Check out coverage of the festivities:

Panaroma view of the French Quarter from our balcony (courtesy of AL.com)

French Quarter full of Festivities (WWL.com)

Pictures and videos from Keating Magee’s Facebook Page

View Official Press release

The band made its first appearance at the team’s preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies on December 21, but the official start of “Inspired to Play” took place at the opening game against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, December 28. This night featured a special introduction from Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and Artistic Director of NOJO, Irvin Mayfield.

NOJO is recruiting New Orleans musicians (musicians must be from New Orleans or currently living here) to create a database of 300 songs (existing and original) that will be used for in-arena music during the Hornets games and even local radio and TV broadcasts.

After each Hornets home game, fans will also receive complimentary entry into Irvin Mayfield’s I Club with the presentation of their game ticket from that evening. The I Club is located inside the JW Marriott® New Orleans at 614 Canal Street.

Keating Magee and Media Hound LLC took home an Award of Excellence for Extended Special Event-Nonprofit for “Love Sessions: A Festival of Giving” – an 11-night concert series at Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse and the I Club at the JW Marriott. The fund raising initiative ultimately raised over $70,000 for 12 local non-profit organizations. Keating Magee also received an Award of Excellence for Brief Special Events/Observances for the 2010 Halloween Tea, which was hosted at Le Salon in the Windsor Court.

The PRSA awards are given out annually by the New Orleans chapter of the Public Relations Society of America to honor public relations work performed within the past twelve months.

The 206,000 square-foot hotel offers state-of-the-art amenities including a fully equipped fitness center, a courtyard-style outdoor pool, 13,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, as well as VIP Club Level rooms and luxury suites. The hotel will also feature Tallulah Crafted Food and Wine Bar, a casual upscale restaurant serving notable, indigenous cuisine from around Louisiana, and house-crafted menu items that interpret local flavors in fresh and unique ways.

The Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel is developed and owned by Baton Rouge-based Wampold Companies and managed by Memphis-based Davidson Hotels & Resorts, an award-winning, full-service hotel management company that provides management, development/renovation, acquisition, consulting and accounting expertise for the hospitality industry.

House of Blues – New Orleans unveiled its new dining experience “Crossroads at House of Blues”. The newly rebranded restaurant features a menu created by noted celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez, known to millions of television viewers for his popular appearances on numerous Food Network shows and culinary events across the country.

Incorporating flavors from all over the world, Chef Aaron has created new signature dishes such as shrimp and grits, short rib meatball sliders, hand stretched grilled flatbreads, and chile braised short ribs and street tacos, while keeping some House of Blues – New Orleans favorites on the menu and re-interpreting others.

Irfan Kamal, Senior Vice President of Digital/Social, Ogilvy, stated: “Much of the work to date has looked at direct channel impacts; for example, do direct clicks from a social media site result in sales?  This study of restaurant consumers attempts to understand the more complex factors that lead to consumer purchase and perception changes.  We found that in the real world, social content exposure – by itself and more broadly when combined with other types of media exposure such as out-of-home, PR or TV ads – is linked with 2-7x higher likelihood of consumption and actual spend increases.  And, social content exposure alone is associated with the largest shift in week-to-week brand perception.”

 To read more about this survey, check out the full article here.

This is the third consecutive year that Keating Magee has made the Inc. 5,000 list.

“We are very proud to be included in the Inc. 5,000 rankings and pleased to be in such distinguished company,” said Jennifer Keating Magee, CEO of Keating Magee Marketing Communications, which celebrated its 30th Anniversary this year. “Being recognized on this list for a third year serves as validation of the hard work and dedication of our talented staff and the spirit and commitment of the clients we serve.”

This is the fifth annual Inc. 5,000 list. The list represents a comprehensive look at an important segment of the U.S. economy – independent-minded entrepreneurs. Click here for the complete Inc. 5,000 list.

The concert series benefits a different non-profit organization each night. The Love Sessions begin on Friday August 19th and run through Thursday August 25th at Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse with The Thriller at the Playhouse, a seven-night trumpet battle that builds on a playful, decade-old rivalry between Irvin Mayfield and local trumpet legend Kermit Ruffins. The festival continues at the new Irvin Mayfield I Club on Friday August 26th and runs through Monday August 29th with the Love Moments, a four-night musical encounter between two-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Roy Hargrove and his New York City based band and Irvin Mayfield and his New Orleans-inspired septet.

The local organizations to benefit from Love Sessions include: New Orleans Public Library Foundation, Dress For Success New Orleans, LSU-HSC Department of Psychiatry, Dag’s House, Son of a Saint Sports Foundation, Unity of Greater New Orleans, St. Mary’s Academy, North American Mission Board, Jericho Road Episcopal Housing, Children’s Hospital, New Orleans Haitian Relief Task Force, and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
.

The show airs Wednesdays at 8:30am and 8:30pm on Channel 76 and Saturdays at 3:30am and 3:30pm on Channel 99 in the Metro New Orleans market.

Expected to open up in July 2011, the I Club will be an intimate club inside the JW Marriott Hotel. The I Club will be Mayfield’s second club after Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse. The I Club will offer New Orleans music in a luxurious downtown setting. The venue will offer exquisite cocktails and fine-dining small plates prepared by JW Marriott’s executive chef, Lou Sander.