During these tough economic times, it’s important to know all the strategies to help your cultural business grow. The 2009 Louisiana Cultural Economy Summit, held in New Orleans October 29-30, 2009 showed more than 575 Louisiana cultural non-profits and businesses how to do just that.

The Summit brought together some of the best minds in the country and state for two full days of networking, dine-arounds and more in one of America’s cultural centers of architecture, art, music and food—the historic French Quarter.

Experts in the fields of visual arts and crafts, theatre and dance, literature, music, film and interactive digital media, folklife and the humanities, fairs and festivals, design and preservation and the culinary arts showcased their knowledge in lively panel discussions. Lunchtime dine-arounds and free-time events gave Summit participants time to network with other Louisiana cultural leaders.

In true Louisiana style, dazzling music events highlighted some of this state’s top Grammy-award winning talent and some of the area’s emerging talent.

Check back for full summaries of Summit sessions, photos and videos. In the meantime, help us plan now for future Summit events. CLICK HERE to take the survey on the Summit. Hurry, deadline is December 23, 2009!