Ocean Center welcomes over 12,500 youths in three weeks
Over the course of the next three weeks, the Ocean Center will see 12,500 attendees pass through its doors as three organizations host their summer youth camps at the facility. The groups rent the entire convention center, and when considering the move-in and move-out days required to put on events of this size, the facility is booked for 21 days straight.
“We enjoy hosting these religious youth groups every year, as they’re both great clients and an ideal fit for our building,” said interim Ocean Center Director Tim Buckley. “The uniqueness of our facility allows for group sessions in the arena, smaller breakouts in the meeting rooms and meals in the exhibit hall. These groups can have it all under one roof at the Ocean Center.”
And when it comes to meals, feeding thousands of kids quickly is no easy task. Passion Camp, the largest of the three groups, requires upwards of 450 tables and 3,200 chairs for meals. That equates to just under a half-acre!
Over nine days, Oak View Group (OVG), the Ocean Center’s contracted food service company, will prepare 40,000 meals, considering special dietary requests for 1,000 attendees. To put it in perspective, that’s 4,500 cases of food (not counting produce), including 13,000 chicken breasts, 4,500 pounds of ground beef, and 1,000 pounds each of pulled pork and diced chicken. Three OVG chefs from across the county will join the team to assist in this monumental task.
These youth group events aren’t only a good fit for the facility but for the destination as a whole.
“We look forward to welcoming all three of these faith-based organizations to the destination during the month of July,” said Lori Campbell Baker, Executive Director for the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We hope that in between their events at the Ocean Center, all the young students enjoy plenty of sunshine on our world-famous beaches and experience the other attractions and activities offered in the Daytona Beach Area.
Passion Conference’s Passion Camp takes place July 10-13 with 6,000 attendees, generating over 6,500 room nights. North Point Ministries’ InsideOut Daytona takes place July 17-20 with 4,000 attendees, generating over 4,700 room nights. The United Methodist Church Discipleship Ministries’ Youth 2023 takes place July 25-27 with 2,500 attendees, generating over 2,250 room nights.
