The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce

What The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce does

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is a private, membership-based nonprofit chamber of commerce headquartered at 15 Visitors Center Drive, McHenry, Maryland, operating under the consumer-facing brand "Visit Deep Creek." The organization's functional mandate is two-fold: (1) serve as the official destination marketing organization for Garrett County and the Deep Creek Lake area, attracting leisure, wedding, and group visitors from regional feeder markets including Baltimore, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cleveland, Morgantown, and Cumberland; and (2) operate a membership and business-development platform for local businesses across lodging, dining, recreation, retail, and professional services.

Its core products sit on a GrowthZone-powered stack consisting of a tourism promotion website (visitdeepcreek.com), a member business directory and portal (business.visitdeepcreek.com), a community event calendar, a Hot Deals lodging/discount platform, electronic and print visitor guides, packaged Garrett County Experience Passes, and a Virtual Reality Tour partially funded by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. Signature and recurring events — including the 59th Annual Autumn Glory Festival, July 4th Fire on the Mountain Fireworks, the Garrett 250 Birthday Bash, weekly Deep Creek Farmers Markets, and live music programming — anchor a four-season destination calendar.

The revenue model combines recurring annual membership fees (tiered but not publicly priced), tourism promotion and visitor services delivered through the Visitor Center and digital channels, and event-management income from sponsorships, vendor fees, and attendance. Customer segments include member businesses (primary, B2B), tourists and visitors (primary, B2C), and secondary segments in weddings/family reunions and corporate meetings/planners. The organization is supported by a board of directors, a chamber foundation, and dedicated tourism staff including a Vice President of Tourism & Marketing, and runs supporting programming such as the Work Ethic Diploma Program and economic/workforce development initiatives for residents and employers.

Name

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce

Legal name

Garrett County Chamber of Commerce

Website

https://visitdeepcreek.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership organization operating as the official destination marketing entity for Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County, Maryland, serving hundreds of local member businesses and out-of-region visitors through a tourism website, business directory, event calendar, and seasonal festivals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Promotion and Chamber of Commerce Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Drink & Culinary Community Festivals (Community-Led) (MPAGAEAF)

Keywords

• Chamber of commerce
• Tourism marketing
• Destination promotion
• Business membership
• Visitor services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mchenry

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The Chamber generates revenue through membership fees from local businesses, with various membership levels offering different benefits including cost savings and discounts, member news access, and directory listings.
2. Tourism Promotion Services: Revenue is generated through promoting local attractions, lodging, dining, and activities to visitors. The Chamber provides visitor guides (electronic and hard copy), operates a visitor center, and offers advertising/marketing opportunities to local businesses.
3. Event Management: The Chamber organizes and hosts events including festivals, farmers markets, and group/wedding planning services that generate revenue through sponsorships, vendor fees, and attendance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership-based organization that promotes the Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County, Maryland region as a four-season tourism destination while supporting local businesses through Chamber membership services. Its core offerings include a tourism promotion website and visitor center, a categorized business directory and member portal, an event calendar, electronic and print visitor guides, lodging discount listings (Hot Deals), Garrett County Experience Passes, and a Virtual Reality Tour of the area. It also organizes and hosts signature community events such as the Autumn Glory Festival, July 4th Fire on the Mountain Fireworks, the Garrett 250 Birthday Bash, and recurring farmers markets.

Product overview

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce operates a comprehensive tourism promotion platform centered around the Deep Creek Lake area in Maryland. The primary offering is a multi-faceted visitor services platform that includes a business directory for local member businesses, an event calendar system for community events and festivals, visitor guides in both electronic and print formats, a hot deals platform for lodging discounts, Garrett County Experience Passes, and a virtual reality tour of the area. The platform is built on the GrowthZone membership management system and integrates with social media channels for marketing purposes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Directory & Member Portal A membership-based online business directory that allows local Garrett County businesses to list their services across categories including lodging, dining, recreation, shopping, real estate, and professional services, with member-only access and management features. Used by visitors to discover local businesses and by members to gain directory exposure.
• Event Calendar System A web-based event calendar featuring local festivals, live music, seasonal celebrations, and community events in Garrett County, with category filtering, add-to-calendar functionality, and email reminders for users.
• Visitor Guides (Electronic & Print) Digital and physical visitor guides that provide comprehensive information about Garrett County's four-season activities, attractions, events, and travel planning resources; available free of charge via the Chamber's website.
• Hot Deals & Lodging Discounts Platform An online deals platform featuring current discounts and special offers on lodging and activities throughout Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County, accessible to visitors free of charge.
• Garrett County Experience Passes Curated bundled experience passes that provide access to multiple attractions and activities across Garrett County as a single purchase offering.
• Virtual Reality Tour of Garrett County An immersive virtual reality tour that allows potential visitors to explore Garrett County attractions and landscapes before their trip; partially funded by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.
• Deep Creek Lake & Garrett County Tourism Promotion Platform A comprehensive tourism promotion platform showcasing Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County, Maryland as a four-season destination, featuring visitor information on activities, attractions, lodging, dining, and events.
• Chamber Membership Program An annual membership program offering local Garrett County businesses tiered benefits including directory listings, member news exposure, cost-savings and discount programs, networking events, ribbon cutting ceremonies, and access to economic and workforce development resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 40 hiking trails supported and promoted through the Chamber
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Maryland Heritage Areas AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Maryland Heritage Areas Authority provided state funding for the Garrett County Virtual Reality Tour project, demonstrating a partnership supporting heritage and cultural tourism development in the region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce: Lakeside regional chamber with a directly analogous operating model: lake-centered destination, member lodging directory, event calendar, and tourism marketing for a four-season leisure catchment.
• Wisp Resort: Maryland's only ski resort and a flagship Chamber member. Operates year-round recreational activities (skiing, snowboarding, water sports) in the same destination ecosystem the Chamber promotes — they share traffic, brand association, and seasonal demand drivers.

Regional players

• Visit Frederick (Frederick County Tourism Council): Maryland DMO with combined tourism marketing and chamber-style business-support functions. Comparable operating model: visitor guides, event calendar, member directory for a regional destination brand.
• Ocean City Maryland Tourism: State-coast destination marketing operation with the same member/merchant-promotion mechanics as Garrett County Chamber. Comparable GTM motion: drive-to beachfront destination with seasonal peaks and a member directory.
• Allegany County Chamber of Commerce: Neighboring western Maryland chamber serving a similar rural / outdoor-recreation economy. Compares on member-funded nonprofit model, tourism promotion role, and small-business member base.
• Deep Creek Lake Vacation Rentals (private operators): Vacation rental operators and property managers around Deep Creek Lake that compete with Chamber-promoted lodging inventory. Directly comparable because they occupy the same destination the Chamber markets and rely on the same visitor demand pool.

Broad incumbents

• Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce / Explore Asheville: Mid-sized mountain destination with a chamber + tourism DMO hybrid model. Compares on promoting outdoor recreation, local artisan businesses, and signature festivals around natural assets.
• Maryland Office of Tourism: State-level DMO that channels grant funding (e.g., Maryland Heritage Areas Authority) and cooperative marketing to sub-state DMOs like Garrett County. Sets the macro tourism strategy Garrett County executes against.
• Park City Chamber of Commerce / Visit Park City: Mountain/lake destination DMO with a much larger budget and four-season positioning. Comparable because it monetizes the same four-season mountain-resort demand profile and runs a member directory + event calendar against the same traveler.

Others

• GrowthZone (chamber SaaS platform): The technology vendor whose platform powers the Chamber's member management, directory, and event calendar. Relevant as the underlying operating-system peer and as the upstream SaaS that many comparable chambers share.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtiktok.com/@visitdeepcreek
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GarrettChamber
• Facebookfacebook.com/deepcreeklakemd
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitdeepcreek/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-garrett-county-chamber-of-commerce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce