Helpful Hints: Buyers

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

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://marketplace.omca.com/my-appointments/  

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 sellers can prepare for their appointment with you and helps mitigate the chances of meeting with sellers who do not have products relevant to your business. This is the most important tool that sellers use in selecting appointments. 

On October 22nd at 1:00 pm EST, 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. 

Buyers sit and Sellers move, which means that during Marketplace, you will remain seated in your booth and the sellers will move from one appointment to the next.  

Your 8’x8’ booth includes a 6-foot table and two chairs for you and a colleague. Sellers will have two more chairs opposite of you. Electrical and wifi will be provided, so feel free to bring your laptop for notes and correspondence.  

We encourage you to make your space your own with pop-up banners, tablecloth, and any other branding or decor you wish to display.  

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). We also recommend bringing a refillable water bottle with you to your booth, as you will be doing a lot of talking over the three-day event.

Appointment Request Tutorial: October 1st

OMCA has a new appointment request tool. Join our webinar on October 1st at 12:00 pm EDT to learn how to use it effectively. A recording will be posted for those who cannot make the webinar. 

Click Here to View the Recording

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 6th to 17th: 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. 

Requesting appointments will mark you on the seller’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. 

All buyers receive a double appointment break for every morning and afternoon appointment block. These breaks can be self-scheduled through the appointment selection system between October 6th and October 17th. If no breaks are selected, the algorithm will select the break times for you. 

On October 28th, your appointment schedules can be found online through the MyOMCA Event Portal and the OMCA Marketplace Mobile App. 

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 Tuesday and Wednesday. Come prepared with your notes and questions for each of the sellers you are meeting with.  

Please be courteous to every seller you meet with, as they have taken the time to prepare a presentation for you. If you have a seller on your appointment schedule who clearly does not have a product relevant to your business, let them know before the event that you wish to cancel the appointment and politely explain why. Happy sellers are what fuel and fund our Marketplace events. 

• 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 

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. 

OMCA has curated a tour operator afternoon with education sessions, updates and a local showcase to highlight new products. These sessions take place on Monday from 12 pm to 5 pm and is followed by a tour operator reception and an all-delegate evening event. 

This tour operator’s afternoon begins with a sponsored lunch. Please be courteous to our sponsor by arriving on time and with your full attention.  

Airport Shuttles

Airport Shuttle details can be found at https://marketplace.omca.com/airport-shuttles/. The deadline to sign up for the shuttles is October 15th.

Shuttles will run from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Monday, and from 5:00 am to 2:00 pm on Thursday. If you require transportation to/from the airport outside of those times, you can book a private vehicle through our shuttle sponsor, Gray Line Toronto, through the same sign-up form.

We would advise arriving by the morning of Monday, November 3rd, to take advantage of the sponsored tour operator lunch (12:00 pm), education sessions, local showcase, and tour operator reception – all before the opening night event at 7:00 pm. 

The final night networking event is our Party With a Purpose event on Wednesday, November 5th. This is a ticketed event supporting the OMCA Development Fund and is held from 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm, after the Dine Around dinner/free evening. We recommend that you check out on November 6th to accommodate this late night. 

NOTE: If you are attending the Vaughan and/or Markham Pre-FAM Tours, you can find details on that timing at https://marketplace.omca.com/pre-fam-details/​.

• Monday, November 3rd 
  • 12:00 pm-1:00 pm – Sponsored Lunch: Please arrive on time 
  • 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Tour Operator afternoon sessions, including the Local Showcase, sponsored by Explore Waterloo Region 
  • 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Buyer Reception hosted by Access Marketing 
  • 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Opening Night Reception at the Markham Museum (shuttles provided) 

• Tuesday, November 4th 
  • 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 the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (shuttles provided) 

• Wednesday, 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.   
  • 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 (shuttles provided) 

Let your business pay for itself with the Buyer Rebate Program.  OMCA provides a rebate of up to three nights’ accommodations at the host hotel for tour operators who fulfill the following: 

• Update and complete the online profile 
• Attend all pre-scheduled appointments (minimum of 95) 
• Book in the Buyer Block at the host hotel 
• Submit their receipt to laura@omca.com post-event 

IMPORTANT: Only one room will be reimbursed per buyer booth. 

OMCA will provide a travel rebate of up to $200 for new member tour operators who fulfill the following: 

• Attend all pre-scheduled appointments 
• Submit travel receipts or mileage to laura@omca.com post-event 

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