The rainbow welcome mat is being rolled out at one Atlantic City property.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa last week announced “Out at Borgata,” a special-events and marketing initiative designed to showcase the LGBT-related offerings at the property.
Joe Lupo, senior vice president of operations at Borgata, explained that the property has long valued its diverse patrons, but the new campaign marks a more-targeted effort to attract LGBT visitors.
“Borgata was developed 11 years ago to be a diverse resort destination for every demographic; we spent quite a bit of advertising dollars trying to reach every demographic: young to old, gay to straight,” Lupo said. “But then the recession came and we had to pull some advertising dollars back, which hit some smaller publications, including LGBT publications.”
As Borgata bounced back from the recession, it re-examined its LGBT efforts.
“With this new campaign, we’re going to be devoting more advertising dollars to specifically target the gay and lesbian demographic, as well as ensure we’re credible in those efforts.”
That involves, in part, designing and promoting events that appeal to the LGBT community, which recently began on the Out at Borgata Facebook page and will be furthered when the initiative’s microsite launches this spring.
“We’ve always utilized entertainment as a means to speak to the non-gaming customer,” Lupo said. “We’ve had some of the biggest talent in the world here; Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett are coming this summer, and we have more intimate shows in the theater with comedy or up-and-coming bands. We use entertainment to speak to different demographics in the region.”
Borgata will also create LGBT-specific events, such as parties featuring popular Philly or New York City LGBT DJs, or using LGBT party promoters. The property is also looking to sponsor LGBT events; Lupo said Borgata will return as a sponsor for this summer’s Sandblast.
In addition to event programming, the Out at Borgata initiative will also seek to promote the property as a wedding venue for same-sex couples, and has already launched a special discount package for LGBT travelers.
The hotel-casino will celebrate the initiative with a party March 13, which kicks off an LGBT media weekend, featuring performances by Sarah McLachlan and Kathy Griffin.
“We’re continuing to evolve and we continue to reach out and speak to new customers,” Lupo said. “Once people come in the door, they see that we have a really special property here, with a lot to do and see.”
For more information, search Out at Borgata on Facebook.