Mary Kay brought its annual U.S. Leadership Conference to New Orleans during the week of January 11th — when nearly 11,000 attendees traveled to the city, spending $12.9 million.

This is the third time the company held the conference at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, following events in 2005 and 2014.

Mary Kay’s Leadership Conference is one of the top 15 conferences in terms of size and economic impact of the nearly 50 conferences New Orleans hosts each year. The event provides recognition, education and inspiration during two back-to-back, four-day conferences for the entrepreneurs who have their own Mary Kay businesses.

Nathan Moore, president, Mary Kay Inc.’s North America Region, said, “While we paint the town pink for a week, we’re excited for the opportunity to give back in a tangible way. By assembling and distributing much-needed care kits to domestic violence shelters throughout the New Orleans area, we continue our longstanding commitment to help prevent and end an epidemic that touches one in four women in their lifetime.”

To support Mary Kay’s commitment to preventing and ending domestic violence with the Don’t Look Away program, conference attendees assembled 2,000 care kits, which were distributed to six local domestic violence shelters. The care kits are filled with Mary Kay’s basic hygiene products, and offer a source of comfort to women at emergency shelters who often flee abusive situations with nothing but the clothes on their backs.  

Mary Claire Landry, executive director of Crescent House, said, “With an overwhelming demand for services and limited funding, we are always in need of basic necessities and Mary Kay’s care kits fill that gap…”