CRISFIELD, Md. – As crowds gather in Crisfield for the National Hard Crab Derby this Labor Day weekend, Somerset County officials are adding a new tool to measure just how far visitors are traveling to attend.
The county’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism is using a software program called Placer AI to collect data on attendance. The technology places a digital geofence around an event or location and uses cell phone information to determine how many people were there, where they came from, and where they went afterward.
Adam Riggin, with Somerset County Recreation, Parks and Tourism, said the program provides important insights for both the county and local businesses.
“So our software is called Placer AI,” Riggin said. “We are actually able to use cell phone technology and put a geofence around an event, around a town, around a business, around a community, and find out exactly how many people visited that specific event, that specific business. Also can find out afterwards where they went after, where they came from before.”
Riggin said the county has already found the system to be useful in understanding its audience.
“So we found that the software really helps out our events and our businesses,” Riggin said. “It kind of gives them a really unique snapshot at who comes to their business, who comes to different events, where they come from. And it really helps us in our marketing approach.”
The software will be tested during two of Somerset County’s largest annual events this weekend, the National Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield and the Deal Island Skipjack Races and Festival. Riggin said within days of the events, the county will have concrete data showing where visitors traveled from, how long they stayed, and where they went afterward.
In addition to the software, Somerset County is running a new marketing campaign called “Explorers Wanted.” The effort includes rideshare and delivery vehicles in major cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington wrapped with images of Somerset County. Riggin said the goal is to encourage people in urban areas to visit the Eastern Shore.
The National Hard Crab Derby itself has grown significantly since it began decades ago. What started as a simple street race with crabs now includes boat docking contests, live music, a parade, and a carnival-like atmosphere. Riggin said it remains one of the county’s largest traditions.
“It is a lot of fun for the entire family for Labor Day weekend,” Riggin said. “And one thing we always say is no one does Labor Day weekend like Somerset County.”