Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce

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1 Volume 12, Issue th Quarter A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT BY SCOTT HALLIDAY Dear Chamber Members, 2010 was an eventful year in Ocean City. Plagued by heavy snowfall in the winter months but awarded with hot, dry weather for the season were both detrimental and beneficial to our businesses. With the winter snows closed schools in the region, the snow days needed to be made up in the spring leading to a late start of our busy season. However the hot, dry summer months lead to people swarming to the shore areas for the cool ocean breezes. Even with the economy in a downturn, our visitors still came to Ocean City, as to many, it is only a tank full of gas away. We are fortunate to be in this convenient and populated area. The Chamber started 2010 with Steve Brady s Annual Economic Forecast. With the state of the economy, it was uplifting to hear his positive and realistic point-of-view. The Economic Forecast was followed by the Annual Board of Directors and Officers Installation Dinner. The Board Members and Officers were installed providing an inclusive board with active members from across the community. Gary Jessel handed over the gavel and I was installed as the new President. I would like to thank the members of our community for their support and look forward to another year as Chamber President. In March, we held a membership breakfast meeting with Congressman Frank LoBiondo. We are fortunate to have his support as he has been a strong advocate for Ocean City. Without Congressman LoBiondo s help, our city would not receive the amount of funding they do for beach nourishment. The Annual Salute to Working Women was again held on Administrative Professionals Day in April and we were happy to honor Midge Grunstra from Goldcoast Sotheby s as our Business Woman of the Year and Robin Stoloff as our guest speaker. The following week, the Chamber held its 2 nd Annual Marketing Summit to help local businesses prepare their advertising and marketing plans for the summer and receive discounted advertising rates. Later that evening, the President s Club Industry Leaders Forum was a successful new endeavor with guest speakers, Steven Brady, President and CEO of Ocean City Home Bank; Michael Halter, Director of Customer and Utility Service at South Jersey Gas; Ronald W. Johnson, MBA, FACHE, Executive Vice President/ Chief Operating Officer for Shore Memorial Hospital; and Mark Juliano, Chief Executive Officer for Trump Entertainment. There was a tremendous amount of useful knowledge shared at the Forum and were honored to have the Industry Leaders with us that evening. In May, the Chamber hosted a luncheon at the Flanders with New (continued on page 4) Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce 16 East 9th Street - - Phone: Fax: info@oceancitychamber.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Executive Director Letter 2 New Members 3 Economic Forecast 7 Chamber Photos 8 Guest Column Signs Sell 10 SAVE THE DATE 1/13 Economic Forecast, Noon, Flanders Hotel 1/17 Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2/8 Installation Dinner 2/14 Happy Valentines Day! 2/21 Presidents Day 3/2011 Membership Meeting with Congressman LoBiondo 4/14 Marketing Summit 4/27 Salute to Working Women FACEBOOK Become a fan of the Ocean City NJ page on Facebook to stay up to date on all Ocean City NJ happenings! Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc.

2 Page 2 Chamber Notes A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Members, This season the Chamber has worked closely with the Board of Realtors, Boardwalk Merchants, Main Street, Retail Merchants, the City of Ocean City and the Tourism Commission to promote Ocean City! We have been extremely active in events that include the Block Parties, a wonderful Old Fashioned Family Christmas Celebration and First Night. We have endeavored to send a compelling message to our members as well as the community -- in difficult times you need to support your own, we can adapt to difficult times, and that during this recession we will help one purchase at a time. This year we will be encouraging businesses to promote Ocean City shopping and shopping locally which has created a buzz and mobilized the community to do the right thing SHOP LOCAL. BUY LOCAL. One of the primary missions of the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce is to serve our members through outstanding advocacy for all of our business establishments. We want to do everything possible to attract both our residents and visitors to Ocean City, because we know if we can get them here, they ll want to keep coming back (or end up making this their permanent home). The Ocean City business community offers such a unique experience, with its warmth, charm, and friendly atmosphere that makes our shoppers and visitors comfortable and instills an experience of more than just shopping. We will do everything we can to promote and build on the foundation that s been established by our hardworking merchants and business people. The Welcome Center with the combination of our offices and the information center has helped us focus our efforts on making sure that all who come here know Ocean City is open for business. There is so much that Ocean City has to offer, and we want to make sure that when the people come over that bridge, we provide them with interesting and accurate details about our member businesses, and all the options available from our merchants and business community. We look forward to the New Year, and stand ready to serve and represent our businesses, and will work tirelessly to do everything we can to assist in making Ocean City a place people want to come to over and over again. Thank you for your hard work and support. There is no better feeling than that which comes from the appreciation and encouragement provided to us from our members it keeps us going and makes us want to do our best everyday. Fondly, Michele Gillian Remember to Check Your Business s Page on to be sure it is up to date with information and a photo or logo. Please submit any updates, photos and logos to shawnda@oceancitychamber.com

3 Volume 12, Issue th Quarter Page 3 NEW MEMBERS 10/2/10 TO 12/31/10 Advertising & Marketing Patch Douglas Bergen Architect Christina Amey Architect, LLC Christina Amey 761 Asbury Avenue Bakeries Fractured Prune Ocean City New Jersey Joanne Jenkins 1225 Asbury Avenue Bicycles Sales & Service Tuckahoe Bike Shop of Ocean City Niclas Elmer 1214 West Avenue Cleaning Services Cape Islands Carpet Care & Restoration Ken Weber PO Box 1435 Wildwood, NJ Credit Card Processing BC Processing Damon Brown 633 E. Elmer Street Vineland, NJ Electrical Contractor Quality Electric Service Brian Poe DeHirsch Avenue Woodbine, NJ (609) Fishing & Boating Pirates Cove Marina Arthur Weiler 308 Bay Ave (267) Hotels/Motels Diplomat Beach Club James Payne 225 E. Wildwood Avenue Wildwood, NJ Ice Cream/Restaurants Johnny B Goode Ice Cream Parlor & Grill Jane Davis 3339 West Avenue (34th St. & West next to Hoys) Musicians Jiggs Lenahan Jiggs Lenahan Plumbing C. Leo Wilson Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC Tony Wilson 920 Haven Avenue Realtors Goldcoast Sotheby s International Realty Anne McDowell 1760 Asbury Avenue Retail Bag Room Bob Taylor 700 Asbury Avenue (609) Pacific Soul Roger Brangan 817 Asbury Avenue (609) Pessano s Variety Stores Andrew Passano 1130 Boardwalk (609) Pessano s Variety Stores Andrew Passano 801 3rd Street (609) Solar Power Future Solar Power, LLC Chris Meredith & Lynda Quish 221 Country House Rd, Ste. 7 Sewell, NJ (609) Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce Beach-NJ info@oceancitychamber.com

4 Page 4 (Presidents Letter continued from page 1) Jersey Department of Transportation, to give our membership an update on the Route 52 Causeway and Bridge project. Prior to the luncheon update, Ocean City High School television production classes devised questions about the project and interviews were filmed with officials from NJDOT for the documentary they started two years ago with the Chamber on the bridge project. June featured a mixer with Shore Memorial Hospital and tours of the new Hospital project were given. Both the size of the project and the progress they have made are remarkable. Shore Memorial Hospital is an integral part of our community and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them. The Farmer s and Crafter s Market, as well as the Historic Inn-to-Inn Tours, ran in July and August. The Farmer s and Crafter s Market had a great turn-out again and provided Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables to our residents, visitors and local restaurants and businesses. Guests of the Inn-to- Inn Tours received a guided tour along with personal tours from the Inn Keepers at the local Bed and Breakfasts. The Ocean City Life Savings Station was a new addition to the tour this summer. July was an exciting month, beginning with the Inauguration of our new Mayor, Jay A. Gillian. The Mayor, and his new administration, are working hard for Ocean City and we appreciate their openness and attentiveness to the business community. The city has been very responsive to the needs and requests of our local businesses. Mayor Gillian addressed the Chamber membership in August at our Annual Breakfast with the Mayor held at the Flanders. Christina Genovese, Director of Business Affairs, Office of the Governor, joined us for an update from the Governors office. A new endeavor this summer, the Chamber worked closely with the Ocean City Tourism Development Commission putting together the biggest contest Ocean City has ever offered. Eight families were awarded a free, week-long family vacation along with an outstanding gift basket full of Ocean City items donated by local businesses. Thank you to all the businesses who donated to this unique contest. The Chamber s Annual Roast was held in September and this year s roastee was Brian Dog Broadley, the Chamber s First Vice President. Brian was a good sport as a number of his friends took shots at him and his wife Caren was especially helpful in preparations. We wrapped up September with the Annual OCPD Beach BBQ, helping to raise funds for the K-9 and Chamber Notes Motorcycle Units. This year was the biggest turnout yet for this event. It was a wonderful evening with friends all while supporting a worthwhile cause. October is always a busy month for the Chamber. We held the 4 th Annual Business Summit which showed that our visitors are still very interested in a good value, are looking for deals and that niche marketing can be beneficial. This year s Summit was expanded and included new speakers to provide different views including that of the impact of our neighbor, Atlantic City, as well as, the importance of Social Networking. Laura Wallick, Regional Director of Business Development South from the NJ Economic Development Authority provided informative information regarding different programs available through the state to help small businesses. Welcome Night was held the following week at the Ocean City Music Pier. It was a tremendous success, despite the thunderous weather leading up to the event. Hundreds of local residents, businesses and organizations attended to the variety of Ocean City offerings. The tradition of Welcome Night continues to be a worthwhile event for all involved. The Chamber honored John Stauffer, owner of Johnson s Popcorn, at our Citizen of the Year and Business Beautification Awards Dinner. Additionally, twelve local businesses were honored. Congratulations again to all the 2010 award recipients. Once again, the Chamber co-hosted An Old- Fashioned Family Christmas in Ocean City with Main Street Ocean City, the Retail Merchant Association, the Tourism Commission and the City of Ocean City. The mega event was attended by hundreds of people who shopped our local businesses on Black Friday. An addition to the event this year, was the popular appearance of the Philly Phanatic. Kids of all ages enjoyed the festivities! 2010 proved to be a successful year for Ocean City and the Chamber of Commerce. I would like to thank the Board of Directors and Chamber Staff for their dedication to our community. The Chamber s Executive Director, Michele Gillian, works tirelessly to ensure success of all the Chamber activities. We look forward to continuing our work to promote Ocean City, NJ and help your businesses prosper in Sincerely, Scott Halliday Scott Halliday

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6 Page 6 Chamber Notes In a Jam Call Gam! Air Conditioning Plumbing Heating FREE Estimates 115 Roosevelt Blvd., PO Box 37 Marmora, New Jersey License #827 HIC #13Vh For your peace of mind South Jersey Home Health Care Provides: Highest Quality Caregivers in South Jersey. Hourly and Live-in Specialists. Case Management Available 24/7. In-Home Consultation with Certified Senior Advisor and RN Evaluation at no cost to you. Specializing in Elderly & Special Needs Care 1028 Asbury Avenue

7 Volume 12, Issue th Quarter Page 7 ANNUAL ECONOMIC FORECAST The Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly membership luncheon on Thursday, January 13, 2011 at The Flanders Hotel in Ocean City. The event will begin at 12pm and will feature Steven E. Brady, President of Ocean City Home Bank as the guest speaker to give his 2011 Economic Forecast. The luncheon is $25.00 and is open to all members and member guests. Reservations can be made by calling o r e - m a i l : Steven E. Brady President Ocean City Home Bank info@oceancitychamber.com. Need Info? Meeting Dates Special Events Business Search Weekly Specials Free Visitors Guide Mark Soifer Column Legislative Updates Visit Us Today at: Phone: (609)

8 Page 8 Chamber Notes CHAMBER PHOTOS Chamber Members gather at the Ocean City Tabernacle for the Chamber s Annual Business Summit held in October. Laura Wallick, Regional Director for Business Development, South with the NJ Economic Development Authority, presents at the Chamber s Annual Business Summit Ocean City businesses, organizations and residents pack the Ocean City Music Pier for the Chamber s Annual Welcome Night held in October. Ocean City Police Department Patrolman John Vogt participates with a table at the Chamber s Annual Welcome Night held at the Music Pier. The Chamber s Annual Citizen of the Year and Outstanding Business and Beautification Awards Dinner was held at the Flanders in November. John Stauffer, Citizen of the Year is pictured here with his wife Rita, OC Chamber of Commerce President Scott Halliday and Chamber Executive Director Michele Gillian. The Philly Phanatic greets guests at the Annual Old- Fashioned Family Christmas held in Downtown Ocean City along Asbury Avenue. Santa arrives on the roof of City Hall at the Annual Old- Fashioned Family Christmas held in Downtown Ocean City along Asbury Avenue. Martin Z. Mollusk shows off his new costume with Mark Soifer and Michele Gillian.

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10 Page 10 Chamber Notes GUEST COLUMN BY RICK SEGEL Signs Sell Signs are the most misunderstood and underutilized tool in retailing today. I believe that the fastest way to sales increases is through effective interior advertising, aka signage. I have been preaching signage for the past 4 years. I wrote The Retail Store Sign Manifesto, the book Signs Sell, a book specifically written for the tanning industry that will be released for all retailers as soon as my staff can catch up with the multiple projects we all have on our plates. I am so passionate about signage because I have seen firsthand how effective signs can be. The problem is that when most retailers think about signs, they either think of the sign above their door or sales signs. It is so much more than that. There were four incidences that made me a believer in the power of signage. The first was when I was asked to evaluate main street merchants. I would make suggestions about putting a specific type of sign in a specific spot and another type in a different location. I didn t think much of it until I made the suggestions and a few hours later or the next day or the next week, I would receive a call or an from the store telling me about the positive effects those signs made. I was still not aware that I was onto anything significant, and then I recalled a report that I was privileged to see from a major home goods chain where the managers were complaining about all the signs they had to put up. At Christmas time, it became a bigger chore when they were busy. So management did a test of the 12 stores across the country and took down all of their signage. In a ten-day period, sales from the test stores dropped on an average of 34% while the rest of the chain was experiencing 2% increases. The only difference was the signage. Then, I worked with a business that had a carved wooden sign made for their restaurant business. The sign was magnificent with one small exception. The person who carved the sign didn t have enough room to write down the full word restaurant. So he abbreviated restaurant and just wrote rest. Everyone thought it was a rest stop and his business plummeted. He was reluctant to change it because he had spent so much money on the sign, which obviously was a bad reason. When it was finally changed, his business started experiencing a 40% increase (he did add a couple of other signs as well, but it was still all about signage). Lastly, the one form of advertising that has fared well during this economic slowdown is billboard advertising. The reason why is because it is considered to be word of mouth advertising. Let me share my formula to use signage -- I call it the I.S.E.E. Method for Effective Signage. The I stands for informative signs, such as department identifiers, where to check out and where the bathrooms are. It can also include store policies as well. The S stands for selling signs which range in variety from new, different, interesting and fun to signs such as 20% off, 2 for 1, buy one/second one free, 25% off, etc., etc. The first E is for Educational Signs, which are signs that teach our customers about the product or any kind of need they may have pertaining to the product. Become the source of education; it goes a long way. The second E is for entertainment to put the customer in a good mood. How many times have you heard a customer say I am not in the mood? Let s put up fun signs that will put them in a happy mood. We are in the entertainment business today. Anything anyone wants to buy, they can buy online and generally for less money. When we entertain our customers, it separates and differentiates us from the rest of the crowd. Rick Segel, CSP, a seasoned retailer of 25 years, owned one of New England s most successful independent woman s specialty stores. He is the marketing expert for Staples.com, a contributing writer for numerous national publications, and a founding member of the Retail Advisory Council for Johnson & Wales University. Rick is the Director of Retail Training for the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. He also has authored eight books, two training videos and a six-hour audio program. He can be contacted at rick@ricksegel.com or

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