ORLANDO, Florida – This week the 67th PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando hosted nearly 40,000 golf industry professionals from around the world to discover the newest trends and technology from some 1,000 exhibiting golf companies and brands.
The industry’s annual “MAJOR of Golf Business” features a packed four-day schedule beginning with PGA Show Demo Day, Jan. 21, at Orange County National Golf Center (OCN), and continuing at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) for PGA Show exhibits, industry presentations, education seminars and special events, ending Friday Jan. 24.
The PGA Merchandise Show, which began in the trunks of cars at a winter golf tournament in 1954, has grown into the world’s largest annual gathering of the golf industry and is organized in partnership by PGA Golf Exhibitions and the PGA of America.
“The PGA Merchandise Show brings the global golf industry together annually to launch a New Year for the business of golf and there is a tremendous energy that is contagious when we are all together,” said PGA President Suzy Whaley. “PGA Show Week represents a key opportunity for us all to learn about the sport’s newest innovations, develop our professional networks, share best practices and connect as a community in the game. Together, we drive forward our careers, our businesses and the health of the sport.”
New in 2020, PGA Show Week welcomes the co-location of the National Golf Course Owners Association Golf Business Conference and the new Racquet & Paddle Sports Show, both held simultaneously at the OCCC.
The 18th annual PGA Show Demo Day kicked off Tuesday Jan. 21 when PGA Professionals and golf retailers experience exclusive testing and education of the latest game technology within 200 hitting bays, multiple putting greens and a golf cart test track at the 42-acre OCN practice facility.
More than 100 companies participated by demonstrating and sharing key attributes of their newest products to thousands of PGA Professionals and golf industry leaders, creating the world’s largest professional golf demo event. Throughout the day, golf teachers also are able to learn from the best in their field at multiple range-side golf instruction workshops.
The 2020 PGA Merchandise Show started at the OCCC open on Wednesday, Jan. 22, to some 1,000 top golf manufacturers and brands, from emerging companies and veteran manufacturers to the games’ most recognizable brands, to create the world’s largest business-to-business golf event. The very best names in golf, along with 249 companies new to the PGA Show, introducing thousands of new products to drive golf retail in 2020.
In addition to the busy marketplace among nearly 10 miles of exhibit aisles, PGA Show days are full of professional learning opportunities during industry and exhibitor presentations. The PGA Forum Stage presented by OMEGA offered a full schedule of diverse programming from the PGA of America in collaboration with golf’s leading organizations, industry executives, professional athletes and top PGA coaches.
A dynamic PGA Show Floor greeted attendees, featuring interactive exhibits; hundreds of vendor show specials and promotions; plus 50 equipment testing bays at the indoor Equipment Test Center, sponsored by Insane Impact; the Golf Facility Innovation Center featuring Pepsi; a centralized New Product Zone for a one-stop shopping of the newest golf merchandise; the Inventors Spotlight exhibitor pavilion for patented products not yet available at retail; the TPI Golf Fitness, Wellness & Instruction area; an Adaptive Golf Center; and numerous specialty exhibitor pavilions, concentrating exhibits in the areas of travel, technology, international exhibitors, women’s accessories and new exhibitors.
Many exhibiting companies hosted renowned PGA teachers, PGA and LPGA touring professionals and celebrities at the PGA Merchandise Show including Greg Norman, Jim Nantz, Ron Jaworski, Thurman Thomas, Tania Tare, Nancy Lopez, Chip Beck, John Daly, Jamie Sadlowski, Peter Jacobsen, Brad Faxon, Donnie Hammond, Grant Fuhr, and top teachers such as Michael Breed, David Leadbetter, Jim McLean, Mike Malaska, Dave Pelz and Stan Utley.
More than 1,000 media attended this year’s Show from 25 countries reporting from the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show.
Golf Channel broadcast Morning Drive live each day from the PGA Show to a worldwide audience; SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio network originated more than 30 hours of live and recorded programming from the PGA Show and CBS Sports HQ streamlined live each day from the Show Floor.
Golf enthusiasts also can visit two websites for more information on the PGA Merchandise Show:
“>”http://www.GolfChannel.com”>
www.pgashow.comwww.pgashow.com
Leave a Reply