River City Venues

What River City Venues does

River City Venues is a privately held event venue operator founded in 2016 and headquartered at 1380 Port of New Orleans Place, on the Mississippi riverfront adjacent to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The company operates a portfolio of eight distinct indoor and outdoor event spaces — the River City Ballroom (33,300 sq ft), Grand Oaks Mansion (17,900 sq ft antebellum replica), River City Plaza & Tent, the Mardi Gras World Float Den (84,000 sq ft working float warehouse of Blaine Kern Artists), Iberville and Bienville meeting rooms, Mardi Gras World Plaza, River City Square (59,000 sq ft outdoor festival space), and the Riverview Room — collectively accommodating groups from 25 to 25,000 guests. Beyond passive venue rental, the company sells experience-driven products including Float Building and Mask Making workshops, daytime meeting packages for up to 1,500 attendees, corporate event planning for groups of 30-300, and private party hosting.

The business operates a sales-led, direct-to-customer go-to-market with no intermediary distribution; customers engage via phone (504-361-7821) or web inquiry forms to receive quote-based pricing, and bookings are managed by in-house event coordinators. Revenue is generated almost exclusively through one-time venue rental fees (stream_name: Venue Rental), with pricing varying by venue, date, duration, and included services, supplemented by team-building activity fees and catering coordination. Marketing combines a comprehensive website with floor-plan downloads, active social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and inbound content marketing via white papers targeting event planners.

The company is connected organizationally to Mardi Gras World and Kern Studios, the 60+ year Mardi Gras float builder, providing exclusive access to the Float Den content library that competitors cannot replicate. The company employs 101-250 people, has no disclosed external funding, no patents or trademarks, and no M&A activity in the input data.

Name

River City Venues

Legal name

River City Venues

Website

https://rivercityvenues.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

River City Venues, founded in 2016 and based in New Orleans, operates a portfolio of eight distinct event spaces — from a 33,300 sq ft ballroom to an 84,000 sq ft Mardi Gras float warehouse — serving corporate events, weddings, team-building groups, and festivals for 25 to 25,000 guests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Venue Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Historic Venues (Landmarks, Estates) (THAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports & Arena Event Venues (Stadiums, Arenas) (THAHAAAF), Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF), Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD)

Keywords

• Event venue rental
• Corporate event spaces
• Wedding reception venues
• Team building activities
• Meeting facility rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Venue Rental: Revenue is generated through renting out various event spaces including ballrooms, mansions, outdoor plazas, and specialized venues like the Float Den. Pricing varies by venue, size, and event type. The company also offers team building activities and catering coordination services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

River City Venues rents out eight distinct event spaces along the New Orleans Mississippi Riverfront for corporate events, private parties, daytime meetings, team building activities, and large-scale festivals. The portfolio includes ballrooms, an antebellum mansion replica, riverfront pavilions, a working Mardi Gras float warehouse, and outdoor plazas accommodating groups from 25 to 25,000 guests. The company provides turn-key event services including professional event coordinators, on-site A/V, catering coordination, and preferred vendor relationships.

Product overview

River City Venues is a portfolio of eight distinct New Orleans event venues spanning indoor and outdoor spaces, from intimate rooms (Iberville, Bienville at 2,000-3,000 sq ft) to massive venues (Float Den at 84,000 sq ft, River City Square at 59,000 sq ft). The venues include the River City Ballroom (33,300 sq ft with concert stage and LED lighting), Grand Oaks Mansion (antebellum replica), River City Plaza & Tent (riverfront pavilion), Riverview Room (waterfront views), and Mardi Gras World Plaza. Supporting the venue portfolio are team building activities (Float Building workshops, Mask Making), daytime meeting services (up to 1,500 guests with A/V support), corporate event planning, and private party hosting. The complex sits along the Mississippi River adjacent to the Convention Center and is managed by Mardi Gras World's parent organization Kern Studios.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mardi Gras World: A venue complex featuring the Float Den, Plaza, and other event spaces, related to the famous Mardi Gras float-building operation by Blaine Kern Artists.
• Grand Oaks Mansion
• River City Ballroom

Products and services

• River City Ballroom The largest indoor venue at 33,300 square feet with 40-foot ceilings, a professional concert stage, state-of-the-art LED lighting, and high-definition surround sound, suitable for large corporate events, concerts, and receptions.
• Grand Oaks Mansion A 17,900 square foot indoor replica of an antebellum mansion featuring towering columns, footbridges, oak trees, and two bars, designed for weddings and corporate receptions of up to 500 guests reception-style.
• River City Plaza & Tent A 15,700 square foot open-concept riverside space with a 7,000 square foot vaulted pavilion offering views of the Mississippi River and twin bridges, suitable for receptions of up to 1,570 guests.
• Mardi Gras World Float Den
• Iberville and Bienville Rooms
• Riverview Room A waterfront space with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the Mississippi River and Crescent City Connection bridge, featuring natural light and theme-transformable decor for evening events.
• Mardi Gras World Plaza A 9,900 square foot outdoor plaza along the Mississippi River with two covered patios (one with a built-in bar), designed for cocktail hours and hors d'oeuvres receptions of up to 500 guests.
• River City Square The largest outdoor venue at 59,000 square feet along the Mississippi River in the warehouse district, used for major music festivals such as the BUKU Music + Art Project drawing tens of thousands of attendees.
• Float Building Workshop A mini-float building team building activity including a one-hour tour of the Float Den warehouse and a two-hour hands-on workshop to create a mini Mardi Gras float, with a 40 guest minimum, designed for corporate groups.
• Mask Making Workshop An interactive workshop where participants learn about New Orleans masking history and create an original Mardi Gras mask, including a private guided tour of the Float Den, with a 30 guest minimum, designed for corporate team building groups.
• Daytime Meetings Package
• Corporate Events Service Turn-key corporate event services including state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, professional event coordinators, and team building activities for corporate groups of 30-300 people.
• Private Parties Service

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) New Orleans: Warehouse District event venue that hosts weddings, corporate functions, and private celebrations in flexible contemporary spaces. Competes for the same downtown NOLA private and corporate event demand.
• Generations Hall: Large downtown New Orleans event venue used for corporate events, weddings, galas, and festivals. Comparable multi-use event hall competing for similar mid-to-large group bookings.
• House of Blues New Orleans: Music-focused event venue and restaurant in the French Quarter that hosts corporate events, private parties, and concerts. Comparable as a themed event venue with on-site F&B and live entertainment programming.
• The National WWII Museum: Operates multiple event and banquet venues in New Orleans with a distinctive themed setting. Targets a similar corporate, private, and meeting planner customer base seeking memorable, non-hotel event experiences.
• The Orpheum Theater New Orleans: Historic theater and event venue in downtown New Orleans used for concerts, corporate events, and private functions. Comparable in offering turn-key venue operations with built-in stage and A/V infrastructure.
• The Sugar Mill: New Orleans event venue hosting weddings, corporate functions, and private parties in a converted warehouse setting. Directly comparable in format (warehouse event space) and target customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center: The primary large-scale convention and event facility adjacent to River City Venues. Directly competes for meetings and corporate events but on a much larger scale and as a civic venue, providing the dominant baseline alternative for event planners in NOLA.
• Hyatt Regency New Orleans: Major downtown hotel with extensive meeting, ballroom, and conference space. Competes for corporate meetings and daytime events, often bundled with lodging, and represents the 'standard' alternative River City Venues explicitly differentiates against.
• Caesars Superdome: Mass-venue arena operator in New Orleans hosting large-scale events, concerts, and festivals. Competes for the largest end of River City's festival and concert business (e.g., BUKU-scale).
• Sheraton New Orleans Hotel: Large downtown convention hotel with substantial meeting and ballroom capacity. A direct competitor for corporate meetings and daytime events, often chosen by planners seeking a one-stop lodging-plus-meeting venue.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rivercityvenues
• Facebookfacebook.com/rivercityvenues
• Instagraminstagram.com/rivercityvenues
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rivercityvenues

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about River City Venues