: Facebook.com/NewOrleansOnline; Twitter.com/visitneworleans.
About the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (NOCVB)
The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau is a nationally accredited, 1,100-member destination marketing organization and the largest and most successful private economic development corporation in Louisiana. We help create $5.47 billion in new capital each year- more than any other business sector- by attracting millions of visitors, special events and conventions. The CVB and its members influence thousands of decision-makers and millions of visitors to choose New Orleans through direct sales, marketing, public relations, branding and visitor services at our New Orleans headquarters and offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Phoenix and five countries. Consistently recognized as one of the top five CVBs in the country, the New Orleans CVB celebrated its 53rd anniversary in 2013. For more information, please visit http://www.neworleanscvb.com/.
About the School of Design Since Rex first paraded in 1872, millions and millions of happy residents and visitors have enjoyed the pageantry of Carnival Day in New Orleans. The official name of the Rex Organization is the “School of Design,” but it is generally referred to as Rex or the Rex Organization. “Pro Bono Publico,” the Rex motto, means “for the public good” and appears on all official Rex documents. Rex places great emphasis on this motto and uses it as a basis for all of its policies, activities, and community initiatives, including the work of the Pro Bono Publico Foundation, formed in 2006. More information on the Rex Organization can be found at www.rexorganization.com; www.probonopublicofoundation.org.
