Meet AC, Atlantic City’s convention and visitors bureau and the Atlantic City Sports Commission, a department within Meet AC reported another record year in booking future meeting and convention business for Atlantic City.
In 2017, Meet AC booked a total of 255 meetings and conventions representing 313,451 future hotel rooms nights for Atlantic City. The group tour market was a part of the overall booking number attracting 34,279 hotel room nights. The number of future convention delegates to Atlantic City is set to reach over 883,993 with a projected economic impact of more than $348 million. Meet AC, whose funding comes from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, had a 2017 operating budget of $7 million. Those funds come from the luxury tax revenue. Meet AC also reported that for every $1 of luxury tax revenue that Meet AC invests, they returned $48 to Atlantic City’s economy.
Meet AC continued to place a greater emphasis on driving more business and increased revenues into the Atlantic City Convention Center throughout 2017. Future bookings reflect that shift with 65 percent of the business being driven into the Atlantic City Convention Center, while the other 35 percent is single property bookings.
This month, Meet AC introduced an innovative marketing initiative; a virtual reality 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.
“While serving as Chairman of Meet AC, I am very pleased with the growth and progress the Meet AC team has attained in four short years,” said Jeff Albrecht, Meet AC board chairman and general manager of Sheraton, Atlantic City. “Atlantic City has elevated the meetings and convention business by implementing strong marketing initiatives and goals year after year,
Meet AC 2018 sales and marketing strategies include increasing Atlantic City Convention Center sales, events and improving Atlantic City’s image. Meet AC also plans to execute the 2018 sales and marketing plan while developing a five year strategic sales plan.
“Our 2018 sales and marketing strategies are designed to help us continue to book more business into Atlantic City and continue to portray a positive image,” said Jim Wood, president and CEO for Meet AC. “By exceeding our room night goals for the fourth consecutive year, this allows us to continue to grow our meetings footprint and confirm why Atlantic City is heading towards being named a top meeting destination. Meet AC looks forward to the new properties coming online, along with the additional non-gaming amenities that will diverse our economy. We are eager to book more meetings, conventions and sporting events in 2018.”
For more info, visit: http://meetac.com/assets/marketing_plan/2018/.
