New Casino for A.C.

Meetings & Conventions: Newsline newsline.gif (8042 bytes) New Casino for A.C.
Borgata CEO is bullish on meetings
Bob Boughner The $1 billion, 2,002-room Borgata opens this summer with 70,000 square feet of meeting space. A joint venture of Boyd Gaming Corp. and MGM Mirage, it’s the first major hotel to be built in Atlantic City in 13 years. President and CEO Bob Boughner recently spoke to M&C about the property.

M&C:Why open a mega-resort in Atlantic City now?
Boughner: Only now were we able to find enough land to build something on the scale of Las Vegas. The average acreage for a hotel here is nine acres; we cover 30.

M&C:How important are meetings to The Borgata?
Boughner: In the past, Atlantic City has had a “push me, pull me” attitude about meetings. Key dates were not always available. The gambler had priority. To us, meetings are an integral part of the game plan; we will have the rooms and meeting space to meet their needs on any date. Our first group arrives in September. We already have 85 meetings booked through 2006.

M&C:Are you worried about competition from Connecticut?
Boughner: Mohegan Sun definitely is a competitor, but it has only 1,200 rooms. Our job is to put Atlantic City on the meetings radar; we have the ability to attract national groups, but our main emphasis will be on the regional market.

• TERENCE BAKER