The Boat Show March 7-10
The entire Mercedes-Benz Superdome floor will evolve into the region’s largest boat show March 7 – 10th, featuring the best deals on all the equipment you need to maximize your time on the water! And you don’t have to run all over to get the best prices!
2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four
Sports fans will also find something to cheer about with the college basketball Final Four being hosted at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome from March 30 –April 2. March Madness is officially here! Come see the best college teams from around the nation compete against one another at one of the best venues around! The National Championship game will be played on April 2, with the tipoff being at 8:23 p.m. In 2011 the Connecticut Huskies were able to outlast the Butler Bulldogs in the National Championship game by a score of 53-41. This will be the first time since 2003 that the Final Four has been hosted in New Orleans. Make sure to get your tickets early to see some great basketball action!
2012 Essence Music Festival
Sports not your thing? How about some great music instead? From July 6-8 the Mercedes-Benz Superdome will be hosting the 2012 Essence Music Festival, which features artists such as Aretha Franklin, Charlie Wilson, Fantasia, Keyshia Cole, and Mary J. Blige, among many others! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to catch all of these great music artists under one roof at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, as well as meeting such influential figures as Rev. Al Sharpton, Steve Harvey, and Dr. Steve Perry!
Monster Energy AMA Supercross
April is Supercross month at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, as it will play host to the Monster Energy AMA Supercross FIM World Championship on April 14 at 7:00 p.m. Come out to see Supercross stars Ryan Dungey, Kevin Windham, and Ryan Villopoto compete for the title in what looks to be another great season in 2012! This is an event that any sports fan would enjoy watching!
New Orleans International Beer Fest
March kicks off with the New Orleans International Beer Festival, which will be held on March 24. It will be the inaugural event and will feature craft beers from around the world, with two ounce unlimited samplings! Not only will you be able to sample great beers but also educate yourself about them as well. The event also features the Samuel Adams Brew University Education Area, which will teach you how to craft your own beer, how to cook with beer, and many other great topics! Don’t miss out on this great event at the end of March only at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome!
The Superdome to Host the Allstate BCS National Championship Game
An enticing rematch between the Louisiana State University Tigers and the University of Alabama Crimson Tide will decide the winner in this year’s Bowl Championship Series. Held in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 9, 2012, this clash will feature the two to football teams in both the country and the Southeastern Conference in a final battle to determine the nation’s top college squad.
With the international appeal of NCAA football, the location of the title game in New Orleans does not mean that LSU will enjoy a home field advantage. That said, it’s not like the Tigers are looking for a boost; the only undefeated major conference team remaining, LSU maintained its position by posting a 9-6 overtime victory over the Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on November 5th. Alabama used a late-season defeat for Oklahoma State as its springboard into college football’s championship match, giving it a chance to avenge the heartbreaking loss to LSU. Another defensive battle is likely as the two teams enter the BCS Championship Game as the top squads in the country. The Crimson Tide was statistically number 1, allowing a meager 191 yards of total offense per game, while the Tigers were second, surrendering only 252 yards each contest.
While each is defensive minded, both teams can score. Head coach Nick Saban’s Alabama squad enters the clash as the 30th ranked unit, while the Louisiana State offense of Coach Les Miles comes in as the 75th best unit. The BCS Championship Game will be the top event held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome this year, and the clash between LSU and Alabama is likely to become an instant classic. It is revenge time in college football, and fans will be waiting to see if the Crimson Tide can inflict the ultimate payback on the Tigers by winning the championship.
From the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to the Super Bowl
As the National Football League schedule continues its march into December, it is looking quite possible that the road to Indianapolis could very well lead through the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The New Orleans Saints are playing superb football, and the team hopes to power its way into the post-season in search of a world championship. Drew Brees and Darren Sproles are two of the many reasons that head coach Sean Payton’s troops have fans in the French Quarter thinking about bringing the Vince Lombardi trophy back to New Orleans. With just a couple of regular-season home games remaining, now is the perfect time to get a ticket and cheer the team on to victory.
On the strength of Brees’ powerful right arm, the Saints have become an offensive juggernaut. Sitting at 9-3 and riding a 4-game winning streak, Brees has the high-flying offense clicking on all cylinders. He is on pace to smash the NFL record for total passing yards in a season, eclipsing the mark held by Dan Marino. The team hung a season-high 62 points on the Indianapolis Colts and is averaging 32.8 points per game, while the defense yields a stingy 22.4 points per game to its opponents.
The January 1st clash with the Carolina Panthers is the last opportunity for fans to catch the home team at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome before they begin their quest for a NFL championship. Payton has the team peaking at just the right time, and many experts have them and the Green Bay Packers as the two favorites to represent the National Football Conference in the Super Bowl. New Years Day is the last chance for Saints’ fans to cheer the team on as they begin the journey from the Superdome to the Super Bowl.
NCAA to Crown Basketball Champ at Superdome
The NCAA will be in New Orleans twice in 2012 to crown national champions. After the BCS Championship battle between Louisiana State University and the University of Alabama decides the college football champ on January 9th, all eyes will on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as March Madness comes to town. Starting on March 31st, the championship game will be held on April 2nd, giving the city and the Superdome its second major sporting event of the year.
Long one of the most popular tournaments in the world, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament has a legendary history as some it has been home to some of the game’s famous moments. Whether it was the undefeated Indiana University team of 1976, the historic dual between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in 1979, the winning shot by Michael Jordan in 1982, or the inspiring second-place finish by Butler University in 2010 and 2011, witnessing the tournament offers fans a chance to see something amazing. With teams like North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio State and Syracuse at the top of the rankings, it is certain that this year will add to the legacy of this incredible tournament.
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is an amazing venue or the Final Four, and a huge number of fans is expected to attend. With 65 teams invited to the Big Dance, teams of every size and from all parts of the country will attempt to make it to New Orleans for a change to etch their name in history as one of the champions of NCAA Division I. From the major powers to the Cinderella stories, only four teams will arrive in the Big Easy. The next chapter of the NCAA basketball saga will take place in the Superdome as March Madness once again pays a visit.
The Boat Show Docks at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Not all of boats found in Louisiana this January will be sailing in the Gulf of Mexico, as the 2012 edition of The Boat Show will set sail in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 2nd, 3rd and 4th. One of the largest shows held anywhere in the South; this event is an exciting opportunity to view some of the finest watercraft available in the United States today. Whether looking at yachts, sailing vessels or fishing trawlers, this is the event to attend. As the Gulf recovers from the tragic BP oil spill and the effects of a staggering economy, the 2012 edition of The Boat Show will bring great optimism along with some of the finest boats on the market today.
The 2011 event was the finest ever in New Orleans, with more than 1,000 exhibits and over 12,000 visitors for the 3-day event. Held for more than 30 years, this show not only offers potential customers a chance to see the boats up close; it affords suppliers, manufacturers and sales professionals the opportunity to network, a must in this industry.
After a successful run in 2011, excitement is running high for The Boat Show in 2012. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome offers visitors the chance to see hundreds of boats side-by-side, enjoying the comfortable surroundings while they admire some of the finest vessel made. With manufacturers such as Aqua Marine, Boat City USA, Hammer Stahl and TowBoats US all in attendance, visitors to The Boat Show 2012 will be treated to some great exhibits. While the Gulf of Mexico will have its share of ships that weekend, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome will be the port of call for many sailors as they enjoy one of the finest boating conventions to be found in the world.
Monster Trucks Roar into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Enormous wheels, screaming engines, crushed cars and of course, Grave Digger! Anyone who has ever enjoyed a trip to a monster truck event is sure to have exciting stories of a great time. That opportunity is roaring into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana as the Advance Auto Parts Monster Truck Jam takes center stage on Saturday, January 28, 2012. Sanctioned by the US Hot Rod Association, this thrilling event is scheduled to include some of the most famous names in the sport.
Modified pickup trucks became popular in the 1970s and trucks with lift kits exploded into the public with the car-crushing Bigfoot first doing its thing in 1981. In the thirty years since, the trucks have gotten larger, the thrills bigger and the speeds faster as promoters such as the United States Hot Rod Association and TNT Motorsports got involved. Since then, tours like Monster Truck Jam have been wildly popular, a fact that will be proven once again in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 28th. This USHRA-sanctioned event will include drivers such as Charlie Pauken, Tom Meents, John Seasock, Becky McDonough, Jim and Steve Koehler, Chris Bergeron, Rich Hilgendorf and Joe Sylvester.
Whether showing their power by crushing cars or displaying their speed in drag events, monster trucks have become an international sensation. The Superdome will come under siege as famous trucks like Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction, Advance Auto Parts Grinder, El Toro Loco, Avenger, Wrecking Crew, Brutus, Spike and Eradicator all fire up their engines for a night of thrills. Once of the hottest sports in the past twenty-five years, Monster Jam will be roaring into New Orleans as Grave Digger and some of the other best-known rigs fire up their engines for an eager crowd that will be waiting in the Superdome.