Another Year of Growth for the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Bureau

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Monday, January 14, 2019) Meet AC and the Atlantic City Sports Commission, a department within Meet AC are reporting another record year in booking future meeting and convention business for Atlantic City.

In 2018, Meet AC booked a total of 238 meetings and conventions representing 371,996 future hotel rooms nights for Atlantic City. The Group Tour market was part of the overall booking number attracting 44,452 hotel room nights. The number of future convention delegates to Atlantic City will reach over 547,862 with a projected economic impact of more than $349 million. Meet AC, whose funding comes from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), had a 2018 operating budget of $7.2 million. Those funds come from the luxury tax revenue. Meet AC is also pleased to report that for every $1 of luxury tax revenue that Meet AC invests, they are returning $48 to Atlantic City’s economy.

Convention business in Atlantic City has been and continues to be on a steady rise. Meeting planners are showing an increased level of confidence by signing multi-year agreements with the Atlantic City Convention Center. Also, the sports segment has grown since the Atlantic City Sports Commission launched in 2015, along with the interest in eSports. Groups that once bypassed Atlantic City are now taking another look and in some cases they are booking their meeting or convention in Atlantic City due to hosting specific industry shows, such as Meeting Professionals International (MPI) World Education Congress (WEC), Meetings Quest, TEAMS Conference & Expo, Trade Show News Network (TSNN) Awards and more. 

In 2018, Meet AC introduced an innovative marketing initiative, a virtual reality (VR) experience created through a partnership with YouVisit. Meeting planners, brands, and prospective visitors can now experience everything Atlantic City's convention scene has to offer from the comfort of their chairs.

In addition, Meet AC has expanded our virtual reality platform to include an enhanced visitor experience of Atlantic City. The user is now able to experience all there is to do in Atlantic City once the meetings are through. Immerse yourself and take a virtual journey of surfing in the Atlantic Ocean, ride the third tallest Observation Wheel in the United States, stroll the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk and much more. The YouVisit experience will continue to assist the Meet AC sales team to meet their yearly room night goals, while focusing on bookings at the Atlantic City Convention Center, newly opened properties and re-branded products.

“Meet AC has exceeded our room night goals for the fourth consecutive year and 2019 should be no exception as we are well positioned to have another banner year in definite bookings,” said Jim Wood, president and CEO for Meet AC. “Meet AC looks forward to growing with the destination as redevelopment and investment continues to diverse our economy. We are eager to continue to grow our meetings footprint and confirm why Atlantic City is heading towards being named a top meeting destination.”

“CRDA is pleased to be instrumental in its support of the meetings and conventions business in Atlantic City,” said CRDA Executive Director Matt Doherty. “Atlantic City is known for our beautiful free beaches, world-famous Boardwalk, outstanding restaurants, and top-tier entertainment and shopping options, all of which are assets to the meetings and conventions market.”

To view Meet AC’s 2019 Marketing Plan, please visit: https://meetac.com/assets/marketing_plan/2019/mobile/index.html

 

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About Meet AC
Meet AC, Inc. is a 501(c)(6) organization formed and funded as a public-private partnership by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) to create economic development through conventions, sporting events, film production and group tourism.  Meet AC focuses on three primary objectives: sales, marketing and services.

For complete Atlantic City tourism and convention information, visit www.meetac.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the Atlantic City Sports Commission
The Atlantic City Sports Commission was officially formed on January 13, 2015 as a 501 (c)(3) organization with the support of Meet AC and the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) to attract sporting events, conventions and competitions to Atlantic City.

For more information, visit www.atlanticcitysports.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Spectra
Spectra is an industry leader in hosting and entertainment, partnering with clients to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year. Spectra’s unmatched blend of integrated services delivers incremental value for clients through several primary areas of expertise: Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Partnerships. Learn more at SpectraExperiences.com.

About the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority
The only agency of its kind nationwide, the CRDA has used Atlantic City casino reinvestments as a catalyst for meaningful, positive improvement in the lives of New Jersey residents since 1984.  Under the 2011 Tourism District Act, the Authority's mission evolved from statewide projects to becoming the state's key economic development agency for Atlantic City.  CRDA's expanded responsibilities now include land use regulation, tourism marketing and clean and safe initiatives. The CRDA also oversees Historic Boardwalk Hall (the leading entertainment venue of its size in the country) and the Atlantic City Convention Center.  In total, CRDA has invested nearly $2 billion in more than 400 projects statewide, of which $1.8 billion has been invested in Atlantic City, spurring business investments and expansions, and creating permanent jobs in the process. For more information about CRDA and our projects, visit www.njcrda.com.  Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/njcrda, and Twitter at www.twitter.com/njcrda.

For destination photos and videos media may visit www.doatlanticcity.com/mediaonline where dozens of assets are available for download. For complete Atlantic City tourism information, visit www.doatlanticcity.com. Also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DoAtlanticCity and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VisitAC, #DOAC, and Do AC Instagram at Instagram.com/doac.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Jessica Kasunich
609-449-7147
jkasunich@meetac.com