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Five more years – that is the commitment Shell is making to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and its Louisiana neighbors. Today the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival announced that Shell will continue as the presenting sponsor of the event through 2019 when the festival celebrates its 50th anniversary.

“Louisiana’s rich and diverse history takes center stage each year at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Shell is proud to continue our partnership in this regional and cultural celebration,” said Shell Deep Water Executive Vice President John Hollowell.

“Almost every aspect of Shell’s business is represented in Louisiana – from our growing deep water business to our extensive pipeline network to our operating facilities in the River Parishes. Our continued involvement with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is our way of honoring the place we call home.”

The announcement comes during the 45th annual edition of Jazz Fest, which runs through Sunday, May 4 and is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest and most influential annual celebrations. As a part of the agreement, the official name of the event will remain the “New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell”.

The alliance with Shell first began in 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Shell stepped up as the event sponsor to ensure the survival of the city’s signature cultural celebration.

Jazz Fest Producer/Director Quint Davis said, “In extending its presenting sponsorship of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Shell continues to set the bar for supporting the culture and cultural economy of New Orleans and Louisiana. We thank Shell, and its thousands of employees, for embracing the Jazz Fest and for supporting our ongoing effort to promote the unique traditions of our region.”

Jay Marciano, COO of AEG and Chairman of AEG Live, co-producers of Jazz Fest, said, “Shell’s major support of Jazz Fest is vital to keeping the event at the forefront of American music festivals. In the dynamic business of live entertainment, having committed corporate partners like Shell helps drive creative and production advances, leading directly to the once-in-a-lifetime experiences fans expect and deserve.”

“We are grateful to Shell and proud of their participation in Jazz Fest,” said Anthony J. Ruda, President of the Board of Directors of the nonprofit New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, which owns the festival. “Without this partnership with Shell, the festival would not be able to provide the resources that it does to the foundation – which we use for year-round programs in education, economic development and cultural enrichment.”

Started in 1970, Jazz Fest institutionalized the innovative multi-stage model of festival presentation that has been followed by most major music festivals in America and beyond. But it is the Festival’s steadfast focus on the unique culture of New Orleans and Louisiana that has set it apart. Combining the best local and regional artists with musicians of national and international renown, the event has succeeded in capturing the imagination of millions of fans during its four and half decades of existence.

Gospel, blues, traditional and contemporary jazz, rock, R&B, Cajun, country, zydeco and much more provide the nonstop rhythms of the seven-day event, but the Festival is also famous for its irresistible Food Fair served from dozens of booths and for its four acclaimed contemporary and folk arts and crafts fairs. Each year all of these elements are installed at the Fair Grounds Race Course with architectural precision, turning the Festival site into a city within a city—a cultural wonderland showcasing the soul of New Orleans.

For additional details on the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell, visit www.nojazzfest.com.

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