When the Stadium Became a Shelter: Lessons from NOLA

Few venues carry the operational and emotional weight of the Caesars Superdome. Mike Hoss, the Voice of the Saints, was a journalist reporting from New Orleans when Katrina made landfall in 2005. He’ll share a firsthand account of how the Superdome transformed overnight from a championship venue into a shelter of last resort for over 25,000 residents— and what that experience revealed about what large venues can, and can’t, do in a crisis.

Mike will then be joined by a panel of professionals to broaden the lens to explore what makes New Orleans a singular case study in resilience, collaboration, and community, and how the city’s dense cultural fabric shapes the way institutions work together when it matters most:

• Jennifer Waxman, Head of Collection Management at Tulane University and Emergency Liaison for the New Orleans Preservation Coalition and Alliance for Response (NOPC-AfR)
• Joseph Frank, Chief of Public Safety at Caesars Superdome
• Captain Buddy Micheu, Special Events and Traffic Commander, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD)
• Jon Barnwell, Associate Vice President Safety & Security, National World War II Museum

From there, we’ll tour the building, exploring the infrastructure and physical reminders of Katrina and the years since, and what they mean for venues across the country preparing for the next disaster.