New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and New Orleans & CompanySecure 2025 International Pokémon Championship for Second ConsecutiveYear

Pokémon Championship 2025

The Convention Center will host back-to-back Pokémon tournaments bringing 10,000 international visitors and economic impact next summer.

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
(NOENMCC) and New Orleans & Company are pleased to announce that the
2025 Pokémon Championship Series [3] is returning to New Orleans for
the second consecutive year, following a successful inaugural tournament
at the Convention Center in June. The North American rounds of
Pokémon’s 2024 International Championship series drew approximately
10,000 participants to New Orleans for three days of high-stakes
interactive competition and fandom. Next year’s highly anticipated
event will take place from June 13 to 15, 2025, promising the same
number of visitors and delighting Pokémon enthusiasts from all across
the world.

“This was an incredibly fun event, with three Convention Center halls
decked out in gaming stations, fan zones and tournament play. It was
truly a captivating and technically innovative experience for gamers and
Pokémon fans of all ages,” said Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center
President and CEO. “Hosting Pokémon’s North America International
Championship again next year is the best validation our hard-working
staff and vibrant city can get. We look forward to hosting another
memorable event and sharing our unique culture with our international
visitors once again.”

This victory is an example of how New Orleans & Company and the
Convention Center work together to sell and market the city as a
destination that is _Built to Host _– with a compact geographic
footprint, world class venues and a unique brand of hospitality.
Competition from other cities for meetings and convention business has
become much more intense in recent years, and we must constantly adapt
our strategies to win business. Pokémon’s return also shows how New
Orleans is able to book exciting events that attract international
guests, even during the traditionally slower summer months.

The tournament credits the NOENMCC’s technical capacity and modern
environment, as well as the city’s attractiveness to families and
international guests and cultural authenticity as reasons to return to
New Orleans in 2025 for its next North America International
Championship.

“Securing Pokémon for the second consecutive year is a testament to
New Orleans & Company’s talented Convention Sales and Services
team,” said Walter J. Leger III, President and CEO of New Orleans &
Company, the city’s official destination sales and marketing
organization for the New Orleans tourism industry. “Together with our
partners at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the
hospitality community, we look forward to welcoming Pokémon guests back
to a city that is _Built to Host_ and pulsing with creativity and
innovation. In New Orleans we love to crown champions, and it is an
honor to include Pokémon’s International Champion.”

Gamers and fans can expect the championship’s return to New Orleans to
include opportunities to connect with fellow Pokémon elites from around
the globe and test their battle skills in trading card games (TCG),
video game championships (VGC) and Pokémon GO. Players who advance to
the championship series compete for prize money and the international
championship title.

“We’re so delighted to return to New Orleans for the 2025 Pokémon
North American International Championships,” said Chris Brown,
Director, Global Esports and Events at The Pokémon Company
International. “Hosting in a world class city like New Orleans and at
the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center was integral to the
success of our event this year for our fans. The hospitality we received
from the NOENMCC team was much appreciated and we look forward to our
close collaboration next year.”

For more information on the Pokémon Championships Series, click here.
[4]

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About the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC)
New Orleans is _Built to Host_! With 1.1 million square feet of prime
exhibit space on one level, all under one roof, NOENMCC is the sixth
largest Convention Center in the United States and provides the largest
single exhibit space in the country. Our recent LEED Gold certification
makes NOENMCC the largest LEED-certified project in Louisiana and the
largest convention center project in the U.S. certified under LEED v4.1
Operations and Maintenance, as well as the first convention center in
the world to be awarded initial certification under LEED Gold v4.1 O+MA.
A leading contributor to the city’s robust tourism economy, NOENMCC
event activity has produced $90.1 billion in economic impact since its
1985 opening.

About New Orleans & Company
New Orleans & Company is the official destination sales and marketing
organization for New Orleans’ tourism industry. Founded in 1960, our
mission is to inspire, promote and encourage travel to our city for the
economic, social and community benefit of New Orleans and its people.
Our vision is to ensure New Orleans remains the most remarkable, unique,
and welcoming city in the world. For more information, visit us at
neworleans.com or on social media @VisitNewOrleans or @Neworleansandco.

About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company
in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for
brand management, licensing and marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card
Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official
Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is
one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the
world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com [5].

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