Helpful Hints – Sellers

We want our delegates to feel as prepared as possible for our events so that they can get the most benefits possible out of our events. The following Helpful Hints will assist you in navigating this year’s OMCA Marketplace.


Proper Preparation

online, connection, laptop

The MyOMCA Event Portal

This Event Portal is your #1 tool throughout the event. Find the link to the MyOMCA event portal and details on how to update your profile and resources at https://www.omca.com/events/marketplace/my-omca-portal

Seller Profile

In the MyOMCA Portal, it is important to review your entire profile to ensure that it is thorough and accurate. The more details you include, the better buyers can prepare for their appointment with you. Buyers will have access to the following before, during, and after Marketplace:

  • Your company profile
  • Your profile resources (photos or PDF flyers)
  • Your contact information

Know Before You Go Webinar

On October 31st at 11:00 am EDT, OMCA is hosting an online session for all delegates with details of everything you need to know for your appointments and what to expect from the conference. Register here to attend that session.

What You Should Bring to Marketplace

We recommend bringing with you an ample supply of business cards and business casual attire. The conference is business casual while the evening events are suitable for more casual attire (jeans are acceptable).

Blue Travel Luggage

Online Appointment Scheduling

  • Know Your Timeline
    Keep an eye on the important dates when it comes to creating an effective appointment schedule. If you miss your chance to request appointments, it will have a drastic negative effect on the quality of appointments in your final schedule.
    • October 7th to 18th: Appointment Selection is open
    • October 28th: Schedules are released, and you will have the opportunity to make additional manual requests to fill available appointment slots.
  • Research your Potential Prospects
    Ensure that you have products that are of interest to specific operators before requesting appointments with those operators. Only request a meeting if you have a product that is a fit for that buyer’s profile.
    Review their website and profile sheets to discover if they have any interest in your area or product and how you can help with the client base and future trips
  • Review/Request Early and Often
    Requesting appointments will mark you on the buyer’s portal as “Someone Who Requested Me”, which makes it easier for the seller to know that you are interested in their product. NOTE: Mutual requests are always scheduled with first priority. Be sure to check back in the portal often to see if there are new sellers registered or new requests for you that could be reciprocated.

Onsite Appointments

  • Appointments Schedules are Available Online Only
    On October 28th, your appointment schedules can be found online through the MyOMCA Event Portal and the OMCA Marketplace Mobile App. If you wish to have a printed copy, please print yours before you arrive.  Manual scheduling will be available throughout the event, so the most accurate and up-to-date schedule will be in the mobile app.
  • Two Days of 8-Minute Appointments
    Each of your appointments is a total of eight (8) minutes in length, including travel time. Appointments begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 5:45 p.m. on both days. All sellers will have their appointments on both days, with only small breaks blocked for lunch and education sessions.
  • Buyers Sit and Sellers Move
    This means that during Marketplace, buyers will remain seated in their booths, and the sellers will move from one appointment to the next.

Marketplace Appointment Etiquette

The Marketplace format of pre-scheduled appointments is a proven and effective method of matching buyers to sellers.  Buyers are seated and the sellers move through the one-on-one, eight-minute appointments. Please be considerate to other sellers by sticking to your 8-minute window with each buyer.

  • Start and finish the appointment on time
    • Don’t keep the next appointment waiting
    • If the conversation needs more than 8 minutes, make a plan to continue it outside of the appointment
  • Don’t cancel last minute
  • Keep cell phones on silent
  • Don’t text or email during an appointment. If you need to use your phone for something related to the appointment, explain what you are doing.
  • Maintain professional and attentive body language

Use the Mobile App to Access and Adjust Appointments

The Marketplace Mobile App (available for download on October 28th) is the only version of your schedule that OMCA will provide onsite. If you wish, you may print your schedule from the MyOMCA portal in advance however it will not reflect changes made onsite through the mobile app’s manual scheduling.

Education Sessions

Every seller will have roughly an hour blocked out of their schedule each day for education sessions. These sessions have been carefully curated for sellers to learn about the state of the industry and how it affects their business.


Marketplace Timeline

When Should You Arrive?
We would advise arriving by the afternoon of Monday, November 4th to take advantage of the evening event at 7:00 pm.

When Should You Leave?
The final night networking event is our Party With a Purpose event on Wednesday, November 6th. This is a ticketed event supporting the OMCA Development Fund and is held after the Dine Around dinner from 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm. We recommend checking out on the 7th to accommodate for this late night.

  • Monday, November 4th
  • Tuesday, November 5th
    • Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. and we encourage all operators to attend as these meals are sponsored by supporting OMCA members.
    • Marketplace appointments begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 5:45 p.m. It is a good idea to arrive at your booth a few minutes before your first appointment.
    • 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Evening Reception at Willistead Manor (shuttles provided)
  • Wednesday, November 6th
    • Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. and we encourage all operators to attend as these meals are sponsored by supporting OMCA members.
    • Marketplace appointments begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 5:45 p.m. It is a good idea to arrive at your booth a few minutes before your first appointment.  
    • Dine around (roughly 5:45 pm – 8:30 pm)
    • Party With a Purpose – 8:30 pm – 11:00 pm, tickets $50 in support of the OMCA development fund

We look forward to seeing you at the OMCA Marketplace!

If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to ask.
info@omca.com

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