Exit Interview: Larry Sieg reflects on 40 years in Atlantic City’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry

 

Larry Sieg, president and CEO of Meet AC, announced his retirement in late September, stepping down at the end of 2024 to be succeeded by longtime Atlantic City destination marketing veteran Gary Musich, who is currently vice president of sales for Meet AC.

In 1984, Larry Sieg took his first Atlantic City job as a bus tour coordinator. In 2019, right before the pandemic struck, he was named president and CEO of Meet AC, Atlantic City’s sales and marketing organization for groups.

After tackling COVID-19 challenges head-on, Sieg has since led major initiatives to bring new group business to town, from high-profile national conventions to major sporting events, resulting in heightened national awareness of Atlantic City’s multi-faceted product set.  

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Game-changing initiatives include Meaningful Meetings. Grounded in the concept of “regenerative tourism” under the banner of “Leave Your Mark Not Your Footprint,” groups can participate in a host of local volunteer and educational opportunities.  

In January 2023, following a year-long rebranding effort, Meet AC was relaunched as Visit Atlantic City. Centered on “Playful, Bold, Eclectic, Celebratory and Iconic” as the “vibes” that visitors can expect, the campaign better reflects the historic seaside destination’s broad-based appeal. As the first openly gay leader in the role, Sieg has also made strides on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community and LGBTQ+ visitation to Atlantic City.  

In September 2024, Sieg announced his retirement. In this interview with Meetings Today Senior Contributor Jeff Heilman, Sieg looks back on 40 years of marketing, promoting and leading tourism and group market expansion in America’s original playground.

Jeff Heilman: Congratulations on your retirement. What brought you to the beach in the first place?

Larry Sieg: The sand may have been in the cards, although I did not plan for a career in tourism. Born and raised in rural northeastern Pennsylvania, I spent every summer at our family house in Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. We were the classic Ozzie and Harriet beach family.  

Like so many people in tourism, sounds like you fell in by chance or accident then?

I originally wanted to be a nurse and had the opportunity to attend the University of Edinburgh in Scotland through my high school guidance counselor. Once back home, I was recruited for a hospitality job in the Atlantic City area. Seeing that it was a lucrative field, I decided to try it out on a trial basis, starting out as a bus tour coordinator. Then a chance conversation at a cocktail party changed the direction of my life.

No substitute for serendipity—who did you meet?

Roy Goldberg, an entrepreneurial genius far ahead of his time. In 1979, the year after Atlantic City legalized gaming, he started out as director of casino marketing for Caesars Boardwalk Regency Casino. Two years later, he left Caesars to launch the first independent airline junket business in New Jersey to fly gamblers from Florida to Atlantic City and back. Rather than have the planes sitting idle awaiting the return leg, he had the bright idea to fly vacationers from New Jersey to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando and back. 

In 1984, he added motor coaches to the business and changed the company name from Sterling Transportation to Gold Transportation. Servicing thousands of casino customers and employees, it became one of the largest motor coach operators in New Jersey.

Meeting Roy was my golden opportunity. He sold me on the fun and excitement of travel and tourism, and I went for it. My father, who was in sales and marketing, was also influential. He had great presentation skills and I saw myself following suit as a public speaker who was strong on his feet.

Atlantic City’s annual casino revenues outpaced Las Vegas in the 1980s—that must have been a time...

Atlantic City was on a roll that decade and into the 1990s as the first and then only other U.S. destination with legalized gaming outside of Nevada. If you were not gambling in Vegas, you were here. The money was pouring in, which meant incredible career and financial opportunities. My upward journey began in earnest working with Roy as director of sales and marketing.

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Given the high stakes nature of the gaming industry, guessing it was not all fun and games?

My experience was as rewarding as I had imagined. That said, the arrival of casinos here in 1978 came with issues. Learning to recognize and avoid those pitfalls was a key part of my education.  

Roy, whom I later presented with a lifetime achievement award for his contributions to tourism and hospitality, was among the people who opened doors for me along the way.  

Staying true to myself has been the ultimate key to my success, though. It was not always easy, but being who I am gave me strength and made me tough when needed, which has served me well throughout my career.  

What were your moves following Gold Transportation and how did your leadership style evolve along the way?

After Roy sold the business, I joined the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority (ACCVA) in 1998, which later merged into the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA). My roles included vice president of marketing and director of communications and marketing before Meet AC appointed me as president and CEO.

I am a hands-on leader who would never ask anyone to do something I would not do myself. I lead by show, sometimes to a fault. As I advanced from coordinating to managing to directing, letting go and delegating were the most challenging aspects of my career development. But that is just one aspect of being myself, which includes being kind to everyone.  

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Post-pandemic group bookings, room nights, return on marketing spend and other key metrics have increased significantly on your watch. What are the challenges and opportunities in keeping that momentum going?

We have certainly gained ground since my first staff meeting on Zoom! Atlantic City is a unique destination which has historically seen extreme highs and lows, but like the proverbial phoenix, always finds a way to rise from the ashes. In terms of evolution, the number one change that I have seen is the broadening of our product set. Gaming will always be an essential part of the landscape but it is no longer the primary visitation driver as Atlantic City continues to develop more entertainment, dining, festivals, events and other diverse offerings.  

Our biggest concern is gaming in New York City. While the gaming license process is moving slower than expected, NYC casinos are coming within the next three to five years, and when they do, we better have our ducks in a row. That’s why Atlantic City resorts have been investing so heavily in renovations, expansions and new amenities now, to maintain our competitive edge and give people compelling reasons to come here. Another challenge is online gaming drawing people away from brick-and-mortar experiences.

Then there are the perennial image and perception issues related to social and economic conditions in parts of the city, and mainstream media and citizen pundits who bash Atlantic City no matter what.

We find that most naysayers have never been here or have not visited in years. They have no history to post on. That is not to say that we don’t have work to do, which is a continuing priority and focus. All cities face similar issues, yet they tend to get amplified in smaller, more concentrated tourism destinations like Atlantic City. The new executive director of the CRDA, who also chairs our board, comes from law enforcement and is bringing high-level ideas on how to address safety and related issues.

Grassroots efforts are also helping to shift perception. The off-Boardwalk Orange Loop neighborhood is an economic redevelopment success driven by investment in new tourism and hospitality venues. MudGirls Studios is a social enterprise organization that helps underserved and disadvantaged women get back on their feet through ceramic-making. The Atlantic City Arts Foundation’s flagship 48 Blocks Atlantic City program continues to beautify streets and neighborhoods with murals. Participating “Meaningful Meetings” groups get involved in beach clean-ups and other community- and sustainability-focused programs. These collective efforts convey lasting positive impressions of Atlantic City that make a real difference.

[Related: The Orange Loop Launches Exciting Event Options in Atlantic City]

Where does the LGBTQ+ community fit into the story?

In the ‘80s into the ‘90s, Atlantic City was a major summer destination for revelers from NYC and Philadelphia, who came to the dozen or so LGBTQ+ nightclubs along New York Avenue. As the industry, the community and times then evolved, there was less need for those enclosed environments.

We did not move forward overnight, though. In 2014, I joined former Atlantic City Mayor Donald Guardian, who is also gay, and others in raising a flag on Park Place and declaring it the official beach for the LGBTQ+ community. The flag was repeatedly torn down or stolen. We kept raising new flags until finally deciding to paint the beach entryway in Pride colors. That they could not tear down.  

Today, we promote Atlantic City as a safe, all-welcoming destination with the support of resort and organizational partners including Hard Rock, Caesars, Ocean Casino Resort and Borgata. In June 2024, for example, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, in partnership with AC Pride, for which I serve on the executive board as vice president, sponsored the third annual Rainbow Ride & March for Equality and held its first Pride flag-raising ceremony. This August, AC Pride took over the Steel Pier for an evening of fun, food and rides.  

In continuing to develop these and other LGBTQ+-centric programs, we stand for diversity and inclusion with clear and authentic messaging. My career in marketing and advertising taught me never to pull the wool or fake it—we mean what we say.

What kept the “sand in your shoes,” as the famous saying goes, about staying loyal to Atlantic City in the face of those highs and lows?

Figuring out how to position Atlantic City and make the destination better is a daily challenge. We also have North Jersey going back on the ballot for a gaming license. I believe that by continuing to reinvest in properties, creating new amenities, better serving the disadvantaged and finding other ways to move Atlantic City forward, we will be fine. To those naysayers, I say come here and we will change your mind. This is a fun place to live, work and visit, with a vibrant local dining and entertainment scene apart from the casinos. There is something here for everyone—and all are welcome.

Forty years is a long time. What will you miss most about your work?  

In reflecting on my time in the tourism and hospitality industry, I will miss the incredible energy and the opportunity to showcase the best our destination has to offer, from unforgettable experiences to the relationships I’ve built with colleagues, partners and visitors alike. 

I have full confidence in Gary Musich as my successor. His deep knowledge of the industry and strong leadership skills ensure that he will continue driving growth and success for our organization.