Atlantic City’s world famous pier. Courtesy Photo

Atlantic City has proven to be a great destination for meetings and events in the northeast.

Not only does the city offer the region’s world famous boardwalk, but it also offers memorable beach-side resorts with dining and recreational opportunities aplenty. While the city offers more than five miles of pristine beaches, Atlantic City also boasts more than 17,500 hotel rooms, and 1.8 million sf of meeting space.

The Atlantic City Convention Center’s five spacious exhibition venues are located on the building’s second level and range in size from 29,400 sf to 199,500 sf.

In addition, the convention center features a wealth of meeting rooms – 45 that are ideal locales for meetings of all types. And with over 32,000 sf of pre-function space, the venue offers ample room for gatherings and events of all sizes.

To get a great view of the Atlantic City skyline, consider the center’s Tree House venue, located on the fourth floor for a reception or banquet. The venue is one of the convention center’s five banquet halls.

And now that large-scale conventions and conferences are once again being planned, the venue will prove to be the ideal space thanks in part to its expansive 500,000  contiguous square feet of convention event space.

Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City. Courtesy Photo

Atlantic City boasts some of the preeminent meeting and event venues in the country. One favorite venue that is practically synonymous with Atlantic City is the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. With 2,000 rooms and more than 150,000 sf of meeting and event space, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City can fit any bill.

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City invested over $30 million in annual entertainment and about $50 million in casino, hotel, food & beverage, plus event and meeting space facility upgrades

As Shelley Williams, director of  global sales, meetings and events for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, explains, a variety of event venues are available there to amplify meeting and event programs and are designed to accommodate groups of all sizes – from intimate board meetings to large-scale events and conferences. For the largest of gatherings, Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena can stage general sessions of 7,000 people or 300-plus-booth trade shows and expo events.

“At Hard Rock Atlantic City, we are motivated by music and that is ingrained in our offerings for groups,” Williams says. “With a vast collection of music memorabilia, often touted as one of the largest collections in the northeast, we are able to offer unique music-centric activities, such as trivia and scavenger hunts and self-guided tours.”

And as a resort destination, Hard Rock Atlantic City offers nontraditional venues available for roundtables, discussions and appointments that are attractive to groups and social settings. “We’re also fortunate to be located on the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk with the iconic Steel Pier as our backdrop, so our location alone allows attendees to enjoy a nice walk, run or bike ride along the ocean,” Williams says.

To rebuild confidence for meeting planners, Hard Rock Atlantic City held “Back to Business” immersive sessions for clients to trial group experiences. According to Williams, this is a sales-forward development strategy for clients to see firsthand how ready they are to accommodate them.

“They are often pleasantly surprised by how seamless our team makes their experience,” Williams says. “We showcase everything from food delivery to hotel accommodations and the entertainment capacity of the resort within ‘Safe and Sound’ protocols. Every event has been extremely successful in terms of engagement and positive feedback. We have also learned through these experiences and implemented their real-time feedback when it comes to groups and events.”

Resorts Casino Hotel on the Boardwalk. Courtesy Photo

Expanded Offerings

Caesars Entertainment operates three Las Vegas-style resort destinations in the Atlantic City region: Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City and Tropicana Atlantic City. From Atlantic City’s world-famous beach and Boardwalk to the Marina District bay, Caesars Entertainment’s world-class casinos and hotels offer guests a wealth of different amenities and experiences, including celebrity chef restaurants, nightlife, shopping and entertainment.

To enhance its Atlantic City offerings, Caesars Entertainment announced that it would be investing $400 million into its Atlantic City resorts. The plans included remodeled room towers; freshly appointed interior design elements; enhancements to the casinos’ gaming floors; new dining concepts with acclaimed restaurant partners and many more exciting additions.

The initial phase included a $170 million investment in guest room and suite upgrades at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City and Caesars Atlantic City.

According to Steve van der Molen, vice president of meeting operations, Atlantic City Region, at Caesars Entertainment, the company is back in full swing in Atlantic City. “Guests are in the building and team members are smiling and excited to come to work. It’s also fantastic to see customers planning in-person meetings again,” says van der Molen.

Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City also debuted five new offerings that introduce a brand-new spa and four new dining, nightlife and entertainment concepts for meeting and event guests to enjoy.

For meeting attendees looking for opportunities to relax and unwind, The Spa at Harrah’s Resort offers a first-class spa experience. The sprawling spa retreat features 23 treatment rooms, including a deluxe couples suite, complete with an in-room Jacuzzi and fireplace, and a menu of customized spa and salon services, which include skincare, massage and body treatments, as well as nail care, makeup artistry and hair design.

In addition, the Lobby Bar is an ideal pre- and post-destination for an evening out at the resort with top-shelf selections, craft cocktails and over 70 variations of whiskey and spirits.

“Planners are actively sourcing meetings and we are seeing an increase in demand for groups looking to host their meetings in Atlantic City,” van der Molen says. Due to the ease of the regional accessibility of Atlantic City, there’s also interest from groups who have never considered the destination before.”

Dining & Amenities At Its Best

A key component of any meeting or event is the type of dining experiences offered. Sharing a meal is often the ideal networking opportunity, so finding memorable dining options that make an impact on attendees’ experiences is often paramount to a meeting or event’s success.

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa boasts a handful of fine dining establishments that offer a variety of group dining options to accommodate parties with up to 70 attendees in addition to private rooms that offer added intimacy, as well as elevated personal service.

And while unique eateries certainly have put Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa on the proverbial meetings and events map in Atlantic City, the venue’s expansive meeting spaces are celebrated by many meeting and event professionals. The venue’s The Water Club, offers 18,000 sf of contemporary and inventive space, complemented with the latest technology. The Water Club is also the ideal place to dine, relax and re-energize between meetings. A full service business center is available at Borgata, perfect for last-minute needs.

Borgata’s ballroom event space offers 24 spaces to accommodate 10 to 3,500 people, including a 12,000 sf  meeting venue; three 4,500 sf meeting rooms; four 1,250 sf meeting rooms and two 550 sf boardrooms. Ideal for classes, presentations, formal dinners, receptions and shows, the Borgata’s ballroom space offers something for everyone.

For meeting and event planners looking for an oceanside experience for attendees, checkout the Ocean Casino Resort. Spanning over 20 beachfront acres on the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk, the resort features 1,399 guest rooms and suites; 135,000 sf of gaming entertainment; 1,937 slot machines; 125 gaming tables; 160,000 sf of meeting and convention space; 90,000 sf of unique outdoor space; several upscale dining restaurants, as well as 11 casual dining options; a 40,000 sf spa; six signature day and nightlife experiences; and a 5,000-seat concert venue.

And while Ocean Casino Resort offers amenities aplenty, one of the favorites is the venue’s Topgolf Swing Suite, which features  the ideal spot for pre- or post-conference events. A series of private bays overlook the famous boardwalk and beach below and offer arcade, video and table games. Attendees can also try their hand at the virtual putting green, as well as other fun activities.

Attendees looking for a luxe spa experience will revel in the 40,000 sf Ocean Casino Resort’s Exhale Fitness Spa, which features Atlantic City’s only coed bathhouse. They will feel brand new after recharging in the Himalayan Salt Grotto, sweating it out in the sauna or taking a dip in the heated pool.

And to further enhance guest experiences, Ocean Casino Resort reinvested about $100 million into the resort, team members and the surrounding community. The resort now also features a private luxury gaming suite, as well as a high-limit slot experience – ideal options for groups who have an interest in gaming. In addition to the enhancement of its gaming floor, the resort’s plan includes expansion of its non-gaming amenities, including pools and cabanas, beach, culinary hospitality, and entertainment experiences.

Of course, Atlantic City wouldn’t be the same without the epic Resorts Casino Hotel, which has been a long-standing venue since 1978. This world-class casino boasts a relaxed environment that keeps the focus on fun. The hotel offers exceptional meeting and events accommodations for organizations of all sizes. It has invested $125 million in renovations, including the all new state-of-the-art Resorts Conference Center, a large $25 million room renovation project. Their themed entertainment complex, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, comes with the only beach bar on the Atlantic City sand open year–round.

The new Resorts Conference Center added 12,500 sf of state-of-the-art conference space in 12 new meeting rooms. In addition, the hotel features function space that can accommodate between 10 and 1,350 guests. Over 64,000 sf of the space includes 24 meeting and event rooms, many of which have ocean views and light aplenty. C&IT