The seminar and expo was originally planned to be held in New Orleans, but due to the incredible and unfortunate devastation resulting from Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, the IDDBA Board of Directors voted to move the show to another city. The change was necessary because of the uncertain timing of the reconstruction projects thus making it commercially impractical to delay a decision. This change will allow New Orleans ample time to recover and rebuild, both as a convention destination location and as a home for the city's residents, IDDBA officials said.
The IDDBA Board of Directors has unanimously approved a $100,000 donation to the New Orleans Public Schools. The donation will be used to replace school and library books damaged in the floods following Hurricane Katrina. "Our thoughts and best wishes are with the citizens and businesses that have suffered from the hurricanes. We thank the many members who have made donations on their own to help with the rebuilding process," IDDBA Executive Director Carol Christison said.