The magic of the Crescent City
is waiting for you. ✨
Friends, it’s here. Our teams have started to arrive, and the city is ready for us. I can’t wait for each of you to experience all that the bayou has to offer while being affirmed that you were created to be — you. Safe travels, dear ones. Let’s have a Gathering! 🚀
Deacon Tammy Jones West, Director of the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering
📍 Check-in
You might be wondering, “What do I do once we get there?” Look no further: this is your guide to checking in to the Gathering and your hotels. Please note that it doesn’t matter if you check in to the Gathering or your hotel first – do whatever makes the most sense for you and your group!
📍 Gathering check-in will take place at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (900 Convention Center Boulevard). Check-in will be open on Monday, July 15, 3-8 p.m., and Tuesday, July 16, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Please enter from Julia Street. Please also note that luggage is not allowed inside the Convention Center. A clear-bag policy will be in effect during check-in and through the duration of the event.
🎉 The primary adult leader is required to check in to receive participant wristbands for their group and attend a 15-minute training. Other adult leaders and youth are not required to check in; however, we encourage you to bring enough hands to carry your Accompaniment Day shirts, which you will receive at this time.
✍️ Congregations need to bring a Participant Release Form and Medical and Emergency Form for every youth and adult participant. You can access these forms by clicking here.
Upon check-in you will be required to provide the Participant Release Form for all attendees. The Gathering does not collect the Medical and Emergency Form, but you must be able to provide them to Gathering leadership, including volunteers, upon request. A wristband will not be provided until you submit the Participant Release Form.
🅿️ There will be free temporary registration parking available for one hour at the parking lot located at 1220 S. Peters Street as well as the parking lot located at 359 Calliope Street. There will be limited temporary parking spaces for buses during registration at the Convention Center transportation hub (on Calliope Street between S. Peters and Convention Center Boulevard). Additional parking is available for regular sized vehicles at 728 Convention Center Boulevard for an hourly fee paid to the lot directly. (Pro-tip, this lot is the closest lot to registration check-in, so for $3 for one hour, this is a bargain!)
👉 If your group is attending the MYLE or the tAble, please note that you will need to check in for the Gathering as well. Check-in for the MYLE will take place at the New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District hotel. Check-in for the tAble will take place at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
👀 If your group is looking for something to do, they are welcome to explore our Community Life space, which will be open 3-5 p.m. on Monday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesday in Hall B of the Convention Center. Expect games and fun!
🚐 If you are traveling by motorcoach and staying within the French Quarter, please be mindful of the travel restrictions. To learn more, visit here.
🎒 Venue Polices
Clear bags, clear/translucent water bottles and cashless venues — oh my! Check the Gathering’s website for our venue policies so you can prepare your krewe.
🚍 Evening Logistics
Shuttle to Smoothie King — We’ll have a shuttle running from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to Smoothie King every night, starting at 4 p.m. The last pickup will be at 5:30 p.m. This service is offered free of charge.
Food options near Smoothie King — The Opening Act in Champions Square is an indoor venue, open 4-6:30 p.m., with food options for you and your krewe to enjoy. This space will be air-conditioned, which is a double win!
Food in Smoothie King — Concessions will be available at Smoothie King as soon as the doors open and until shortly after programming starts.
Need an ADA entrance? We’ve got you covered. At Smoothie King there will be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) entrances located on Le Rouge Street, on the east side of the building, near the box office.
Need a quieter space to enjoy the Mass Gathering? We have three spaces where you’ll be able to experience the Mass Gathering in a quieter setting. At Smoothie King the Grey Goose Lounge and North Lounge will be available as well as a sensory room on the suite level. More details will be available on the app, closer to the event. Additionally, participants can view a livestream of the Mass Gathering at the convention center in the Great Hall.
🧳 Packing list
We’re so close that we’re getting questions about what to pack. Our team has come up with a general packing list to help you in your preparations. Adapt it to fit your krewe!
🙏 Commissioning Service
As your community gathers to bless and send your krewe off to New Orleans, consider using the Gathering’s commissioning service. Adapt it to fit your community!
💸 Offerings
One of our core values as we plan a Gathering is to be a good partner to the city that hosts us. This varies from city to city, but in New Orleans you will be giving to a project that changes lives. Bethlehem Lutheran Church in New Orleans has a partnership with Tulane University to build affordable housing. A portion of your Saturday offering will go to the Gulf Coast Synod to support this ministry. One day you may return to New Orleans and pass by a house that you helped to build.
To view more information about our Closing Worship offering, special offering or in-kind offering, visit: https://www.elca.church/gathering/about/offering.
❤️ Be sure to tag us.
Tag us on your early-morning bus pickups, your pre-boarding selfies, your first beignet run and all your other magical adventures in the Big Easy! Your posts may be featured. Use #elcayg2024 on your posts and stories and tag us at @elcagathering.
☎️ Infoline
Need help on-site at the Gathering? Have a question? Call our infoline at 888-411-ELCA.
