Exhibitor guide · Marina District, Atlantic City
Harrah's Waterfront Conference Center: the exhibitor's guide
Two column-free 50,000 sq ft ballrooms on the marina, away from the Boardwalk crowds, with a 46-story tower behind them. How the largest hotel-casino conference center in Atlantic City works for exhibitors.
Why this page exists
The Waterfront Conference Center is what Atlantic City's Marina District has instead of a second convention center: two of the largest column-free ballrooms in the city, opened in 2008 specifically to compete for the meetings business Borgata was pulling away. For exhibitors it works like every hotel ballroom venue in the Northeast, with carpet instead of concrete and a labor model set by the show, not by a public authority.
This guide covers the ballrooms and meeting complex, a booth converter that shows what changes when a booth built for the ACCC moves onto carpet here, union labor in a non-right-to-work state, drayage through the contractor, a freight countdown, the kinds of events that book the building, hotels on the marina, and the history of a tower built to answer Borgata.
The building
The ballrooms and meeting complex
The Waterfront Conference Center sits between the Waterfront Tower and the marina, connected to the casino floor and the hotel's other towers by enclosed walkways.
| Space | What it is | Typical use | Booth planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballroom A and Ballroom B | Two 50,000 sq ft column-free rooms, each divisible, with ceilings suited to general sessions, banquets and boxing; exact clear heights are on the venue's hall plans. | Exhibit halls of 150 to 300 booths, general sessions | Carpet, no forklifts, freestanding structures. Combine both for the largest shows. |
| 56 meeting rooms | Configurable into up to 300 layouts across the complex. | Breakouts, hospitality suites | Hand-carry and pop-up formats only. |
| Foyers and pre-function | Wide corridors connecting the ballrooms to the casino and towers. | Registration, sponsor tables | Egress rules keep the floor clear; branded structures need hotel approval. |
| Docks and freight elevators | Dedicated loading access for the conference center, separate from casino deliveries; dock assignments come with the show kit. | All exhibit freight | Purple confirms elevator and dock dimensions against the show kit before designing large pieces. |
Free tool
Ballroom booth converter
Tick what your usual booth includes. The converter shows what changes when the same booth moves onto Harrah's carpet, and when a purpose-built ballroom rental beats converting a custom exhibit.
History
Answering Borgata
Harrah's opened the Marina District in 1980 and had it to itself for five years. It took a rival's arrival, twenty-eight years later, to build the conference center exhibitors use today.
Harrah's Marina Hotel Casino opens November 22, the first casino away from the Boardwalk, in the district that would become the Marina District. It is the fifth casino in Atlantic City after legalization.
Trump's Castle opens across the road in 1985; expansions add the Atrium, Marina and Bayview towers through 2002 as Harrah's becomes the top-grossing casino in the city.
Borgata opens down the block, the first fully new resort in Atlantic City in thirteen years, and immediately takes the district's meetings and conventions business.
Harrah's answers with the Waterfront Tower and the Waterfront Conference Center: two 50,000 sq ft column-free ballrooms, a new pool and a spa, built specifically to compete with Borgata for group business. The tower becomes Atlantic City's second-tallest building at 525 feet, with what is believed to be the largest exterior LED display surface in the world.
Harrah's and Borgata anchor the Marina District's conference business a short walk apart, both a ten-minute drive from the ACCC and a common overflow pairing for citywide shows.
Rules of the floor
Labor, exclusives and hotel rules
Union hotel, New Jersey rules
New Jersey has no right-to-work law; exhibit labor runs through the show's contractor. Self-install allowances follow the show kit, generally tighter than the ACCC's 10×20 line.
Carpet, not concrete
No forklifts on the ballroom floor; freestanding structures, floor protection under heavy pieces.
Contractor rates
Material handling billed by the show contractor; plan about $150 per hundredweight, close to ACCC levels.
Hotel exclusives
Electrical, rigging, internet, audiovisual and catering are exclusive to the hotel or its providers; the show kit carries the current list.
New Jersey fire code
Flame certificates for fabrics and carpet, egress per the diagram, no covered booths without approval.
Marina District, not the Boardwalk
Deliveries and guest access run through the Marina District roads, separate from Boardwalk casino traffic; simpler than the summer Boardwalk crowds.
Certificates
Naming the organizer and Caesars Entertainment; Purple's is on file.
Free tool
Harrah's drayage estimator
Planning numbers for 2026; the show kit has the tariff. All-venue rates and a glossary on the drayage rates page.
Deadlines
Freight countdown for a Harrah's show
The calendar
Events at Harrah's
Harrah's books conferences and association meetings rather than public trade shows. These are the kinds of events Purple builds for in the Waterfront Conference Center.
| Event type | When | Exhibit format | Typical booths | Purple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance and financial conferences | Spring, fall | Tabletops and sponsor rows | 40–100 | 10×10 rentals |
Booth counts are Purple's planning ranges from hotel-show experience; the hotel diagram sets the maximum.
Logistics
Getting there and staying
- Airport: Atlantic City International is about 20 minutes; Philadelphia is about 80.
- By road: the Atlantic City Expressway to the Marina District exits, then local roads to the property.
- Freight: dedicated conference center docks separate from casino deliveries.
- Crew: Purple's crews come down from Fishkill the same day.
- Rooms: the hotel's own towers carry most blocks; Borgata is a short walk for overflow.
| Hotel | Distance | Why exhibitors pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Harrah's Waterfront Tower | The venue | Stay where the show is. |
| Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa | 8-min walk | The largest hotel in New Jersey, a short walk away. Venue guide. |
| Golden Nugget Atlantic City | 10-min drive | Third Marina District property, useful overflow. |
| Boardwalk hotels (Caesars, Bally's) | 10-min drive | Classic Atlantic City rooms, near the ACCC. Venue guide. |
Resources
Free resources you can link to
Embed the booth converter
Cite the numbers
One-page cheat sheet
Ballrooms, docks, exclusives, deadlines.
Questions
Harrah's Waterfront FAQ
How big are the ballrooms?
Two column-free ballrooms at 50,000 square feet each, both divisible, plus 56 meeting rooms configurable up to 300 ways.
Is labor union at Harrah's?
New Jersey has no right-to-work law, so exhibit labor runs through the show's contractor. Self-install allowances are set by the show kit and are generally tighter than a true convention center's.
How far is the ACCC?
About a ten-minute drive from the Marina District to the Boardwalk-area convention center.
Is Borgata within walking distance?
Yes, about eight minutes on foot, making the two properties a common pairing for larger meetings.
Which airport should I use?
Atlantic City International is about 20 minutes away. Philadelphia International has more flights at about 80 minutes.
Can I bring a forklift onto the ballroom floor?
No. The ballrooms are carpeted; heavy pieces move by pallet jack with floor protection. Purple designs to that limit.
Where does Purple ship from?
Fishkill, New York, about 160 miles. One truck, same-day crews.
What changed in 2008?
Harrah's opened the Waterfront Tower and Conference Center specifically to compete with Borgata for group and meetings business, adding the two 50,000-square-foot ballrooms exhibitors use today.
Exhibiting at Harrah's?
Send us the event and the ballroom. You get a hotel-spec design brief, a drayage estimate and a build timeline within two business days.
Venue guides
Every venue we have a guide for
Same standard, every hall: the building, the rules, the tools and the calendar.