into a 5,000-seat indoor arena when needed, hosting everything from corporate conventions to major sports tournaments. “Our back door is to the bay and the front door is two blocks from our beach,” explains Kim Mueller, the center’s Sales Director. “That’s a huge highlight for this meeting space where people really feel surrounded by nature at the same time as being productive and inspired.”The facility’s 75,000 square feet of continuous exhibit space, 19 breakout rooms, and waterfront ballroom serve Ocean City’s tourism economy, which welcomes up to eight million visitors annually and transforms the city into Maryland’s second-most populated municipality during summer months. Mueller emphasizes their operational philosophy: “We don’t say no. We figure out how to make it work.” This approach has proven effective in an industry where 78% of organizers now identify in-person events as their most impactful marketing channel. The center’s sweet spot accommodates conventions of 2,000 to 5,000 attendees, though city-wide events can reach 25,000 participants, leveraging Ocean City’s 10,000 hotel rooms and 25,000 short-term rental units to support large-scale gatherings. DECADES OF STRATEGIC EVOLUTION The Roland E.Powell Convention Center’s journey from a 1970s facility with an awkward front-loading dock to today’s modern waterfront destination illustrates how strategic reinvestment can transform aging infrastructure. Jessica Waters, communications and marketing director at Town of Ocean City, Maryland, recalls the original design’s peculiarities: “When it was initially built, the loading dock was actually in the front of the building, and it had this ramp that took you up. It was the most bizarre looking thing.” Major renovations have reshaped the facility’s functionality and appeal over decades. Waters explains how these changes enhanced their waterfront advantage: “We’ve seen some pretty significant evolutions of the space to accommodate different events and activities but also has allowed us to really take better advantage of where our location is by including this dockside gallery that we have now.” The 2012 addition of a performing 3 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 10 ROLAND E. POWELL CONVENTION CENTER
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