Following Hurricane Sandy last fall, the rest of the country could be excused for thinking that Atlantic City would be closed for business for a while—even though that wasn't the case.
"The national media was saying our boardwalk had been washed away and parts of the piers were floating off to the U.K.," said Jeff Vasser, president of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. "The damage to the meeting and convention assets were practically minimal. The convention center was unscathed, and all of the hotels were open within a couple of days. We're completely recovered."
A slew of new venue openings and a meetings marketing campaign have the city moving forward. Vasser noted an 11 percent increase in room nights in May over May of 2012.
Certainly the storm did plenty of damage along the coast of New Jersey and New York, including to homes of people from Atlantic City's feeder markets who suddenly found themselves thinking of anything besides their upcoming meetings and conventions. Vasser said the city lost two major conventions—the League of Municipalities Conference and the New Jersey Education Association—which hurt since November is one of the strongest times for meetings and events.
The city's challenge became marketing, not rebuilding. "We recognized that we had to make a pretty bold statement that we were OK and ready to go," Vasser said. The biggest effort involved creating a $1 million incentive program to attract groups and meetings. The city's casino hotels funded the effort, which was available to groups planning 2013 events with more than 1,000 room nights. Even though the entire fund was not used, Vasser said it sent the message that the city was open for business. He said he would like to renew the fund for future events.
Meanwhile, the city continues to open new venues. Haven Nightclub, a 12,000-square-foot space at the Golden Nugget, debuted Memorial Day weekend with pop singer Kesha hosting the opening party. The venue has an LED wall, a Funktion One sound system, and an advanced lighting system. It also includes a covered outdoor space called the Veranda, which has fire pits, lounge seating, and gaming.
Memorial Day weekend also saw the opening of Margaritaville Atlantic City at the Resorts Casino Hotel with a concert that, naturally, featured singer Jimmy Buffett. News reports estimated the crowd at 50,000, the second-largest beach concert in the city's history. The $35 million complex includes a casino, restaurant, tiki bar, and performance stage, plus retail stores and a coffee shop.
Revel recently opened HQ Beach Club, a 45,000-square-foot complex billed as a day-to-night event space. It has its own dance floor, bottle service, and private cabanas and bungalows. The opening is significant for Revel coming out of its bankruptcy, and is a milestone for its new management team.
