The Atlantic City Convention Center will be undergoing several renovations as part of its Master Plan
the two is minimal, Dennis notes. at Tropicana Atlantic City will “Our job is not so much to compete link the Tropicana and Chelsea locally as it is to compete regionally Tower via a skybridge. The “It’s been a personal and nationally to bring in that Borgata’s improvement project, opportunity to really larger business.” The $250 million completed last year, included the Waterfront Conference Center opening of a 3,200-sq.-ft. outdoor engage [the trade includes two 50,000-sq.-ft. ballrooms pool; beer garden; Premier, (divisible into 29 sections), making it an 18,000-sq.-ft. nightclub; unions] in our process the largest convention center–hotel and a new restaurant concept, to make sure we’re complex from Baltimore to Boston. Angeline, by celebrity chef Its facilities are directly accessible Michael Symon. offering the service, from the 2,587 guestrooms at quality and flexible Harrah’s Atlantic City. Some MEET AC: CONTINUITY nice conference center options for environment that planners are AND COLLABORATION smaller groups have also come The best starting point for online, including Borgata Hotel looking for.” selecting among Atlantic City’s Casino & Spa’s 18,000-sq.-ft. Central —Dean Dennis, prime meeting facilities is the Conference Center (opened in May) General Manager, Atlantic City Convention Center Meet AC, a one-stop shop for and the 15,000-sq.-ft. conference all the city has to offer. And center at Resorts Casino Hotel planners can establish long-lasting (opened September 2015). relationships with the sales staff, Among several notable rewhich is helpful when bringing in repeat business. “We have a steady openings, the Taj Mahal will deliver a new experience when it is staff that’s been on board with us since the formation of Meet AC,” says introduced as a Hard Rock property on Memorial Day weekend Wood. “There is continuity with our convention services team as well.” next year. Hard Rock International has purchased the Trump hotel Collaboration is also a hallmark of Atlantic City’s meetings and is investing $500 million in a property-wide renovation and industry these days: “We at Spectra are engaged fully with Gary to create a Hard Rock Casino and Hard Rock Café. In 2014, The Musich [Vice President of Sales] and his team at Meet AC,” Dennis Claridge hotel reopened as a fully restored historic hotel with 483 says. In addition, “we have a great relationship with the trade unions renovated guest rooms and is now branded as a Radisson hotel. In here. It’s been a personal opportunity to really engage them in 2016, the hotel added 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, bringing the our process to make sure we’re offering the service, quality and total meeting space to 100,000 sq. ft. flexible environment that planners are looking for.” Overall, “there Two major renovations, each roughly $50 million in value, will are very collaborative initiatives in the city right now,” he observes. also benefit Atlantic City-bound groups: The 2,129-room Tropicana “From CRDA leadership on to Meet AC, our teams, our unions, our recently enhanced its Boardwalk façade, upgraded its guestrooms partners — everybody seems to be rolling in the right direction. It’s and opened the multimillion-dollar AtlantiCare LifeCenter, billed been a very positive experience to walk into.” The teamwork among as the most advanced gym facility in Atlantic City. In addition, these parties will surely translate into a similar experience for Tropicana has purchased The Chelsea Hotel; the additional tower incoming groups. will bring Tropicana’s room inventory to 2,730. The Chelsea Tower 16
Facilities & Destinations 2017 Summer / Fall