OCEAN CITY – The countdown is on for the largest hospitality gathering in the Mid-Atlantic region, as the 49th Annual Ocean City Trade Expo returns March 5-6 to the Ocean City Convention Center.
This year’s event will mark the largest Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (OCHMRA) Trade Expo to date with more than 420 exhibits. The expo will bring together industry leaders and procurement specialists from across the hospitality spectrum. The event is designed to reach the hospitality industry across all segments, including service providers and suppliers as well as senior executives of hotel brands, owners and management companies. The event will attract hospitality businesses who come to “sip, sample, shop and learn the latest industry trends,” according to OCHMRA Executive Director and Expo Director Susan Jones.
The two-day event will offer education, two exhibit halls to discover new products/solutions, personalized business matching as well as a host of other networking opportunities. The OCHMRA teamed up with the Maryland Tourism Coalition (MTC) to spark attendees’ creative appetite for learning by delivering applicable business lessons and best practices through its Solutions Showcase. Participants will engage in insightful discussion, amplify their knowledge and receive actionable agendas.
The following is a glimpse of the upcoming sessions:
Questions To Ask Before You Sign Your Restaurant Lease: Perhaps the document that will have the greatest impact on the success of your restaurant will be your lease. Sean Morris of The Morris Law Firm will discuss some of the questions you must ask and have answered clearly in your mind before you sign any restaurant lease.
Why Digital Marketing Is Crucial In 2023: Digital provides a way to showcase offerings to potential customers, build brand awareness & increase bookings and reservations. With the rise of online travel planning and booking, a strong digital marketing strategy can help businesses reach and engage with their target audience, drive website traffic, and ultimately increase revenue. Digital allows you to collect valuable data on your customer preferences and behaviors – informing future marketing efforts and improving the overall customer experience.
Maximize Your Direct Bookings, The Guide To Mastering Hotel Metasearch: Even if your hotel is already using PCC and SEO campaigns to reduce dependence on OTAs and boost direct bookings, that’s no longer enough for independent hoteliers to succeed online in today’s digital landscape. Metasearch platforms like Google Hotel Ads, Bing, TripAdvisor and Kayak now command a significant share of traveler attention. Join Pete DiMaio from TravelBoom to learn what metasearch is, why it impacts your hotel marketing plan, and how you can leverage metasearch to achieve maximum direct bookings.
Communication Across Generations: The world is changing fast, and millennials are the faces of the future. In this session, Sandy Dubay of Platinum PR will provide strategies to bridge the generation gap in a world of rapid-fire technological changes. Sandy will provide suggestions for adapting to changes such as these and provide tips for ALL generations to work more effectively together both in-house and in the marketplace.
The expo’s combination of discovery, networking, collaboration, learning and curated buying experiences will aim to set a new standard for live events.
“Booths sold out at a record pace this year,” according to Jones. Due to the popularity of exhibit space, the OCHMRA added a second hall, Dockside Hall, which will host Maryland’s Beverage Showcase exploring the latest trends and techniques in the winery, brewery and distillery world. The Dockside area will also feature twenty-five suppliers from Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits, a cornhole fun zone sponsored by Junior Achievement and photo booths from Hoop Tea and Big Truck Farm Brewery. Rounding out the Dockside Hall will be 24 exhibits and “The Art of Hospitality,” led by T.C. Studios where attendees will have the opportunity to test their painting skills with this fun hands-on activity.
A new twist to the expo will be the Restaurant Association of Maryland’s “Battle of the Bridge,” which is part of the Maryland World Food Championship qualifier series. Eight chefs from the west and east of the Bay Bridge will compete in two elimination rounds for the Maryland World Food Championship spot. One chef will receive the golden ticket to compete on the world stage and a $500 cash prize.
It is important to note that The expo is not open to the public, therefore to walk the show floor you must be a buyer or guest in the hospitality industry including employment with a hotel, motel, restaurant, catering company, concession stand, bed & breakfast, condo/property management company, cafeteria, nursing home, school/college, hospital, church, ice cream store or nursing home as examples. Expo management reserves the right to determine if your registration fits “guest” parameters.
Expo hours are Sunday, March 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday, March 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. On-site registration is $25 per person with proof of being in the industry such as a business card; business license; or letter from an employer on company letterhead. Pay stubs are not accepted as proof. Attendees of the Expo will also be able to take advantage of “Show Specials,” offered by exhibitors. For complete Expo information check out www.oceancitytradeexpo.com or call 410-289-6733.