GAMING&ENTERTAINMENT

GamingandEntertainment

Rocky Gap Casino Resort

Flintstone, Maryland

Rocky Gap Casino Resort, a AAA, FourDiamond hotel nestled in the Appalachian Mountains with lakeside views, offers luxurious amenities, an award-winning golf course, restaurants for every occasion, adventurous activities, a relaxing spa and a high-energy casino all set to the natural beauty of Rocky Gap State Park. Located about two hours from Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Pittsburgh, Rocky Gap offers a picturesque retreat for a romantic getaway, corporate event or bus tour group.

With thousands of square feet of meeting space, Rocky Gap is a popular destination for private events. In addition to four 600-square-foot meeting rooms; an executive boardroom; and a private dining room, accommodating up to 24 guests; Rocky Gap offers outdoor events at the Allegheny Event Center; the Lakeside Reception Area, Lakeside Terrace and Golfview Pavilion.

Rocky Gap’s exceptional dining includes the resort’s new high-end restaurant, Lakeside Grille. Overlooking the lake, Lakeside Grille specializes in steaks, chops and fish and features a curated wine list—plus, its crowd-pleasing Maryland crab cakes. Other restaurants include Signatures Bar & Grill, which offers sports viewing, burgers, pizzas, beer and more in a clubhouse atmosphere; and Lobby Lounge + Café, a popular spot for pastries, coffee and sandwiches, as well as a full-service bar. On the Rocks, the resort’s biggest full-service bar, serves specialty cocktails and a wide selection of beers on tap.

Rocky Gap offers a tranquil spa, salon, fitness center and a spacious indoor swimming pool, open year-round. The Spa at Rocky Gap offers guests a variety of indulgent services, including massages, facials, salon services, manicures, pedicures and waxing services. A popular favorite includes Rocky Gap’s signature spa massage – with warm stones and aromatherapy, perfect after a long day of adventure or golf.

There is plenty of adventure year-round, as well, at Rocky Gap’s casino, where there are thrills to be had while playing slot machines or table games and while cheering for sports teams in the brand-new sports viewing lounge, which features a full LED TV wall.

View the Web site at rockygapcasino.com; phone (301) 784-8400 or e-mail Wanda.Holtschneider@goldenent.com for more information. RockyGapCasino

Madison, Ohio

Historic Rabbit Run Theater, with its quaint and rustic surroundings, has been an entertainment mainstay in mortheast Ohio for generations. Its charm and pastoral setting irresistibly draw patrons each summer from the end of May through the beginning of September.

Rabbit Run is located in the heart of the Grand River Valley Wine District near the shores of Lake Erie in picturesque Madison, Ohio, and is one of the few original barn theaters still in operation. Rabbit Run offers outstanding live theater in its productions of blockbuster musicals, comedies and dramas.

The theater has a rich history dating back to the 1800s when the barn was built. The main crop on the farm was broccoli, which attracted numerous rabbits. So many rabbits, in fact, that they beat down paths or “runs” throughout the property. The rabbits seemed so pleased with their home, they remained long after the broccoli. Hence, the name Rabbit Run Theater dubbed by Will and Rooney Klump who opened the barn as a theater in the late 1940s.

Summer stock barn theaters were a trend in the entertainment industry in the late 1940s with as many as 300 theaters in operation across the country.

Throughout the years the Rabbit Run stage has been graced by the appearances of many well-known actors and actresses. Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy appeared in The Fourposter to sell-out crowds in 1952 before taking the show to Broadway. Dustin Hoffman performed throughout the 1962 season. Sandy Dennis and Charles Grodin have also appeared at Rabbit Run.

Groups are their specialty, and several pre-show winetasting/dinner theater packages are available with area wineries and attractions, including Grand River Cellars, The Winery at Springhill and the Steele Mansion.

Rabbit Run Theater is known for group amenities, including the services of a hostess who greets the group and talks about the history of the theater, as well as large complimentary cookies offered to group guests during intermission.

Whether visiting the many wineries in the area or taking in the natural beauty of northeast Ohio, a stop at the unique and beautiful Rabbit Run Theater is the perfect end to a perfect day.

Visit rabbitrun.org or phone (440) 428-5913 for more information. RabbitRunTheater

Experience Atlantic City

From top-notch dining experiences, luxury hotel accommodations, entertainment and more, Atlantic City has more than enough to make it a perfect and safe getaway.

Looking to relax and recharge? Atlantic City has the answer. Pamper yourself at one of the world-class spas where you will be taken on journey of pure relaxation. From a Himalayan Salt Grotto, to Rhythm & Motion rooms, each spa offers an experience of its own.

Is sports more your speed? Atlantic City’s land-based sportsbooks is the hottest game in town. From the Boardwalk to the Marina District, fans cans can pick their favorite teams, relax in plush seats and enjoy the action on multiple LED screens. With all of Atlantic City’s nine casinos offering sports betting, no sporting event is likely to be missed.

Shopping never goes out of season and Atlantic City’s Tanger Outlets The Walk on Michigan and Atlantic Avenues features 50 national retail brand outlet stores such as Michael Kors, Coach, Kate Spade New York, Under Armour and Victoria’s Secret just to name a few. Need outdoor attire, equipment or accessories? Bass Pro Shops is the ultimate outdoor world and offers the area’s largest selection for hunting, fishing, camping, boating and more.

Located off the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk, Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall is a premier entertainment venue that has been dazzling guests for more than 91 years. Inside the newly renovated atrium, you will find a brief overview of the city’s expansive history

and accomplishments, which is known as The Atlantic City Experience. Home to the Miss America Pageant and many firsts, learn about the city’s origins and make Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall the first stop to start your Atlantic City experience.

Did you know that Atlantic City is home to more than 50 murals? Stories behind the artists’ works are as touching and moving as the murals they create and these permanent public works of art show the heartbeat of Atlantic City. A few of the unique and beautiful pieces include Before I Die, which features fill-in-the-blank lines where a person can add their bucket-list item to the wall and the Jelly Fish, an optical illusion mural where the tentacles of the jellyfish appear to move when using red and blue 3D glasses.

Complete Atlantic City information and knowledgeable staff are available to assist you. For more information, visit touratlanticcity.com.

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

St. Louis, Missouri

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) and its nearly 100 musicians present approximately 300 events yearly in Powell Hall and throughout the St. Louis region, with music representing a variety of genres. From orchestral concerts with pieces from the Baroque era to music of today, tribute concerts featuring the music of popular acts from The Beatles to Whitney Houston and more, performances of a variety of film scores, holiday concerts and collaborations with today’s recording artists, the SLSO’s versatile programming makes Powell Hall a must-visit destination for groups of all interests.

The SLSO’s home, historic Powell Hall, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and complements the orchestra’s performances with a beautiful and welcoming atmosphere that is regularly described by guest artists as one of the finest concert halls in the country.

In addition to thrilling musical experiences and stunning surroundings, groups can expect outstanding hospitality from the entire SLSO team, from the ticket booking experience until they leave Powell Hall. When a group enters Powell Hall, they are part of the SLSO family.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, led by Music Director Stéphane Denève. For more than 140 years, the SLSO has been committed to artistic excellence, educational impact and community collaborations, all to enrich lives through the power of music. A pillar of St. Louis’ cultural landscape, the SLSO is known as one of the country’s leading music institutions, which in addition to the Grammy Award-winning orchestra, also includes two resident choruses and the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra.

The SLSO is known for its versatility and nimbleness, both in repertoire and in reach-

AtlanticCity

Social Marketing for Tourism

by catherine Heeg

Two Reasons Why Social Ads Fail

Are you ready to give up on social ads? Maybe you do not feel like your ads are generating any interest. Well, you are not alone. Sixty-two percent of small business owners say Facebook ads miss their targets. (source: SmallBizTrends.com). Stop wasting your time and effort creating ads that fail. But wait – why even look at this if social ads fail so often? Here is the deal: Out of all of the B2C companies using social media, 97 percent of them use Facebook. It matters. It works. Let us explore two easy steps to get you on the road to fail-proof ads.

#1 Audiences Matter – Talk to the Right People

The first step to successful ads is nailing your audience. Sure, the easy way is to simply target by age, location and some simple demographics. But what many marketers do not realize is that there are way more opportunities to make sure you are talking to the right people. For example, let us say you are considering marketing a tour to the Holy Lands. Start by doing some research into people who typically travel to this area by checking: 1. Destination visitor stats. Is there a particular age visitor that eclipses all other ages? 2. Your own past traveler stats. What other common interests do these group travelers share? 3. Reach out to people who have traveled to this region to better understand their reasons for choosing the destination.

The next step is to build an avatar of the perfect client for your next tour. Ask yourself these questions: • What does this avatar love to do in their spare time? • What publications do they read? • What sports do they watch? • What sports do they participate in? • Which types of art do they enjoy? • What types of food do they love? • What causes do they support? Armed with the answers as well as relevant demographic information, your ad audiences will be re-invented. Here are five other types of ad audiences to create to target travelers. http://bit.ly/2nxjeyN Remember, if you are talking to the wrong people, your ad simply will not perform.

#2 Words Matter – Say What they Want to Hear

Have you bought a new computer lately? My last experience was with a salesperson who talked about how amazing a particular laptop was for gaming. Hmmm . . . I do not game and probably do not fit the demographic of the average gamer. I left that store as soon as possible. Your audience is the same. They want to feel like you are talking directly to them personally. How do you accomplish this? When you understand your audience, you will know the questions they are most likely to ask. You will know their pain points, sentiment and buying habits. Then you can then address those questions in the text of your ad or in your video designed for the ad. When you know the main reasons a traveler picks a destination or style of travel, you will be able to address these key points. Yep, it all boils down to creating the most comprehensive avatar you can. What else besides words will grab the attention of people as they are scrolling through their feeds? • Emoji. Check out some unique Emoji by using tools like EmojiPedia, IconEmoji or i2Symbol. • # (hashtags). Research # to determine which ones perform best for you own avatar audience. How about checking some of your suppliers posts to see what # they use. • Call to Action (CTA). Make sure it is easy for people to know what step you want them to take next. You can have a call to action right in your ad text as well as select a CTA button when setting up your ad. • Most important is a hook. By this I mean some wording that makes it impossible for people to ignore your offer or content. Wording that creates demand and positions your offer as irresistible. That being said, we do not want to be spammy as people will see right through the spam and scroll to get away as quickly as possible. • Avoid these words as they decrease reach and have been found to creep-out people. https://youtu.be/RRY0sUvMP74

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that your ad needs grab their attention (Emoji), be searchable by topic (hashtag) and sound like it is from a friend in the know. Whew! That is a tall order and a reason why many social ads do not work. Lastly, the subtle art and science of social ads involves never giving up. There are always changes to the ads platforms, adjustments you can make and the ever-changing sentiments of travelers to help guide you to the best ad campaigns for your business. q

Catherine Heeg, international speaker and trainer, focuses on social media marketing strategies for the tourism and hospitality industry. Join the conversation and connect with her at cmsspeaking.com and socially.

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