While the HBO hit series Boardwalk Empire brings Prohibition-era Atlantic City and all its glamour and glorified ills to life, 21st-century Atlantic City is a different story.
"We don’t even talk about gambling anymore," says Michael Reynolds, senior director of national sales for the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA). "What we talk about is what else there is to do once you get here—great shopping, great restaurants. We have phenomenal golf, but people don’t know it. ForbesTraveler.com named Atlantic City the sixth-best golf city in America; we have about 20 top golf courses within 20 minutes. We talk about water sports, fishing, the water, the bay, the ocean and the marsh system."
Reynolds says Atlantic City often surprises planners who have never been there.
"Once we get them here, a light bulb goes on that it’s a cool place—a great place to unwind with fine dining and shopping while being able to do business," Reynolds says.
Atlantic City is well equipped for groups, with 20,000 hotel rooms along with the Atlantic City Convention Center’s 45 meeting rooms and some 500,000 contiguous square feet of space.
Another thing that may surprise groups is the city’s green initiatives, according to Reynolds, who notes that Atlantic City stands at the forefront of the sustainability movement. Atlantic City is home to the state’s first wind farm, the Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm, which offers group tours. The Atlantic City Convention Center is also planning to construct an on-site wind turbine, likely to supply up to 25 percent of the center’s energy requirements.
The convention center is already a green leader, sporting the largest solar panel project in North America—114,000 panels that provide about a quarter of the center’s electricity.
While the city is at the ready for group business, like most areas it is having its economic challenges.
"In 2009 we were down," Reynolds says. "Ancillary spending is down. We’re doing the same number of events in the convention center, but food and beverage is down. Instead of sending six people they are sending two, cutting down on booth size. Instead of an elaborate lighting setup, they are cutting down on everything."
One project that had been moving forward, gaming and entertainment company Revel Entertainment Group’s plan for a beachfront casino entertainment resort, is now on hold awaiting more funding. Construction had begun but remains a shell, and the project will not debut next year as had been projected. Reynolds predicts it will move forward eventually.
Reynolds notes there are signs of an uptick in the corporate market and also emphasizes the city’s affordability, which has been a boon in the current down economy.
"The nice thing about Atlantic City is we’re very competitive," Reynolds says. "It’s a good value—that’s what we really push. We have some high-end nice properties—Harrah’s, Trump, Borgata—that stack up with rooms in any other destination. They are good value for the meetings market."
According to Reynolds, the room rates for September through November are very competitive, as are weekend rates.
"There was a time casinos didn’t want to talk about weekend rooms," Reynolds says. "But they get it can’t be a Sunday through Thursday destination anymore. One of the biggest things we’re pushing is that groups can meet over a weekend—they can get room blocks. Before, where we couldn’t get blocks of rooms, we’re getting 1,000-room blocks. The Trump organization gave us 1,000 room blocks over a weekend. That keeps us competitive."
Trump Entertainment Resorts in Atlantic City include the Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza and Trump Marina.
While there is no lack of convention and meeting space, Atlantic City also brims with off-site venues, including One Atlantic on the Pier at Caesars. One Atlantic serves as a catering space with views of the beach and city. Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, which opened in 1929 as the first convention hall in the country, is now a 14,000-seat arena and can offer space for dinner or cocktail parties on the floor or the atrium and can accommodate sporting events as well as concerts.
The Boardwalk itself is undergoing a refurbishment project.
"It’s going block by block," Reynolds says. "Vendors are cleaning up their acts and putting on new facades. You can see much improvement in some of the sections. People love it."
Boardwalk attractions include Steel Pier, which features an amusement park with myriad rides and games. Kennedy Plaza on the Boardwalk has an outdoor stage and seating area for events.
Groups can also hold off-sites at the Atlantic City Aquarium and the Absecon Lighthouse, which offers a full moon climb up its 228 steps for views of the city lights. Atlantic City is quickly becoming known for its world-class shopping. Among the newest options is Atlantic City Outlets—The Walk, a $76 million, 320,000-square-foot, multiblock retail, dining and entertainment venue with upscale shops. Retail is also the draw at The Pier Shops at Caesars and The Quarter at Tropicana.
Meanwhile, Atlantic City is increasingly becoming known for its thriving culinary scene, with some of the top chefs in the industry, including Bobby Flay and Wolfgang Puck, opening restaurants alongside other nationally acclaimed brands such as The Palm.
"Six years ago you didn’t even have a nationally recognized steakhouse," Reynolds recalls. "Now we have Ruth’s Chris, Palm, Morton’s, Gallagher’s and Old Homestead. Brand awareness matures you as a destination."
The city’s nightlife is also bustling with the new Disco at Trump Marina Hotel Casino, and Sammy Hagar’s Beach Bar at Bally’s Atlantic City recently launched at the site of what was Bally’s Bikini Beach Bar.
Since 2003, the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has been an entertainment showpiece for Atlantic City, attracting top musical acts the way Atlantic City did in its Golden Age. It is also home to popular mur.mur and MIXX nightclubs. The House of Blues at the Showboat Atlantic City remains a top draw for live music, as does Resorts Atlantic City, which plans to capitalize on Boardwalk Empire with a 1920s atmosphere throughout, including dealers and other staff in period costumes and jazz music in the background.
The highlight at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City is the glass-domed, 23,000-square-foot pool and tropical oasis known as The Pool at Harrah’s Resort. Tropicana also gets in the nightlife act with its Cuban-esque Havana Rooftop Lounge and the Rumba Lounge, featuring live entertainment.
"What we’re seeing is we get a much younger crowd on the weekend," Reynolds notes. "People used to think Atlantic City was blue-hairs getting off the bus with a social security check, but it’s now a much younger, fun place you want to go to."
Most of Atlantic City’s nightclubs, including Dusk at Caesars Atlantic City and Boogie Nights at Resorts, will work with groups to create unique events and receptions, from theme parties to private bottle service.
Outdoor off-site options also abound. Gardner’s Basin offers bay cruises and fishing excursions as well as a park-like setting with an amphitheater, dockside restaurants and the Atlantic City Aquarium. The basin is also home to fishing excursion boats and Cruisin’ 1, which provides dolphin-watching, sunset and sightseeing cruises and is available for private rental.
The Highroller, which belongs to local company Highroller Fishing, departs from Gardner’s Basin for back-bay fishing on a 50-foot pontoon boat, also available for private charters. Adventure seekers can also work with Atlantic City Parasail, which operates several trips daily from Gardner’s Basin.
A short drive from Atlantic City is the Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Refuge. It features 40,000 acres of coastal salt marshes, upland fields, woodlands and tidal waters. The refuge is a stopover for over 200 species of migratory birds and offers bird watching opportunities and a number of hiking trails. It is also home to the Noyes Museum of Art.
