History

At the beginning of the OCHMRA, Paul Wall of Phillips Seafood Restaurants proposed the idea of hosting a local trade expo. As a board member of the Baltimore Restaurant Association, which later became the Restaurant Association of Maryland, Wall had valuable experience with successful trade expos. He enlisted the help of Tish Carter, the Baltimore Restaurant Association's executive secretary and a friend to create the OCHMRA Spring Trade Expo a reality.

In the early 70s, traveling to Baltimore for a trade expo was not ideal for Ocean City’s businesses, making a local event a practical solution. This new expo promised to generate revenue for the OCHMRA and boost business both at the Convention Center and across the town.

Tish Carter and her husband, Jack, arrived in Ocean City with extensive knowledge on organizing trade expos and worked with great enthusiasm alongside the board. "The OCHMRA Spring Trade Expo would not have happened without Tish," Paul Wall noted, also acknowledging Shirley and Brice Phillips for allowing him to use his office during the winter months to work on the trade expo. Many in Ocean City also credit Paul Wall as a key driver behind the event’s success.

The creation of the Spring Trade Expo involved significant dedication and teamwork from the committee, which included hoteliers, restaurateurs, the Convention Center Director, and his staff. The original committee consisted of Paul Wall as Chairman, along with George Brous, David Bryant, Kate Bunting, Thelma Conner, Bill Conner, Amanda Cropper, Sue Cropper, Shirley Hazard, Cashar Hickman, Eleanor Kelly, Irvin Wolf, Gary Fischer, and Marty Batchelor-Trimper.

Today, the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association Spring Trade Expo serves as a key resource for the latest products and services in the hospitality industry.