New & Coming Soon to Ocean City
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The Roland E. Powell Convention Center will begin an interior renovation in July that will bring refreshed style to the facility. The new look will feature warm, modern design elements, with nods to Ocean City’s appeal as a resort destination and the use of circles — similar to Ocean City’s own logo — to represent smiles and the infinite opportunities for groups at the venue. In addition, the convention center is currently offering incentives for off-season, mid-week conventions and other group events in 2024 and 2025 booked by December 31, 2023. The offers include financial concessions, in-kind marketing support and rent reduction. Contact director of sales Kim Mueller at kmueller@oceancitymd.gov for more information. To build interest in Ocean City as a meetings destination, the tourism office also recently debuted a new video.
• Planners can infuse events with an offbeat
vibe at Seacrets, which will soon debut a new
venue called Seacrets Area 51, a 1,800-square-foot space featuring antique
stained-glass windows and inspiring bay views.
• With sustainability growing as a priority for meeting planners and stakeholders, Ocean City is proving its worth as an eco-friendly place to meet, thanks to the presence of local environmental organizations like Go Green OC, which is working toward a goal of zero waste. This year, Ocean County Tourism is helping convention center events to achieve the same goal, working with meeting planners to achieve a zero-waste certification from Go Green OC. In addition, the tourism office is participating in initiatives including community composting, beach cleanups and educational programs, and nearly 30 restaurants are expected to participate in a new compost program.
• Ocean City has unveiled a new
campaign that highlights its appeal for those looking for an ideal
warm-weather destination that’s within an easy drive eastern U.S. cities.
“Catch a Ride,” is being promoted through a mobile pop-up event tour that also
ties in with a new brand platform, “Somewhere to Smile About.” Among the first to witness the new brand
reveal was a group of meeting planners who participated in a fam trip in early May. The
visit, which showcased the destination’s many offerings for the MICE segment,
included hotel site inspections and tours of group-friendly area attractions
like Windmill Creek Vineyard and Winery, the historic town of Berlin and
Assateague Island National Seashore Park.
• The former Dunes Manor has been reflagged as the Hilton Garden Inn Ocean City Oceanfront. The upgraded property has meeting space and a business center, as well as an indoor pool; it is currently taking reservations for July 1, 2023, and beyond. Also getting ready to show off a fresh look is the Ocean City Fontainebleau Resort, which offers 40,000 square feet of meeting space; the property is under new ownership and is in the midst of a multi-million-dollar renovation. And the Holiday Inn Oceanfront is sporting refreshed interiors and a full overhaul of its outdoor space and pool; the property has 6,700 square feet of meeting space.
• Developers have proposed to build a Margaritaville Hotel and Resort on Ocean City's Boardwalk. Plans call for a 265-room property that will include three restaurants, three outdoor pools, a fitness center and 14,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
More Meeting & Event Venues in Ocean City
• The 250,000-square-foot Roland E. Powell Convention Center offers 75,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 19,126 square-foot Bayfront Ballroom, 15,000 square-foot Bayfront gallery, 21 meeting rooms, two executive boardrooms and a 1,200-seat Performing Arts Center.
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Among the top group-friendly hotels in Ocean
City is the Princess Royal Oceanfront Resort,
which is billed as the largest oceanfront resort in Maryland. The property
features 10 meeting rooms as well as a 300-person ballroom and two outdoor
venues. Guests can also make use of an Olympic-sized indoor pool, a spa and
five food and beverage outlets
• There’s a new way to say “cheers” in Ocean City. Group-friendly restaurant Embers has added a new, onsite microbrewery, The Other One Brewing Co. The facility, which shares a dog-friendly courtyard with the neighboring Blu Crabhouse, has private meeting and event space and serves a wide variety of brews as well as beer-inspired cocktails. It’s a great place to sample local favorites like Hoop Tea, a spiked iced tea that was born on the boardwalk of Ocean City.
• The Cambria Hotel Ocean City – Bayfront, located near the boardwalk, is a stylishly furnished property with an outdoor pool, business center, tiki bar, poolside cabanas and more than 2,400 square feet of meeting and event space.
• For a relaxed vibe near the beach, groups can consider a visit to Fager’s Island, which is home to the award-winning Fager’s Island Restaurant and Bar. The venue has lots of outdoor seating and serves a sophisticated menu of American and Pacific Rim cuisine.
• Fresh seafood and Angus beef are among the specialties at Harbor Watch Restaurant, which is located on the southern end of the Ocean City boardwalk. The venue offers banquet menus and space for up to 250 guests for private events.
• Groups can savor a variety of noteworthy wines at the Windmill Creek Vineyard, which serves reds, whites and a new line of fruit wine. The venue also offers fine dining at its Mariner House restaurant and frequently hosts live musical performances.
Sports Venues in Ocean City
• The Roland E. Powell Convention Center can accommodate a full range of indoor sporting events, while the Performing Arts Center can host a variety of events including cheer and dance competitions, and award ceremonies.
• Northside Park, Ocean City’s largest and most popular park facility, is located just 11 miles from the Roland E. Powell Convention Center. The 58-acre complex is well-suited for sporting activities, thanks to its impressive array of facilities, which include walking and jogging paths, three lighted softball/baseball fields, a lighted soccer field, a multipurpose sports field and even a fishing lagoon. Concession stands, two piers and a gazebo add to the venue’s appeal. Groups can also make use of a 14,200-square-foot gymnasium, complete with kitchen, community room, conference room and a sports annex with a 21,000-square-foot arena.
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Additional public parks with sports facilities include John Walter Smith
Park, which
has basketball, tennis and pickleball courts as well as an 18-hole disc golf
course, and Newton
Park, which has
baseball, softball and baseball fields, a walking and mountain bike trail and
fishing pond.
• The Ocean City Tennis Center can host a number of tennis activities, including tournaments.
• With 17 championship golf courses surrounded by beautiful landscapes and water views, Ocean City is well-equipped to hold golf tournaments of any size. The destination
is also home to several miniature golf courses.
• Skateboarders of all ages and skill levels will find lots to like at the Ocean Bowl Skate Park, which is billed as the oldest operating municipal skate park in the United States.The 17,000-square-foot, concrete-based park features an innovative, 13,000-square-foot open concrete street course, complete with hit walls, hips and a small bowl.
• The nearby town of Berlin is home to a popular facility for sports enthusiasts: the Northern Worcester Atlantic Complex, which has multiple baseball, softball and multipurpose fields as well as walking trails, a pavilion with grills and a concession stand.