Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association

What Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association does

Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association, recently rebranded as OCMD Hospitality Association (OCMDHA), is a private, non-profit hospitality trade association founded in 1971 and headquartered in Ocean City, Maryland. It serves as the primary industry convener for the Ocean City destination, connecting hotels and motels, restaurants, attractions, and allied suppliers across the Ocean City District and Worcester County through a tiered membership framework (Active, Associate, Allied). The association's core deliverables are non-technology services: government advocacy, hospitality training (Miles of Smiles), workforce and legislative updates, and a calendar of in-person events anchored by the annual Spring Trade Expo (400+ booths, ~5,000 attendees) and five off-season Nibble & Networking gatherings.

The association operates a digital destination-marketing stack including the ocvisitor.com visitor portal (lodging search, restaurant search, events calendar, deals, vacation guides), a Digital Keycard Coupon Booklet distributed to guests at member hotels at check-in, a Member Portal on weblinkconnect.com, and a suite of published guides (Vacation, Dining, Accommodations). No proprietary AI/ML, SaaS, or platform technology is disclosed; the technology footprint is conventional web/directory infrastructure plus digital publications. No patents, certifications, or proprietary data assets are recorded.

Revenue is generated through membership dues (three tiers), Spring Trade Expo exhibit/sponsorship revenue, and allied supplier sponsorships (M&T Bank, Ferguson, Clemens Food Group, KIG, Hey Sadie AI, and others). Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed; prospective members are routed to Susan Jones (Director of Membership) at 410-289-6733. The organization employs 1–10 people, is governed by a member Board of Directors, and is not part of any parent entity. Geographic focus is regional, limited to Ocean City, Worcester County, and the broader Mid-Atlantic tourism catchment.

Name

Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association

Legal name

Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association

Website

https://ocvisitor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Founded in 1971, the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (now OCMD Hospitality Association) is a non-profit trade organization connecting hotels, motels, restaurants, attractions, and suppliers in Ocean City, Maryland through tiered membership, events, training, and destination marketing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ocean City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The association generates revenue through membership dues from three tiers: Active Members (ownership/firms with hotels over 25 units or restaurants over 50 seats), Associate Members (hotels with 10-25 units, smaller restaurants, and attractions), and Allied Members (industry suppliers and service providers upon invitation). The membership application process directs businesses to complete applications based on their type (Lodging, Restaurant, Attraction, or Allied).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (OCHMRA / OCMD Hospitality Association) is a private, non-profit hospitality trade association that represents hotels, motels, restaurants, attractions, and industry suppliers in Ocean City, Maryland. Its core offerings are tiered membership (Active, Associate, and Allied tiers), advocacy and industry representation, hospitality training (Miles of Smiles), networking events including the Spring Trade Expo, and destination marketing assets such as the OC Visitor website, vacation guides, dining guides, accommodations guides, and the digital Keycard Coupon Booklet.

Product overview

The Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association operates primarily as a membership-based hospitality trade organization rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a suite of visitor-facing tourism services including the OC Visitor Website platform (providing lodging search, restaurant search, and events), published guides (Vacation Guide, Dining Guide, Accommodations Guide, Digital Keycard Coupon Booklet), and member services (Hospitality Training via Miles of Smiles program, Spring Trade Expo, and a Member Portal). The core offering is a directory/aggregation platform connecting visitors with member hotels, restaurants, and attractions in Ocean City, Maryland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OCHMRA Membership (Active, Associate, Allied) Tiered annual membership of the hospitality trade association for Ocean City hotels, motels, restaurants, attractions, and industry suppliers, providing advocacy, education, networking, and marketing exposure.
• Official Ocean City Vacation Guide Comprehensive vacation guide featuring Ocean City travel information, attractions, and event calendars for visitors planning trips to the destination.
• Ocean City Dining Guide Restaurant directory allowing users to search by cuisine types and dining amenities across Ocean City establishments.
• Ocean City Accommodations Guide Lodging directory helping visitors find hotels, motels, and other accommodations in Ocean City, Maryland.
• Digital Keycard Coupon Booklet Digital coupon booklet distributed to guests at member hotels containing local travel tips and exclusive restaurant and attraction discounts.
• Seasonal & Yearly Event Calendar Calendar listing annual events and recurring activities happening in and around Ocean City throughout the year.
• OC Visitor Website Primary web platform serving as a tourism portal for Ocean City, providing lodging search, restaurant search, events calendar, deals and packages, and vacation planning resources.
• Miles of Smiles Hospitality Training Hospitality training program for OCHMRA members covering service excellence and customer experience standards.
• Spring Trade Expo Annual hospitality industry trade show featuring over 400 exhibit booths, educational sessions, and networking opportunities for buyers and sellers in the hospitality sector.
• Member Portal Exclusive online portal for OCHMRA members providing access to updates, resources, and member-only information.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual Spring Trade Expo attracts close to 5,000 attendees with 400 exhibit booths
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Valcourt GroupminorOthersValcourt Group is listed as a sponsor on the association website. The group provides hospitality-related services.
• Spring Trade ExpocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpring Trade Expo is a major annual event produced by the association, bringing together hospitality buyers and sellers with 400+ booths and 5,000 attendees.
• Maryland Tourism (MTC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMaryland Tourism Commission is listed as a sponsor/partner helping promote Ocean City and the surrounding region as a tourism destination.
• Maryland's Coast Worcester CountycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism marketing partnership promoting Worcester County and Maryland's Coast as a destination, including Ocean City.
• M&T BankminorOthersM&T Bank is listed as a sponsor on the association website, providing banking services to the hospitality industry.
• R&R Coatings Inc.minorOthersR&R Coatings Inc. is featured as a Gold Allied Partner and sponsor on the association website, providing coatings/maintenance services to hospitality businesses.
• Clemens Food GroupminorOthersClemens Food Group is listed as a sponsor, providing food products to hospitality businesses in the region.
• ChutesminorOthersChutes is listed as a sponsor on the website, providing hospitality-related services.
• GoGlassminorOthersGoGlass is listed as a sponsor, providing glass services to the hospitality industry.
• Sentral ServicesminorOthersSentral Services is listed as a sponsor, providing hospitality support services.
• Chesapeake BathminorOthersChesapeake Bath is listed as a sponsor, providing bath/remodeling services to hospitality businesses.
• KIG (Kastendike Insurance Group)minorOthersKIG is listed as a sponsor, providing insurance services to the hospitality industry.
• Hyett RefrigerationminorOthersHyett Refrigeration is listed as a sponsor, providing refrigeration equipment services to hospitality businesses.
• Ferguson Facilities SupplyminorOthersFerguson Facilities Supply is listed as a sponsor, providing facilities supplies and equipment.
• EverglazeminorOthersEverglaze is listed as a sponsor, providing coating services to the hospitality industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Restaurant Association: Largest U.S. foodservice trade association representing restaurants across the country. Comparable to OCHMRA's restaurant membership and advocacy function, but with a national policy remit and broader service portfolio.
• U.S. Travel Association: National trade body representing the broader U.S. travel industry. Comparable to OCHMRA's advocacy and industry representation function, but operates at a national policy level across all travel segments.
• American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA): National U.S. lodging trade association that advocates for hotels and provides education, networking, and resources. Highly comparable to OCHMRA as a membership-based hospitality association, but operating at a national rather than destination-specific scale.
• Destinations International: Trade association for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and convention and visitor bureaus globally. Directly comparable to OCHMRA's destination marketing function, with shared services around education, advocacy, and member ROI benchmarking.
• International Franchise Association (IFA): Trade association representing franchised businesses, including hospitality and restaurant chains. Comparable as a membership-based industry organization, though focused on franchise structure rather than destination-level coordination.
• American Resort & Residential Development Association (ARDA): National trade association for the resort, vacation ownership, and timeshare industry. Comparable in membership-association model serving resort-based hospitality, though focused on residential/resort ownership rather than transient hotels.

Regional players

• Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce: Local chamber of commerce for Ocean City, MD serving broader business members beyond hospitality. Adjacent rather than directly overlapping, but shares destination and membership dynamics with OCHMRA.
• Visit Ocean City (Maryland's Coast): Official destination marketing organization for Ocean City, MD, focused on visitor promotion. Highly comparable as a co-marketing partner to OCHMRA, with overlapping tourism marketing remit in the same geography.
• Maryland Tourism Coalition: State-level tourism promotion and advocacy organization for Maryland. Adjacent to OCHMRA's destination marketing role and listed as a partner/sponsor, operating at the state level rather than a single destination.
• Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce / CVB: Regional chamber/CVB for a major U.S. beach destination. Comparable to OCHMRA as a destination-promoting membership organization serving beachfront hotels, restaurants, and attractions, though organized under a chamber/CVB model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ocean-city-hotel-motel-restaurant-association
• Facebookfacebook.com/OCMDHospitality
• Xx.com/ochmra

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association