Atlantic City at a Glance
Location: New Jersey coast
Access: Atlantic City International Airport or Philadelphia International Airport, 60 miles away; Atlantic City Expressway
Hotel Rooms: 17,500
Contact Info:
Meet AC: Atlantic City Convention and Group Sales
844-855-6338
Meeting Spaces
Atlantic City Convention Center: Nearly 500,000 square feet of exhibit space across 45 meeting rooms
Boardwalk Hall: A 141,000-square-foot main arena can seat 14,700 guests
Meeting Hotels
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Guest Rooms: 2,590
Meeting Space: 125,000 square feet
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Guest Rooms: 2,000
Meeting Space: 150,000 square feet
Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa
Guest Rooms: 2,800
Meeting Space: 88,000 square feet
Who’s Meeting in Atlantic City
New Jersey League of Municipalities
Attendees: 22,000 attendees
Triple Play REALTORS Convention
Attendees: 8,255 attendees
With its sparkling casino lights, picturesque beachfront and historic and beloved boardwalk, it’s easy to see why Atlantic City has long been dubbed America’s Playground. The city has been a go-to destination for visitors wishing to recharge, refresh and unwind since at least 1870, when the first section of its historic boardwalk was completed.
Today, visitors to Atlantic City can enjoy the finest modern entertaining and dining amenities while soaking in the resort town’s charming seaside history. And for groups looking for a suitable meeting space, Atlantic City delivers. Few other U.S. cities of the same size can match its wide array of meeting center amenities and hotel room accommodations.
“Atlantic City has a wide variety of venues to accommodate any meeting, conference, trade show or board retreat,” said Jessica Kasunich, communications manager for Meet AC: Atlantic City Convention and Group Sales. “From the Atlantic City Convention Center to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall or one of the city’s spectacular casino or nongaming properties, Atlantic City offers something to meet just about every need.”
Destination Highlights
The possibilities for fun are limitless in Atlantic City, a place where guests can try their luck at slots or cards in one of the city’s famed casinos or simply channel their inner child with a handful of saltwater taffy on the boardwalk or a ride on the Ferris wheel at Steel Pier.
For water lovers, Atlantic City offers a doorway into ocean sports of all kinds. A fun, full day of sailing, surfing, fishing, kayaking, parasailing or windsurfing — or just sunbathing — can be had at one of the city’s many public beaches.
Shopping fans can find reasons to smile at the city’s Tanger Outlets, home to dozens of high-end brands, and history buffs will want to set aside time to climb and explore Absecon Lighthouse, New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse, which was built in Atlantic City in 1857.
Groups can enjoy splendid views of the Atlantic City skyline and beachfront on a sightseeing cruise with Atlantic City Cruises and, with luck, get close to dolphins that call the area home. And for golf enthusiasts, the city offers access to more than 20 championship-level courses within a 30-minute drive.
Of course, the boardwalk, the world’s first and longest, is a must-see destination. Along its four miles, visitors can enjoy both high-end shopping and dining and fun attractions such as Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum, miniature golf and arcades. For added fun, guests can rest their feet and rent a ride in one of the boardwalk’s famed “rolling chairs.”
Culture abounds in the city as well via the Atlantic City Ballet and a steady stream of top-notch performers who headline the various casino and event-venue theaters. The sounds of live music frequently enliven the evenings here, since it’s common to see performers sharing their talents along the boardwalk. And, in the summer, free outdoor concerts and festivals are a frequent draw for residents and visitors alike.
Distinctive Venues
Beyond the wealth of resort-based meeting venues, Atlantic City offers a range of non-hotel meeting options that are excellent for small gatherings.
“Unique restaurants, lounges and beach bars are often booked for meetings or off-site events such as opening and closing celebrations,” said Kasunich. “Many of these sites are situated on the stunning shore with spectacular views, making them especially attractive options for groups.”
Restaurants that are suitable for meetings include Angelo’s Fairmont Tavern, which can seat groups of up to 100 for sit-down dinners; Doc’s Oyster House, which can accommodate groups of up to 60 for sit-down dining ordered from its famed seafood menu; and the historic Knife and Fork Inn, which can host cocktail receptions for up to 120 and sit-down dinners for up to 80 attendees.
Major Meeting Spaces
Atlantic City boasts 2.2 million square feet of meeting space. At the Atlantic City Convention Center, a favorite destination for meeting planners, groups can enjoy nearly 500,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space across 45 meeting rooms that range from 700 to 11,880 square feet.
The historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, built in 1929 along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, has hosted the Miss America Pageant and generations of America’s A-list entertainment acts, including The Beatles. Its 141,000-square-foot main arena can seat 14,700 guests, while its smaller Adrian Phillips Theatre has a capacity of 3,200.
Each of the city’s casinos and nongaming resort hotels offers a wealth of meeting possibilities, to the point that the most difficult decision about hosting a meeting here may be simply selecting from the available site options.
Among the possibilities, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino offers 150,000 square feet of meeting space, which includes the 63,000-square-foot Estes Arena that seats 7,000 for theater-style seating. The nearby Harrah’s Atlantic City offers 125,000 square feet of meeting space that includes eight large ballrooms, each able to host more than 700 attendees for receptions.
The Borgata Hotel Casino Event and Conference Center offers 88,000 square feet of meeting space across a range of room sizes that can accommodate small conferences of 16 people up to receptions of more than 1,000 attendees. The facility offers dedicated meeting planners and an audiovisual services team.
Bally’s Casino, which has announced more than $100 million in planned renovations, has a total of 80,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 10,000-square-foot grand ballroom able to accommodate 800 people for reception-style seating.
Other area casinos and resort hotels, including Caesars Atlantic City, the Claridge Hotel, the Golden Nugget Atlantic City, the Ocean Casino Resort, the Resorts Casino Hotel, the Seaview, the Sheraton Atlantic City, the Showboat and the Tropicana Atlantic City, host events as well, offering between 27,000 and 400,000 square feet of meeting venues each.
After the Meeting
Meeting attendees won’t have to look far for entertainment here, since each of the city’s nine casinos offers myriad options for gaming, fine dining and live entertainment.
But for options beyond the casinos, groups can look to team-building activities like a night at Top Swing Golf or a scheduled tour and tasting at the city’s Little Water Distillery, makers of a line of craft spirits.
Attendees traveling with young children will especially enjoy a trip to the city’s Steel Pier, where carnival rides and games are plentiful.
To end the evening, guests can stroll through a section of the city known as the Orange Loop — located just off the boardwalk — along Tennessee Avenue and extending toward St. James Place. Here, an array of unique coffee shops, bars, craft breweries, live music venues and specialty stores offer a fantastic way to unwind after a day of eventful meetings.
