The countdown is on for the Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo® (OHCE®2024), and this year’s event will be more than just a learning experience, it’ll be an opportunity to connect with fellow professionals from across the Outdoor Hospitality Industry. Held in Oklahoma City from November 4-6, 2024, OHCE®2024 is set to deliver a full line up of networking events meant to encourage connections, whether you’re attending for the first time or you’re an OHCE® veteran.
Monday starts bright and early, so OHI encourages a Sunday afternoon arrival. If you find yourself wanting for conversation, camaraderie, and dinner plans Sunday evening, kick-off your OHCE® at the Meet, Greet, and Go!, an informal 30 minute meet up to find a crew and head to dinner together. Team OHI will be facilitating and offering the best suggestions for dinner in OKC.
Each morning, OHCE®2024 will begin with our “O-hi! Coffee Conversations,” welcoming and informal meet-ups designed for early risers. It’s a perfect way to start your day, especially for first-time attendees looking to break the ice. And for those who’ve been part of OHI’s monthly virtual Coffee Conversations, this is your chance to finally meet face-to-face. Nothing pairs better with networking than a fresh cup of coffee.
The spotlight turns to our revamped Campfire Sessions (previously known as “Cracker Barrels”), which offer an open forum for sharing ideas and solving problems. The initial Campfire Sessions will be sectored off into specific park sizes, allowing Small Parks, Medium Parks, Large/Mega Parks, and Multi-Park Owners their own forum to dive into issues relevant to their operations. Later on in the conference, the conversations will open up to broader topics like park expansion, wastewater management, and the role of amenities in driving business success.
For the upcoming generations of industry leaders, the OHI Young Professionals Annual Meeting is a must-attend event. Open to attendees ages 18-40, this meeting is all about building a strong community of young professionals eager to grow and make their mark in the Outdoor Hospitality Industry. This is your opportunity to take an active role in shaping the future of outdoor hospitality.
Then it’s time to don your park gear Monday evening at the Camp OHI Welcome Reception! ! Don your best park gear and get ready to relive the best parts of summer camp, but with a grown-up twist. Camp OHI is an interactive networking event, but it’s also the best parts of camp right in OKC. Get ready to make new friends and keep the old, chow down on some better-than-camp-cafeterias-ever-could food, send postcards home from camp, and compete in the camp-style crafts and activities (pickleball of course is included).Plus we’ll be hosting our first annual Swag Swap! Bring your favorite camp merch and leave with some of the same.
Of course, no trip to OHCE®2024 is complete without a visit to the Expo Floor. The award-winning Expo Floor. This year’s expo is chock-full of the latest goods and services for outdoor hospitality businesses. Meet the exhibitors, explore the OHI booth, and dive into Fireside Chats or check out the Activity Center for hands-on experiences. The expo floor is designed for discovery and networking, and with snacks available throughout, you’ll have all the energy you need.
As the conference winds down, get ready to celebrate another successful year and hit the dance floor at Wednesday Night Fever: the vibrant disco-themed closing reception. Bell bottoms and bold prints? Sequins and sparkles? Farrah Fawcett blowouts and Burt Reynolds mustaches? All are welcome at Wednesday Night Fever! Pack your grooviest threads, and come disco the night away as we close out OHCE on Wednesday night at the Jones Assembly. Dinner and drinks are on us, but the disco is on you. All you need to do is show up ready to boogie and send OHCE out with some funk. Let loose and have some fun while connecting one last time. With throwback tunes, great food and drinks, and all the disco gear, this is the perfect send-off.
At OHCE®2024, networking can happen anywhere, not just during these structured events. Whether you’re grabbing breakfast or in between breakout sessions, there’s always a chance to strike up a conversation. You never know who you’ll meet and where it’ll lead. OHCE®2024’s networking events are carefully designed to help you meet the right people and build relationships that will last well beyond the conference.
Register for OHCE®2024 at ohi.org/event/ohce and don’t miss your opportunities for important connection.
