Atlantic City to Host TEAMS ’16

Meet AC Partners with SportsTravel to Host The World’s Largest Gathering of Sports-Event Organizers

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (June 9, 2015) — TEAMS ’16, the world’s leading conference and expo for the sports-event industry, will be held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The announcement was made today at Harrah’s Atlantic City during a press conference organized by Meet AC, the Atlantic City Sports Commission and Caesars Entertainment. TEAMS ’16 will be held September 26–29, 2016, at the new $125 million, 100,000-square-foot Waterfront Conference Center, which will open in August.

“We are very excited to bring TEAMS to Atlantic City,” said Timothy Schneider, president and CEO of Schneider Publishing, which publishes SportsTravel magazine and organizes the TEAMS Conference. “Many factors contributed to our decision to stage TEAMS in Atlantic City, including the city’s rich history and unique sense of place—which will serve as a huge draw to attendees. Meet AC’s commitment to supporting the sports-event community also made Atlantic City an obvious destination for TEAMS.”

Presented by SportsTravel magazine, the TEAMS Conference & Expo is the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers. Launched in 1998, TEAMS attracts more than 1,400 attendees including CEOs, executive directors and event managers from sports organizations as well as representatives from sports commissions and convention bureaus, corporate sponsors, event suppliers and other hospitality industry opinion leaders.

“The Atlantic City Sports Commission is ecstatic to host TEAMS ’16 in Atlantic City,” said Jim Wood, president and CEO of Meet AC. “The sports business in Atlantic City continues to grow, whether it’s a convention or tournament. TEAMS will help us develop the AC Sports Commission as a cutting-edge agency and strengthen our relationships within the sports industry. TEAMS will generate substantial ROI for Atlantic City.”

“Caesars Entertainment is thrilled to host TEAMS at Harrah’s Atlantic City Waterfront Conference Center in 2016,” said Michael Massari, senior vice-president of Caesars Entertainment National Meetings and Events. “We know just how important TEAMS is to the sports-event industry. Having TEAMS in Atlantic City will give us and Meet AC the chance to showcase what a fantastic destination the city is for all types of sporting events.”

Whether event organizers are looking to stage a sporting event, tournament or meeting, Atlantic City welcomes groups with 15,630 hotel rooms and more than 770,000 square feet of citywide meeting space, ranging from the 600,000-square-foot Atlantic City Convention Center to smaller event facilities. The city attracts 27 million visitors annually and is home to attractions such as the iconic Boardwalk, which features casinos, hotels, entertainment and eateries.

###

Media Contacts: Ann Shepphird, Schneider Publishing, Ann.Shepphird@SchneiderPublishing.com, (310) 577-3700; Jessica Merrill, Meet AC, jmerrill@meetinac.com, (609) 449-7147; Laura Esfeller, Caesars Entertainment, lesfeller@caesars.com, (702) 667-1694

About Schneider Publishing: Schneider Publishing is the parent company of Association News, America’s most-read magazine for association executives, and SportsTravel, the sports world’s event magazine. TEAMS ’15 will be held November 9–12 in Las Vegas. In addition to the TEAMS Conference, Schneider Publishing organizes Meetings Quest, North America’s longest-running series of trade shows for meeting planners. The markets served by Schneider Publishing generate 106 million hotel room nights annually.

About Meet AC: Meet AC, Inc. was officially formed as a 501(c)(6) organization on June 23, 2014. Prior to its formation, the Meetings and Convention sales and marketing group was operating under the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA). Meet AC, a tourism economic development agency, focuses on three primary objectives: sales, marketing and services.

About Meetings and Events at Caesars Entertainment Corporation: The world’s most geographically diversified casino-entertainment company, Caesars Entertainment offers meeting and event planners one dedicated team, united nationwide, committed to providing the most successful meeting experiences possible. With one call or email, planners have access to 40 properties in 20 unique destinations, with 1.5 million square feet of meeting space and more than 42,000 guest rooms. Mix and match properties and venues within a destination under a single contract and minimum. Enjoy elite perks, rewards and privileges with our Total Rewards Meeting Diamond Program.
SportsTravel, TEAMS, Association News and Meetings Quest are registered trademarks of Schneider Publishing.