Major Volleyball Tourney Renewed

OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City Mayor and Council approved an agreement that will renew Ocean City’s commitment to a growing indoor volleyball tournament held on Mother’s Day weekend for the next three years.

On Monday, the council approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will bring back the Beachfest Volleyball Tournament for the next three years. The tournament has been held on Mother’s Day weekend for the last three years at indoor venues in Ocean City including Northside Park and the Roland E. Powell Convention Center. Tourism Director Donna Abbott explained from modest beginnings three years ago, the annual volleyball tournament has grown to become one of the largest events of its kind in the region.

“We would like to lock this event in for three years,” she said. “That’s what this MOU does. This tournament began three years ago as a very small tournament at Northside Park and the convention center.”

Abbott said the timing of the annual tournament on Mother’s Day weekend was advantageous to Ocean City and its hospitality industry because it comes at a time when the season is officially open for most, but hasn’t really kicked in yet.

“The tourism department suggested Mother’s Day weekend because that is a weekend when our hotels that were surveyed said they really needed additional business,” she said. “For whatever reason, people don’t like to vacation on Mother’s Day weekend. It’s a very challenging time of year for our hotels. If falls in early May when a lot of our hotels are open for the season.”

Last year’s event included 200 teams from all over the region and resulted in nearly 1,800 room nights booked by participants. The tournament is part of the Mid-Atlantic Amateur Sports Alliance (MAASA), a partnership between Ocean City, Worcester County and Wicomico County that focuses on attracting major sporting events and tournaments to the Lower Shore region.

Mayor Rick Meehan the Beachfest Volleyball Tournament is exactly the type of special event the resort area is hoping to attract.

“Donna accurately described this as starting as a small event,” he said. “This has become a very good event and they are ready to expand into the new expansion of the convention center.”

Meehan said the tournament is already outgrowing some its venues, making it a good candidate to fill the ongoing convention center expansion.

“Their supporters are anxiously awaiting that expansion,” he said. “When we look at what we’re going to do and how we’re going to fill that area, this is one of the groups that is on the list. They’re ready to move into that space the first year it is available.”

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.