"VOLUNTEERISM and CITIZEN SERVICE must lead Louisiana's recovery effort." -Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu The Louisiana Serve Commission is pleased to announce Volunteer Louisiana, a website and call center that matches volunteers with service opportunities throughout the state. Visit www.volunteerlouisiana.gov or call 866-286-3835 or 225-342-3070 to find out how you can begin a summer of service.

Impact - DCRT Returns Investment Dollars to Louisiana For every state tax dollar spent by the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, $5.86 is returned to the State Treasury and citizens of Louisiana. Source: The Impact of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism on Louisiana's Economy and Quality of Life for Louisiana's... Learn More >>

Monday, February 9, 2009

CONTACT:
Seth Harvey
(225) 342-8153
sharvey@crt.state.la.us

"Thanks to Louisiana's wealth of indigenous talent along with smart tax incentives, our state is an international competitor when it comes to culture. Louisiana musicians and Louisiana films, like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, are leading the nominations at the GRAMMY®'s and the Academy Awards®," said Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu. "The cultural economy is big business in Louisiana, accounting for 144,000 jobs. Louisiana is known all over the world for its authentic culture, and especially for our music. We invite business leaders and leisure travelers to come see what our state has to offer."

The number of visitors statewide is expected to exceed recent records, with 24.8 million people expected to visit the state this year, according to a recent survey conducted by the University of New Orleans Hospitality Research Center. Projections for 2008 showed that Louisiana is expected to host 24.4 million visitors that year, exceeding pre-Katrina, 2005 visitation (24.1 million).

"This event is an opportunity for music supervisors, record label executives, film studios and media to interact with Louisiana artists and entertainment business leaders," said Sherri McConnell, director of Louisiana Economic Development's Office of Entertainment Industry Development. "We do that best by pooling government resources to showcase Louisiana's creative industries - our musicians, our restaurateurs, the talented people who convert our native creative culture into a thriving economic engine. Our goal is to spur new investment in the entire entertainment industry in Louisiana."

After the 2008 event, LED entertainment officials saw increased interest in entertainment business opportunities in Louisiana. Nearly 40 applications for music/sound recording tax credits were received last year, with many of those projects prompted by interactions at the event.

In addition to sound recording, music supervisors increasingly seek out Louisiana musicians and composers for film and television scores. Louisiana's entertainment industry saw more than 80 motion picture productions in 2008, with dozens of smaller television, music video and documentary productions dotting the state and contributing to local economies. Growing interest from video game developers such as EA, which recently announced location of a quality assurance facility in Baton Rouge, demonstrates the attention Louisiana is receiving from all sectors of the entertainment industry.

For more information on Louisiana's entertainment industry and the state programs that support it, visit LouisianaEntertainment.gov.

For more information on visiting Louisiana to experience its unique cultural economy first-hand, visit LouisianaTravel.com