TakeOff North America 2023

Atlantic City, New Jersey
• 13 – 15 August 2023

TakeOff North America 2023

Powered by Routes, TakeOff North America is an event designed specifically for small and medium-sized airports within the region, providing unrivalled opportunities for attendees to meet and do business.

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Conference Programme Speakers

Stephen F. Dougherty

Executive Director, South Jersey Transportation Authority

Participating Talks and Sessions

Larry Sieg

President and CEO, Visit Atlantic City

Participating Talks and Sessions

Matthew Cornelius

Executive Vice President, Airports Council International – North America

Participating Talks and Sessions

George Goldhoff

President, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City

George Goldhoff is President of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.  He reports directly to Jim Allen, Chairman and CEO of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming.

Goldhoff was appointed President early in 2023.  As President, he focuses on financial performance, market share growth, team member engagement and development, guest experience and support of the greater Atlantic City community.

Goldhoff most recently was President of Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, where he worked to rebrand the casino as a Hard Rock.  Its 2022 revenue results showed the largest increase of any casino in the State of Ohio.

During his three years at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, Goldhoff also engaged with local community organizations and orchestrated charitable donations of more than $1.4 million.

Before his work in Cincinnati, Goldhoff oversaw four properties as President and CEO of PURE Canadian Gaming in Western Canada.  He also assisted in opening Bellagio Las Vegas and was General Manager of Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, MS.

“I’m confident George will continue to build on the incredible success we have achieved at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City,” said Jim Allen.  “In just three years of rebranding our property in Cincinnati, he was able to make that casino the leader in the market and I have every reason to believe he will lead our Atlantic City team into the next era with great success.”

“I have a deep appreciation for what the executives and team members have accomplished over the past five years, and I look forward to contributing to further Hard Rock Atlantic City’s iconic brand in the marketplace and supporting our core values in the greater Atlantic City community,” stated Goldhoff.

Outside of work, Goldhoff enjoys working out, gardening, reading and hiking.

Participating Talks and Sessions

John Koster

Regional President, Caesars Entertainment

John Koster currently serves as the Regional President of Caesars Entertainment’s Eastern Region, overseeing Harrah’s Resort, Caesars, and Tropicana in Atlantic City, as well as Horseshoe Baltimore and Harrah’s Philadelphia. He is also currently acting General Manager of Caesars Atlantic City. 

With over 45 years of experience in the hospitality and gaming industries, Koster has most recently led the re-launch of Caesars Entertainment’s empire in the Atlantic City market, with a $420 million investment into the Company’s resorts, anchored by game-changing new restaurants by world-class chefs Gordon Ramsay and Nobu Matsihusa, stunning renovations of over 2,100 rooms and suites, eight new entertainment and dining offerings at Tropicana, exciting casino floor enhancements, and nearly $235 million resort transformation underway at Caesars Atlantic City.

An undeniably accomplished hospitality leader, Koster’s career has taken him across five countries leading hotel, restaurant, and gaming teams in destinations as varied as Laughlin and Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. After 11 years of international experience with ITT Sheraton, he returned to the US, working in gaming for the first time when he landed at the storied Desert Inn in Las Vegas in 1993. Later, he joined the Harrah’s team, first at Harrah’s Las Vegas and then Laughlin. After Harrah’s acquired Caesars, Koster became Regional President of the Western Region, ex-Las Vegas, in 2005 and was based in Northern Nevada taking on the leadership of Caesars properties in Reno, Tahoe, and Laughlin.

In 2018, he joined Eldorado as the General Manager of the Grand Victoria in Elgin, IL, and later at the Eldorado corporate offices, having a unique position of being both a legacy Eldorado and a legacy Caesars Team Member. Prior to his arrival on the East Coast, Koster returned to Harrah’s and Harvey’s Lake Tahoe and served as SVP and General Manager of Caesars Entertainment’s properties in Lake Tahoe, his favorite place in the world, where his team achieved record-breaking success with six all-time EBITDA records.

Participating Talks and Sessions

Patrick Tracey

Business Development, Airport One

Steve Romme

Partner, Airport One LLC

Participating Talks and Sessions