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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 [email protected], 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
