IMSH 2027  ·  January 23–27, 2027

New Orleans
In Concert

The city that invented jazz is the perfect stage for the world's premiere healthcare simulation conference. Five days of discovery — inside the convention center and out.

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬
Presented by New Orleans & Company
See the City for Yourself

A few minutes that explain why January in New Orleans is unlike anywhere else.

Courtesy of New Orleans & Company

Convention center & surroundings

Find Your Way Around

Mississippi River Lake Pontchartrain Canal St St. Charles Ave WAREHOUSE DISTRICT FRENCH QUARTER MARIGNY GARDEN DISTRICT ERNEST N. MORIAL CONVENTION CENTER 🚋 Streetcar Jackson Square ★ 4 1 2 3 A B C N ~0.5 mi
★
Convention Center
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center — IMSH 2027 home base
1
French Quarter
12-min walk · Café Du Monde, Jackson Square, Bourbon St
2
Garden District
Streetcar · Commander's Palace, mansions, Lafayette Cemetery
3
Frenchmen Street
Marigny · Live jazz, no cover, locals only vibe
4
Warehouse District
Steps away · WWII Museum, Cochon, art galleries
Must-visit spots
A
Café Du Monde
Beignets & café au lait · Open 24 hours
B
National WWII Museum
#1 museum in the U.S. · Steps from IMSH
C
Cochon
James Beard-nominated · 4-min walk from IMSH
The "In Concert" connection

Where the theme
meets the city

IMSH 2027's "In Concert" theme wasn't chosen by accident. New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz — an art form built on improvisation, collaboration, and the pursuit of something greater than any individual can achieve alone. Sound familiar?

Healthcare simulation works the same way. The best outcomes emerge when teams perform in concert — reading each other, adapting in real time, elevating the whole. January in New Orleans isn't just a backdrop. It's the point.

27
Years IMSH has been the field's defining gathering — as long as some of its attendees have been alive
1
City in the world that invented jazz, the Sazerac, beignets, and a culture that refuses to take itself too seriously
∞
Ways to spend an evening in a city where the music spills out of every door and the food is absurdly good
Explore the city

New Orleans by Neighborhood

0.4 miles from the convention center
The French Quarter
Where the city's soul lives out loud
The oldest neighborhood in New Orleans and the one you've seen in every movie. Wrought-iron balconies, live music pouring from every doorway, and a density of history that requires slowing down to absorb.
Café Du Monde — beignets and café au lait, open 24 hours
Frenchmen Street — local jazz in a dozen venues, no cover charge
Jackson Square — street performers, artists, palm readers
Antoine's — America's oldest restaurant, founded 1840
🚶 12-minute walk from the Morial Convention Center
St. Charles Avenue streetcar ride
Garden District
Antebellum grandeur, corner restaurants, and Lafayette Cemetery
Tree-lined streets, magnificent 19th-century mansions, and Commander's Palace — one of the most celebrated restaurants in American dining history. Take the St. Charles streetcar for $1.25 and step off into a different world.
Commander's Palace — 25-cent martinis at lunch, jazz brunch on weekends
Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 — above-ground tombs, open to the public
Magazine Street — antiques, boutiques, and coffee shops
🚋 St. Charles streetcar from Canal Street — $1.25
Frenchmen Street, Marigny
The Marigny
Where locals go to hear real jazz
If the French Quarter is jazz for tourists, Frenchmen Street is jazz for everyone else. A single block with a half-dozen clubs, an open-air art market on weekends, and none of the commercial noise of Bourbon Street.
Spotted Cat Music Club — intimate, no cover, incredible musicians
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro — ticketed shows, world-class performers
Three Muses — cocktails and live music in a converted shotgun house
🚶 18-minute walk or 5-minute cab from the French Quarter
Adjacent to the convention center
Warehouse District
Art galleries, great restaurants, your hotel
The convention center's neighborhood is actually one of the best in the city. Converted 19th-century warehouses now house the National WWII Museum, contemporary art galleries, and some of the finest restaurants in New Orleans.
The National WWII Museum — consistently rated #1 museum in the US
Cochon — James Beard-nominated Cajun/Southern, try the fried alligator
Contemporary Arts Center — major exhibitions year-round
🚶 Steps from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Where to eat

A Short Dining Guide for IMSH Attendees

New Orleans Icon
Café Du Monde
The original beignet shop on the riverfront. Order three beignets and a café au lait, accept that you will be covered in powdered sugar, and don't apologize for it.
Must-order: Beignets + café au lait · Open 24 hours
Jazz Brunch
Commander's Palace
Garden District landmark since 1893. Weekday lunch specials are a deal — try the turtle soup, the Creole bread pudding soufflé, and the famously cheap martinis (limit: 3).
Must-order: Turtle soup · Weekend jazz brunch requires reservations
Creole Classic
Dooky Chase's
A civil rights landmark and a culinary institution. Leah Chase fed freedom riders here and fed presidents here. The fried chicken and gumbo z'herbes are legendary.
Must-order: Fried chicken · Gumbo z'herbes
Modern Cajun
Cochon
James Beard-nominated in the Warehouse District, a 4-minute walk from the convention center. Whole-animal cooking, fried alligator, and a wine list that actually makes sense.
Must-order: Fried alligator · Louisiana cochon with turnips
Po'boy Essential
Parkway Bakery & Tavern
Since 1911. Order a roast beef po'boy "dressed" — that means lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise — and eat it over a napkin because it will not be neat.
Must-order: Roast beef po'boy, dressed
Late Night
Dat Dog
Open until 2 AM (later on weekends). After Frenchmen Street, you will want a hot dog. This is where you go. They also have craft beer and an absurd number of toppings.
Late-night option · Multiple locations · Cash & card
Evening programming

IMSH by Day. New Orleans by Night.

After the plenary

The city is the social program

Industry Night is Monday — but New Orleans doesn't limit its best self to one evening. Any night you walk out of the convention center, something worth doing is within a 15-minute walk.

🎷
Frenchmen Street Jazz
Six clubs in two blocks, music starts around 9 PM, most have no cover charge
🚋
St. Charles Streetcar
Runs 24 hours. $1.25 takes you through the Garden District and back
🏛️
National WWII Museum
Open until 5 PM daily — steps from the convention center, rated #1 museum in the U.S.
🍸
The Carousel Bar
Hotel Monteleone's rotating bar — makes one full rotation every 15 minutes
Logistics

Getting Around New Orleans

🚋
Streetcar
$1.25 per ride or $3 for a 24-hour pass. St. Charles line runs 24 hours.
🚶
On Foot
The French Quarter is 12 minutes from the convention center. Most of the city's highlights are walkable.
🚗
Rideshare
Uber and Lyft operate throughout the city. Surge pricing on weekend nights — plan accordingly.
🚲
Blue Bikes
Blue Bikes dock-based bikeshare throughout the city. Flat terrain makes cycling easy.
January in New Orleans

What to Expect

Average January Temperature
55°F / 13°C
January is mild by most standards — cool in the evenings, comfortable during the day. Rain is possible at any time of year. Light layers are the strategy.
What to Pack
A light jacket — evenings drop to the low 40s°F
Comfortable walking shoes — cobblestones in the Quarter
A compact umbrella — January averages 4–5 rain days
An appetite — the food here will require real commitment
Extra nights — January is one of New Orleans' best months