Resort Adapting Advertising Buys To Reflect Market; Officials See Cautious Opportunity With Jersey Recovery

OCEAN CITY – Most of the resort’s competition to the north will not be up to par this summer following the unfortunate damage left by Hurricane Sandy, and Ocean City tourism officials are cautiously looking to remind Jersey shore visitors what lies a few hours to the south.

Following a Tourism Commission meeting last Friday when the town’s advertising firm, MGH, presented recommended media advertising buys for the upcoming summer season, MGH President Andy Malis returned to the full Mayor and City Council on Monday evening after receiving consensus form the commission to move forward with the recommendations made.

Malis began by explaining he felt it was MGH’s responsibility to acknowledge the hardship New Jersey beach communities are enduring in preparing for the rapidly approaching summer season.

“After Hurricane Sandy hit … it has changed the marketplace for what we sell. My job is to look at selling Ocean City and the product that we have and it would be irresponsible for us not to look at it in those terms,” he said. “Believe me, all of us would be much happier if this never occurred to our neighbors to the north but it did and it is affecting the marketplace.”

MGH has completed extensive research of the New Jersey shore line and into New York, concluding there is a difference in the reconstruction progress being presented in the press versus reality.

“The truth is it is rough and they are not going to be competing as they normally do,” Malis said.

Rutgers University recently conducted a poll that showed 64 percent of those who identify themselves as regular Jersey Shore visitors plan to spend as much time at the shore this summer as they have in past summers, 30 percent of visitors that stay four days to a week regularly are planning to cut back and 6 percent are planning to spend less time to no time at all because of Hurricane Sandy.

“There are fewer restaurants open, there are fewer amusement parks open, there are fewer inventories of hotel rooms and condominiums that are available and that is all affecting the Jersey Shore,” Malis said. “Clearly they are worried … basically visitors who had previously vacationed at the shore are looking for alternatives and they are also putting off their looking and are waiting to see.”

Diane Wieland, director of the Cape May County Department of Tourism, was recently quoted as saying, “This is a very critical moment for us in the vacation rental market. If we lose the tourists now, they could be gone for good.”

Malis furthered New Jersey is not playing dead and is fighting back. Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno has said New Jersey is not going to give up and officials are trying to get an additional $20 million put towards marketing for this summer.

“More than any other year the strength, timing and geography of our marketing is critical and we should keep what’s happening up north in mind. This event has given an unprecedented opportunity to reach people who didn’t hear us before,” Malis said. “We have advertised heavily for five years now in Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey, and you can see by the number of cars on the road in the summer that we have reached those people, and they are becoming regular visitors but a big chunk of those people have never heard our advertising message. They have no interest whatsoever in changing their habit in where they would regularly go. This year they may hear us. They may not hear us again in a year, and so it is important that we are heard without taking advantage of using any particular marketing messages that would look like we are taking advantage of the situation … despite what people may think of my profession, we do have ethics and I would not advertise tobacco or furs, and I certainly would not want to take advantage by doing something particularly different but there is no reason not to continue what we have been doing and to make sure our message is heard.”

MGH suggested advertising earlier this year with heavier media buys in Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey and adding Pittsburgh.

In 2012, there were 12 weeks of Ocean City advertisements on air in Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey for 12 weeks, Baltimore, D.C. and HLLY (Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York, Pa.) for 13 weeks and zero in Pittsburgh. This year MGH is recommending 16 weeks in Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey, 13 weeks in Baltimore, D.C. and HLLY and 12 weeks in Pittsburgh.

“Pittsburgh is a very efficient market, it is not very expensive, so we are able to do that,” Malis said.

MGH recommended having 22 weeks of online media from April 1 to Sept. 1 with search results, display banners, and mobile banners to drive Ocean City application downloads. Also, 19 weeks of billboards from April 22-Sept. 1 with 64 billboards in four markets of Baltimore, D.C., HLLY and New York/New Jersey, and along highways and expressways, such as I-95, I-83, I-76, 295, 395 and the New Jersey Turnpike. Additionally, two weeks of radio spots from July 29-Aug. 11 were pitched to support the second half of the summer season.

“My idea was to encourage people to go back to the Jersey beaches,” Councilman Brent Ashley said. “Do a campaign that we understand what it is like to have natural disasters, and we appreciate what the business people are going through and we want to encourage people to go back to the Jersey beaches if possible. I think that type of campaign would create so much good will it would be priceless.”

However, Ashley did agree with expanding media buys to Pittsburgh.

“There is a great market in the Pittsburgh area,” he said. “As you know, the weekly rentals have dropped off considerably in the last several years, and along with our Canadian visitors, the further they have to come the longer will stay.”

The Mayor and City Council voted unanimously to approve MGH recommendations in media buys, including the expansion to the Pittsburgh area.

More Detailed Tourism Data Eyed

OCEAN CITY – Several suggestions are currently being weighed in the hopes of using other measures than Demoflush as the town’s primary tourism metric.

The Tourism Commission met for the first time in over two years last Friday, and Council Secretary Mary Knight was elected chair with a unanimous vote.

Among those in attendance were representatives from the Mayor and City Council, department heads, the town’s advertising agency, MGH, the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (OCHMRA), the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC), the Ocean City Economic Development Committee (EDC) and Greg Shockley of Shenanigans Irish Pub and the Maryland Tourism Development Board.

“We have always used Demoflush, and the good thing with Demoflush is we have something to compare but we need more than that,” Knight said.

Demoflush figures are estimations on the population based on wastewater flow from Ocean City provided by the Ocean City Wastewater Division and calculated by the OC Tourism Department.

“It is frustrating I think for everybody trying to know if you are doing better or worse, or is what we’re doing impacting the results or not,” MGH President Andy Malis of the town’s advertising efforts.

Malis suggested meeting with a company he has worked with in the past. According to Malis, the company is made up of mathematicians who study various data collected by the town, such as Demoflush and Smith Travel Reports, to find a correlation and to not only determine a population estimate but determine how visitation is impacted by certain advertising efforts.

“When I had a conversation with the guy on the phone about it, he asked what I could send him to take a look at, and I said well the only thing I have handy is the Demoflush and the Smith Travel research, so I sent it to him, and within two hours he called me back and said, well there is a direct correlation between … I didn’t understand half of what he was saying but I knew he was already getting somewhere,” Malis said. “I am not saying this is the only thing you can look into … but it might be one of the answers you are looking for to really go beyond all of our intellectual capability to understand how to measure a very complicated metric.”

OCHMRA Executive Director Susan Jones pointed out occupancy rate of hotels and condominiums are a metric that is important to be determined on the town’s part. She reminded the commission that the county has shared their own numbers of room tax numbers that reflected the difference in hotel occupancy and condo occupancy in the past.

“Occupancy rate is hugely important because you talk about room tax increasing and it is fantastic that it goes up but we also have to look at the occupancy,” she said.

Councilman Dennis Dare recalled a visit to the Maryland Comptroller’s Office where a binder stood on a shelf labeled Ocean City.

“He pulls this book out and he starts going through telling us all these numbers,” he said. “I don’t know if they are publically available … the point is they had it broken out into entertainment, restaurants, everything.”

Shockley suggested getting in touch with the Maryland Office of Tourism, which composites tourism data on a state level. Shockley also suggested taking advantage of a nearby resource, Business, Economic and Community Outreach Network (BEACON) founder Dr. Memo Diriker.

The Tourism Commission was in consensus with moving forward in contacting the local and state resources to develop a more reliable tourism metric as well as meeting with the company Malis suggested.

Off-Duty Officer’s Gun Swiped In Hotel Burglary

OCEAN CITY — A Bridgeville, Del. man was arrested on numerous charges last weekend after allegedly swiping a handgun from the hotel room of a federal officer and firing the weapon in the room before being nabbed on the Boardwalk a short time later.

Around 11:15 p.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police responded to the Comfort Inn on the Boardwalk in response to a burglary and the theft of an off-duty federal law enforcement officer’s handgun.

OCPD officers arrived at the scene and met with the victim, who was identified as an off-duty federal officer who was staying in the hotel for the weekend. The victim told OCPD officers he had left the room and returned later to discover his .40 caliber handgun and several items of personal property were missing and believed to have been stolen.

During the on-scene investigation, OCPD officers were able to view the hotel’s video surveillance system, which further helped identify a suspect. The description of the suspect was broadcast to other officers in the area. Within 30 minutes of the initial report, OCPD officers located a suspect at 8th Street and the Boardwalk later identified as Jeffrey Lynn King, 19, of Bridgeville, Del.

OCPD officers recovered from the waistband of King’s pants a loaded .40 caliber handgun, which they subsequently confirmed was the weapon stolen from the off-duty federal officer’s hotel room. In addition, officers recovered several other items belonging to the victim, which were reported stolen during the burglary. During the course of the investigation, it was determined King had allegedly fired the handgun in the hotel room during the burglary.

King was arrested and charged with first-, third- and fourth-degree burglary, possession of a handgun, reckless endangerment and discharging a firearm within Ocean City. It was also determined King had an outstanding warrant from Wicomico County.

Ocean City Hotel Using Spring To Boost Efficiency

OCEAN CITY — Gearing up for the summer season, the Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel in Ocean City is spending the spring becoming more energy efficient through the installation of new LED lighting in all public areas as well as more effective skylights over the hotel’s indoor pool.

The replacement of traditional fluorescent lights with new LED bulbs began in mid-March with project completion expected by the end of the month.

“It’s a huge energy savings,” said General Manager Mark Elman.

The LED lights, which can last up to a decade without being replaced, will cut the amount of kilowatt hours (kwh) the hotel uses by about 500,000 per year, falling from 4.3 million to 3.7 million kwh. This translates into a more efficient use of energy, making running the hotel greener and cheaper.

“There’ll be considerable savings on our electric bill over time once the project is paid for,” said Elman.

Also appealing to the hotel was the fact that the lighting change, which will encompass all public areas at the hotel including lobbies, restaurants, and the convention center, doesn’t pack an upfront cost.

“There’s really no out-of-pocket expense for us so the project essentially isn’t costing us anything,” Elman said.

Partnering with Efficiency Made Easy (EME), the Clarion won’t be paying for the lights before installation. Instead, the cost will be factored into the hotel’s energy bill over many months. Because the LED lights will reduce kwh needed, however, Elman was confident that the end-run cost of the transition will be negligible and eventually overshadowed by continual savings.

Elman also commented on the longevity of the LED bulbs and the savings there.

“They’re supposed to last for, they say potentially, up to 10 years before you have to replace one,” he said. “So there’s savings not only with the electric bill but also maintenance wise.”

In addition to the new LED bulbs, Fontainebleau also replaced the skylights over its indoor pool this spring. According to Elman, the new panels are roughly twice as thick and are opaque. The design will keep warm air in the pool room during the winter and cool air inside during the summer meaning the hotel’s heating and cooling system won’t be as stressed.

Between the two improvements, Elman said that the facility will be running more efficiently than ever and savings realized with energy will be reinvested back into the hotel and its amenities.

“Energy is one of our biggest expenses … if we can find ways to save on energy, it enables us to put money back into the hotel in other ways,” he said.

Mitch Scott Remembered; ‘He Just Lived To Help Others’; Services Set For This Weekend

OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City area lost a giant last weekend when Mitch Scott, best known for his remarkable charitable efforts in the community, lost his battle with a lengthy illness on Sunday.

Mitchell Kevin Scott, 56, of Ocean City, who was the CEO of Great Scott Broadcasting and its fleet of area radio stations, passed away at his home in Ocean City last Sunday, after a lengthy battle with leukemia. Scott officially presided over a large, multi-station broadcasting company in Ocean City and across the Eastern Shore, but unofficially, he was one of the region’s greatest behind-the-scenes benefactor, a remarkably charitable individual who gave freely of himself and his vast resources for causes large and small in the community and far beyond.

A Celebration of Scott’s Life will be held on Saturday, March 23, at 11:30 a.m. at The Fountains in Salisbury. Additionally, the Greene Turtle North will host a Celebrate and Remember Mitch gathering on Sunday, March 24 from 1-3 p.m. with donations accepted for the American Cancer Society in his memory.

Over the years, Scott became a fixture at Ocean City fundraisers, donating thousands of dollars’ worth of tickets to shows and sporting events, limousine transportation, sports memorabilia and other valuables to countless silent auctions and fundraisers. His relentless and tireless efforts to reach the fundraising goals for the hundreds of charitable organizations and events he attended often had him literally giving the shirt off his back, or one memorable occasion, an expensive watch off his wrist.

Far beyond the countless fundraising events he helped organize and sponsor, however, were the quiet things he did for those in need in the community without recognition or spotlight. As the news of his passing spread this week, endless stories of the “little” things he did for those most in need around the community unfolded, painting a remarkable picture of an otherwise relatively private person.

“He was the most misunderstood guy in Ocean City,” said Greene Turtle owner and long-time friend Steve Pappas this week. “He was the most giving person I’ve ever known. He helped so many people with gestures I knew about, and I probably only know a tenth of what he did, and I was with him almost every day. He was a bigger than life guy. He was my best friend.”

Pappas told several stories illustrating Scott’s endless charitable efforts that often went unreported. For example, on one occasion, Scott told Pappas to pick him up in the Greene Turtle van on a whim and the pair went to Wal-Mart and purchased $2,000 worth of dog food and dropped it off at the Worcester County Humane Society unannounced and anonymously.

“So much of what he did went unnoticed or unreported and that’s how he wanted it,” he said. “I always found it a little unusual he was never recognized with a Citizen of the Year award. It’s really a shame because he did so much. As big and charismatic as he was, he’s kind of a forgotten guy.”

Due to his business success, Scott could have essentially done whatever he wanted or lived wherever he wanted, but instead worked for years at the front door at Fager’s Island, officially helping with security but mostly because he just wanted to be around the people. Fager’s Island General Manager Kevin Myers this week fondly recalled the gentle giant at the door.

“Mitch Scott was a tremendous part of Fager’s Island,” he said. “He was kind and unbelievably generous. A warm, spirited man and a great friend.”

Harry Reinhart worked for Scott for 17 years and saw first-hand his endless charitable efforts, from serving as auctioneer at fundraisers to the quiet, behind-the-scenes things he did for those less fortunate in the area. As Scott’s sort of right-hand man, Reinhart said some of the things he witnessed over the years were simply incredible.

“I started working for him in 1996 and I never really had a job title, just got him around and helped him with all of the different things he was doing for people,” he said. “He did so many things behind the scenes that people didn’t hear about or didn’t always notice.

Reinhart recounted the story of how Scott helped his niece get a job in Georgetown. When he found out she got the job, but didn’t have any way of getting to it, he bought her a car. He told another story of a girl that worked in an Ocean City restaurant that was dealing with a personal tragedy and had lost her place to live. When the people she worked with were rallying to help her with the money she needed for a new place, Scott reached into his pocket and wrote a check for $1,600.

“That’s just how he was,” he said. “He never had any ulterior motive. He just lived to help others. People that knew him knew he didn’t want a pat on the back. He did it because he could and he did it because he just loved helping people.”

Reinhart said Scott rarely turned down an appeal for help, large or small.

“He was a great man and he would show up and rally for every cause,” he said. “Unfortunately, a lot of people took advantage of his kind nature over the years and he knew that, but he just didn’t care. He wanted to help.”

One of Scott’s favorite beneficiaries was the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD). Over the years, he contributed to the OCPD’s annual Torch Run and the annual holiday food and toy drive. He once bought a K-9 dog for the OCPD from Belgium, and when the dog perished en route to the resort, he turned around and bought another one. He also bought bikes for the OCPD bicycle patrol and contributed to the mounted unit. Most recently, he purchased a Taser for the department.

“Mitch was a staunch supporter of public safety in general and the Ocean City Police Department specifically,” said OCPD Public Information Officer Mike Levy this week. “He was an individual of great charity and a special personality who was very involved in his community. He was just an all-around really nice guy and a generous man and our prayers and sympathies go out to his family.”

Scott’s contributions to the community he loved are well documented, if not always recognized, but he also got behind several larger causes over the years. For example, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he organized an effort to raise about $60,000 for the World Trade Center Relief Fund. After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf area, he organized a major local relief effort for that cause. Previously, he led a cause for Hurricane Mitch victims over 10 years ago. Mostly, however, his generosity was concentrated in and around the home front.

“It’s always tough when we lose one of Ocean City’s residents, but we lost a very important resident on Sunday morning,” said Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan at the council meeting this week. “He has been in Ocean City and in the radio business in the surrounding area for years, and Mitch is one those who gave a lot more to others then he gave to himself.”

Meehan praised Scott’s unending generosity and sent out prayers and well wishes to his family.

“He was always active in fundraisers and played Santa Claus and when you needed somebody to make a contribution to something, it was Mitch Scott,” he said. “If you needed somebody to organize something to benefit somebody else, it was Mitch Scott, and it is really a shame that we lost him on Sunday. We want to send our thoughts and prayers out to his family and all his friends, of which there are many throughout the Ocean City area.”

State Senator Jim Mathias, the former Ocean City mayor, also recalled Scott’s generous nature and presented him with a key to the city back in 2002 during a fundraising effort at the Greene Turtle.

“He was philanthropic in Ocean City in so many ways,” he said. “Every time there was a fundraiser or somebody need in our community and beyond, he was the first guy to answer the bell. On top of that, he was always just a really good friend.”

The long arms of Scott’s charitable giving are far-reaching and extend well beyond Ocean City and the resort area. For example, when Ocean City local Kyler Taustin was just starting his Brown Box theater project, a traveling company that brings Shakespeare at the Beach to Ocean City and the resort area each summer among other projects, Scott helped jumpstart the fledgling company.

“Mitch Scott was Brown Box’s first patron without whom this company would not be in existence,” Taustin said this week. “At the beginning, as Kim and I worked to create this company, Mitch, with no reservation, believed in our vision and helped us bring to life our first production, which launched this company forward to be what it is today. As we sought to create our Free Shakespeare initiative, Mitch was a major factor in its realization and development.”

Taustin said in a letter to his company this week, Scott was a behind-the-scenes benefactor and vowed to continue the good work he helped create.

“As Brown Box has grown over the last few years, I cannot help but remember our roots and how it all began and Mitch is a major part of our story,” he said. “As we prepare to begin this year’s journey, I would like to dedicate this season to him.”

Kyler Taustin’s father, Jay Taustin, patriarch of The Embers family, was also a long-time friend of Scott and fondly remembered all of those years this week.

“Mitch was the consummate friend,” he said. “He was gracious, very generous and fiercely loyal. On the rare times I could do something for him, he was truly appreciative. Mitch was a genuine good guy and incredibly honest, and that’s sadly very rare these days. I am really going to miss him.”

Scott nurtured countless business relationships over the years, but perhaps more importantly, he simply made friends. Area businessman Avi Sibony first met Scott 25 years ago when he was launching his Sunsations businesses and advertised on his radio stations. Over the years, they developed a close friendship that Sibony grew to cherish for a variety of reasons.

“Mitch was a person who would always jump and do everything in his power to help if you needed something,” Sibony said. “When we were fundraising for our temple, he would always give us tickets from different shows and was even able to hook us up with some Super Bowl tickets. Mitch will always be remembered as a good person. He was really a good friend as well.”