Ocean City Guide .... First published in 1953, the Guide has consistently been the most asked for piece of literature among visitors to Ocean City. The 100 page resource is a collection of advertisements featuring hotels, motels, realtors, campgrounds, restaurants, amusements, golf and shopping. Most prized by tourists is the Guide's pull out map of Ocean City. The convenience of having the entire year's calendar at their finger tips is a favorite as well. Over 225,000 Guides are printed annually and mailed to tourists around the world.

 

Starting i n 2008 we made the Ocean City Visitors Guide available for potential visitors to conveniently flip through online. They can flip page by page as though they were holding it in their hands. The great part about this is that they can print out a page or even email it to a friend that may be interested in visiting Ocean City.

The Chamber's phone system allows tourists 24-hour access to information critical to planning a visit. After an initial greeting which may highlight an upcoming event, the caller is presented with a list of choices to aid his/her vacation planning.

One of the many options on the Voice Mail system allows callers to receive vacation literature in the mail. The phone system performs an interview to gather important information about the vacationer. Additional names and addresses are received via the Chamber's web site. These "inquiries" are made available in label, disk, or paper format to subscribers for their own marketing purposes. The lists composed of approximately 25,000 names, is published weekly from January to September. Contact ver@oceancity.org for further details.

The Chamber Newsletter is the medium by which the Chamber staff and Board of Directors communicate with the membership, keeping you current on Chamber events, community activities, business issues and opportunities. The newsletter provides new member listings and member profiles while striving to recognize the accomplishments of Chamber members. Member input is encouraged and Chamber members have the option of advertising in the newsletter at modest rates.

The Chamber of Commerce is often the first point of contact for visitors and persons relocating to the county, as well as a resource for existing businesses and residents. The Chamber office receives calls every day requesting information on local products and services. Callers and visitors are referred to Chamber members who fit their needs. 

Chamber members are able to display their promotional brochures in the Chamber's lobby. The Chamber is open seven days a week and receives over 30,000 visitors each year.

 

Also located in our Visitor's Center is a General Business Section.  This area consists of brochures for year round / non tourism businesses , continuing education information and many other things for the local residents. People who are interested in moving to our area or opning a business find this section very helpful as well.

It is the responsibility of Chamber staff and Board members to keep you abreast of legislation which could impact the economic stability of Ocean City. In order to effectively do so, the Chamber has retained the services of a professional lobbyist to represent the Chamber membership in Annapolis. The Chamber receives frequent inquiries from local government, politicians and organizations on the business community's perspective on specific issues. Chamber membership provides you with the means to make your voice heard. Please let us know your needs and opinions so that we can pass them along. 

The Chamber offers members training and education opportunities through seminars. These sessions assist our members in addressing current business and community issues. Let the Chamber educate you and your staff on the trends and changes taking place in Ocean City.

If you have a particular area of interest or expertise, please do not hesitate to share this information or your needs with the Chamber.

 

Check the monthly Featured Events Calendar to see when these events are scheduled.

 

There are a number of things to choose from so that everyone can find an events that suits their schedule, such as:

The Chamber, as an official SBA resource center, can provide members with literature covering the full range of owning and operating a business. If requested, the Chamber can also locate retired business persons in the greater Ocean City area who might be available for consulting work free of charge. The Chamber also works closely with the Small Business Development Center in assisting business owners and entrepreneurs with all available resources for a successful venture. 

In 1999 the Chamber of Commerce began publishing an annual directory of Chamber members. This project was brought about by the many requests received throughout the year for information to assist individuals in becoming familiar with the Ocean City business and community environment. The directory contains demographic information, community organizations and services, and other types of local information in addition to the categorical listing of all Chamber members in good standing. There are 25,000 Business & Relocation Guides published and distributed locally and by mail each year.

 Members in good standing can take advantage of discounts offered by member businesses to other members. By working together, we can make doing business in Ocean City more profitable for all of us.

 

All members have a membership card and can receive the discounts simply by presenting it at any participating business.

 

If you would like to offer a discount to members that come to your place of business, just give us a call and we will immediatly add you to the list at NO CHARGE !! You will then receive a Chamber Member Discount sticker to proudly display at your business.

The Chamber will be holding new member receptions three times a year to welcome new members to the Chamber and the community, familiarize them with Chamber services and staff, and provide them an opportunity to get to know one another.

 

This is a great opportunity for new members to ask questions and take a tour of the Visitors Center where their information is distributed.

The Chamber's Ambassadors Committee holds ribbon cutting ceremonies for new businesses in the area. Ambassadors Committee members come to the business with ribbon, scissors, and the trimmings with Chamber staff taking photos. Ribbon cuttings can also be arranged for relocations of existing businesses, changes of ownership, or other significant happenings in the life of a business.

The Chamber has the ability to get your advertisement or announcement out to all Chamber Members in a impressive new format, The Weekly Chamber eLert. Emailed to over 900 Members & their representaives every Wednesday.

 

This new email template enable us to get your event, advertisement, last minute special etc. out to members and to show you how many people are opening and reading the information. We want to show you that the value of emarketing with the chamber is one of the most affordable and succesful ways to advertise your business.

The Chamber has established an extremely informative home page found at http://www.oceancity.org. Visitors from around the globe are able to obtain vacation information, business services, events, weather forecasts, and a long list of other information with the click of a button. The Chamber's e-mail also allows members and visitors alike the option of contacting the Chamber with specific requests for service or information. In addition, every member of the Chamber has a listing with address and telephone number in a searchable format. The Chamber also provides links from our home page to yours, free of charge.

Held annually during the month of September, the the Grand Ball was started in 2009 and is the forum for officially introducing the newly installed Board of Directors (10) and Executive Officers (5)  It is also a time to give thanks to the retiring Board of Directors (5) and the retiring President. Typically, the Mayor is on hand to honor the retiring President with a “Key to the City.” This event also recognizes the Citizen of zthe Year, Spirit of Ocean City and The Ambassador of the Year

Held on the first Thursday of each month (not including July & August ),

"BAH" is among the most popular of Chamber programs. Hosted by a different Chamber member each month, "Business After Hours" is ideal for mixing with fellow business persons in an informal and relaxed setting. We have an average of 100 members in attendance each month.

 

Attendees are encouraged to bring business cards for exchange.

Hors d'oeuvres, compliments of the host, are served throughout the evening. The "BAH" program has proven to be an invaluable membership recruitment tool.

The Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the Department of Economic and Employment Development, conducts an annual Job Fair. Over 95 employers are on hand to interview and hire prospective workers. The Job Fair has proven to be a valuable recruiting tool for area businesses, with over 2,000 job seekers attending. In addition to employers, representatives for seasonal housing opportunities and youth health clinics are usually in attendance. The sre over 12,000 seasonal positions available each year in Ocean City.

The April Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament has become a fixture on the charity golf circuit. Over 100 golfers participate in this popular event which features fabulous prizes and an awards ceremony at the conclusion of play. The winning team also displays the "Chamber Cup" for the year.

Co-sponsored with the Economic Development Commission, the training seminar is designed to give area employees, managers and owners exposure to skills that please our visitors which, in turn, builds profit. The seminars are generally slated for early June to coincide with the influx of seasonal workers.

The Chamber Lights Decorating Contest is overseen by the Chamber Ambassador Committee.

 

Each year local businesses and homeowners are encouraged to decorate their properties festively. The contest is divided into several categories including Residental, Condominium, Hotel, Motel, Restaurant, Retail and Commercial, Indoor & Outdoor.

 

The winners are announced and awarded plaques at the January Business After Hours.