My Hard Rock journey began in 1970, when we moved from Los Angeles to London. The Great American Disaster, Peter Morton’s first burger joint, was our neighborhood go-to. His next venture switched me onto rock music for life: the high-decibel Hard Rock Cafe and its guitar-decked walls, co-launched with Isaac Tigrett in June 1971. Rock is also my Atlantic City touchstone, since first coming here in 1989 to see the Stones at Boardwalk Hall.

From Massachusetts to Maryland, runaway expansion in the East Coast gaming market continues. Billions have been invested in some 25 new properties over the last decade-plus. On the corporate front, ownership changes, merger talks, competitive maneuvers and more are reshuffling the deck. Amid this volatility, meeting and events remain key house advantages. 

Coastal Mississippi checks all of the boxes on any meeting planner’s—and meeting attendee’s—checklist. Its miles of beautiful beachfronts, world-class gaming and award-winning culinary offerings make it a prime destination for groups of all sizes. The Biloxi area’s all-in-one casino resorts provide all of this and then some. 

Meetings Today Senior Contributor Jeff Heilman spoke with Lori Glennon, executive director of sales, Valley Forge Casino Resort, Prussia, Pennsylvania, about the hotel’s capabilities for hosting events.

At 6-foot-5, Michael Massari, chief sales officer for Caesars Entertainment Corp., is hard to miss. So are his accomplishments. Since 1998, he has helped elevate Caesars Entertainment into a national leader for meetings and events. Now, behind a wave of brand-redefining investments in new venues, experiences and technology, he and the company are aiming even higher.

How did America’s resurgent coastal playground perform in 2018? Kevin Ortzman, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey and regional president for Caesars Entertainment, deemed the summer season in particular “the best in recent years" for Atlantic City.

Wynn Resorts has scuttled its lagoon project but is restoring its 18-hole Tom Fazio designed golf course that has been closed since December 2017, according to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

In an era of mergers and endless merger rumors, with Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts perhaps at its peak, one possibility reported by the New York Post includes the two top names in Las Vegas and Atlantic City—Caesars Entertainment Corp. and MGM Resorts International.

Caesars Entertainment Corporation is on the search for a new president and chief executive officer. The company announced that Mark P. Frissora will step down from Caesars after three years in the role. Frissora will remain on board until February 8, 2019.

Geoconda Arguello Kline, from Culinary Workers Union, Local 226 and UNITE HERE International Union, talks about negotiations with Las Vegas casino hotels.