Mardi Gras Logistics 2013

7/28/2019 Mardi Gras Logistics 2013

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because the Super Bowl and some evenings

had rainy weather

2.  The City o New Orleans spends over

$3m or this event or policing, trac,

cleanup, and ambulances

3.  Over 300 trucks were used or just three

parades on Fat Tuesday, nal day o

Mardi Gras

4.  The spectators were well over a million,

which is three times the population

o New Orleans

5.  Hotels were ull or at least two weeks at ull

rates and minimums o three nights stay

6.  New Orleans has over 3,000 bars and most

never shut their doors

7.  Revenue estimates exceed $600mm or

the entire event8.  The highest quality foats are all built to

specications by Blaine Kern at their Mardi

Gras World manuacturing acility. This is the

world’s largest foat design and builder. Floats

are generally 13’ to 18’ wide and 50’ long

9.  The largest foat in history was introduced

this year, called the Ponchartrain Beach

(ater a ormer theme park on the lake-

ront in New Orleans). It was towed by

one tractor and had eight 50-oot dou-

ble decker foats combined into one with

about 400 Krewe members on board

10.  The cleanup at precisely midnight on

Mardi Gras day is a sight to behold. In the

French Quarter, an army o police with

bullhorns tells the still-partying throngs

thank you or coming, but time to go. I

they can’t or won’t they are immediately

loaded in moving van-sized paddy wagons.

Following the police is the cleanup crew

who pick up every bit o trash and then

spray the streets rst with re hose-sized

pressure washers, then deodorize with

a thick green liquid, then hit it again

with pressure washers.

11.  By the crack o dawn, the streets are

immaculate. Just in time or the

beginning o Lent that lasts until Easter

Sunday or sel-denial and asting

LAGNIAPPE (MEANS A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA

IN NEW ORLEANS LINGO):

a.  The ood is o course spectacular. My

avorite is Galatoires, try the pompano

b.  Brennan’s is the best breakast you

will ever have, try Eggs St. Charles

c.  ACME or oysters, best served raw

d.  Mother’s or po-boys, a submarine sand-

wich with attitude, roast bee is legendary

e.  Central Grocery invented the

mueletta and they are still great

f.  Caé du Monde has antastic beignets

(powdered donuts) and coee

g.  Pat O’Brien’s invented the Hurricane,

this one is a sleeper with a punch

h.  Sazerac is America’s rst cocktail and

Ramos Gin Fizz were both invented

in the French Quarter

i.  Stay at the Royal Sonesta or theMonteleone, both in the Quarter

You have to see this to believe it yoursel.

Next year, Mardi Gras is Tuesday March 4,

2014 or try the JazzFest April 26 to May 5

this year.p

ROB SHIRLEY is President o ExpresShip, a con-sultancy in the global supply chain and can bereached by email rsxpship@gmail.com, websiteExpresship.com, or LinkedIn.com.

SUPPLY CHAIN PIVOTBY ROB SHIRLEY

Mardi Gras Logistics

ardi Gras’ rst year

in New Orleans was

in 1857; it has since

become the world’s

biggest party and

has been nick-

named The GreatestFree Show on Earth.

Mardi Gras means Fat

Tuesday and culminates on the

day beore Lent each year, but begins

much earlier. In 2013 the rst parade

was on January 19, and the last was on

February 12. The Super Bowl was sand-

wiched in between on February 3.

The parades run rom the spectacular to

the ordinary. All have foat riders, called

Krewes, who toss throws such as beads,

doubloons, stued toys, and even coconuts.Most o the parades are owned by Krewes

who also have elaborate balls replete with

royalty. Some are all men, some all women,

some mixed, occasionally exotic, and some

can be joined or a small ee.

Parades also have marching bands; some

have been in the same parade or over a

hundred years.

The spectators are mostly amily-oriented

with chairs, ladders, coolers and barbeques

with a very estive scene or children and

adults. In the French Quarter the scenecan be wild with lots o partying and some

things that need to be seen to be believed.

Schools, banks, libraries, and any busi-

ness that doesn’t actually serve Mardi

Gras are closed Monday and Tuesday.

The logistics behind this show are so

massive that I had to personally attend

again this year to provide the details:

1.  There were a total o 62 parades in

just Orleans Parish. Many were rescheduled