NORWALK, Conn. (Dec. 30, 2005) -- As one of the top-three rated values for attending the PGA Merchandise Show & Convention, business networking will be better facilitated in 2006 with new and enhanced programs to help connect industry leaders at the 53rd PGA Merchandise Show & Convention in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 26-29.
The PGA Show has become an annual reunion for PGA Professionals, retailers, manufacturers and industry leaders – a catalyst to renew and start business partnerships, learn from industry experts and peer-to-peer business solutions, reconnect and discover career mentors and enjoy lifelong friendships in the close-knit golf industry. New business networking programs include PGA Business Links, the Play Golf America Conference, the convenient networking areas of Amstel Light Grill and PGA Experience plus Roundtables/Best Practices sessions of the expansive education conference. These new programs join a long list of traditional networking opportunities at the Show including Demo Day, the Pro-Pro Tournament Series, education conference, the 19th Hole lounge/meeting area on the Show floor and the massive indoor golf range of the Equipment Test Center.
"Through a collaboration with The PGA of America, allied associations and industry experts, we have focused on building programs to provide an environment at the PGA Merchandise Show & Convention that will help connect the industry in new and valuable ways," said PGA Golf Exhibitions Vice President and Show Manager Ed Several. "We want to provide a creative exchange of best practices and business solutions among industry professionals. We want them to discover new and creative ways to do business and new ways to grow the game. And, importantly, we want them to do all of this in an enjoyable and productive setting."
Business networking platforms at the 2006 PGA Merchandise Show & Convention include:
Play Golf America Conference - PGA Section Leaders, PGA Professionals and employers nationwide will convene at the inaugural Play Golf America Conference, Jan. 27th, 8:30-10:30 a.m., featuring player development presentations, highlights of successful "best practices’ in player development, plus an opportunity for all attendees to network and share ideas.
Education Conference - The 2006 PGA Show education conference adds new roundtables and best practices sessions to a full calendar of some 100 seminars and PGA Member programs. Seminars focus on growing the customer base through marketing to women, juniors and multi-cultural golfers, merchandising insights, and increasing profits/revenue per round. Industry experts Tom Shay, Sheryl Bindleglass and Becky Wilkins are among some 50 respected instructors teaching within six professional development tracks.
PGA Show Business Links – The new PGA Show Business Links is the personal online assistant that intelligently mines through the PGA Show community and finds the knowledge, people, and products most closely matched to meeting attendees’ personal business objectives. PGA Show Business Links is free and activates when attendees register for the show. The program, at www.pgaexpo.com, starts by creating an "Attendee Justification Report" where attendees identify objectives for the event and then updates and emails attendee reports week-by-week as registration builds.
Golf Demo Day - The 2006 Golf Demo Day presented by Sprint, Jan. 25, opens one-hour early exclusively for PGA Members at 9:00 a.m. when PGA Pros have the opportunity to meet club designers and company’s top executives. VIP retailers and media join PGA Members, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., to test products from some 80 participating exhibitors, watch demonstrations and participate in special events at the 42-acre practice facility of the Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge in Winter Garden, Fla.
Indoor Golf Range of the Equipment Test Center-ETC - PGA Professionals, retailers and industry leaders gather at the popular Equipment Test Center (ETC), the country’s largest indoor equipment test center, which features a scalloped design of some 40 hitting bays, two putting greens, an elevated chipping area and the ETC Stadium – a demo area for product presentations and professional instruction.
New Fashion Spotlight Fashion Shows - PGA Members enjoy reserved seating at the standing-room only daily fashion shows, presented four times daily during the first three days of the PGA Show. The Fashion Spotlights will showcase the latest fashion trends of more than two-dozen top apparel companies. Produced by Tracy Yates in collaboration with Golf Digest’s Publications Fashion Director, Marty Hackel, this year’s production will enlighten the audience on retailing trends as well as uncover the next season’s hottest styles.
The 19th Hole, Amstel Light Grill & PGA Experience -- Industry networking is facilitated on the Show floor in three separate locations spread throughout the exhibit hall. The 19th Hole, located in the equipment hall, will feature a large screen TV, golf simulators by Full Swing Golf, meeting areas and daily food service. The Amstel Light Grill, located in the apparel hall, will feature a pub, plush seating by Bauer International, clinics and meeting areas. The PGA Experience, located in the product and services hall, offers distinctive seating and informal meeting areas.
Pro-Pro Tournaments -- Six Pro-Pro tournaments, produced in partnership with PGA Magazine, offer a combined purse of $24,000 and will be played at some of Orlando’s most prestigious golf courses. Tournaments are open to PGA members and apprentices only.
PGA Member Business Center, Allied Association Lounges -- Thousands of PGA Members in attendance can enjoy the PGA Member Business Center, a private meeting area offering business services, member dining, the PGA Golf Shop and access to PGA staff from virtually every department of The PGA of America. Additionally, some 20 allied associations, such as Association of Golf Merchandisers, the Club Managers Association of America, and the Golf Range Association of America, provide private lounges and meeting space for their members within the Orange County Convention Center.
Enhanced Dream Golf Shop by Bauer International- The 2006 Dream Golf Shop designed by Bauer International, the official exclusive clubhouse furnishing supplier of The PGA, will expand to become a 1,600 square-foot replica of a high-end working golf shop. Hard goods will be added to the merchandise mix; hands-on learning models will provide "feature, benefit, advantage" retailing solutions; and retailing experts will be on site to help PGA Professionals and retailers improve merchandising techniques, customer service and profit margins. Current PGA Merchandisers of the Year, manufacturer merchandising experts, representatives from the Association of Golf Merchandisers and merchandising expert Willy Choma will be available to answer questions and speak to all phases of merchandising, display techniques, inventory control and retail sales.
Exhibitor Pavilions with Learning Labs - New specialty exhibitor pavilions with learning-based models are designed to help golf industry professionals become better merchandisers, and drive profit and product-category success. In addition to the Dream Golf Shop, the PGA Magazine Travel Pavilion, Teaching & Training Aids Pavilion and the Golf Event Magazine Tournaments & Outings Pavilion will provide even more interactive learning opportunities for attendees. The 4,000 square-foot PGA Magazine Travel Pavilion will feature everything from a staged area for special events, meeting space, interactive data tables, oversized video screens and display kiosks. The Golf Event Magazine Tournament & Outings Pavilion boasts more than 15 exhibitors, learning-based kiosks, plus presentations by PGA Tournament officials and representatives of the Golf Event Managers Association.
PGA of America Awards Night - Thousands of PGA Professionals and industry leaders will come together on Friday, Jan. 27, as The PGA of America presents their most prestigious national awards honoring an industry leader with the annual Ernie Sabayrac Award, plus the Merchandisers of the Year and PGA Golf Professional of the Year Awards. Show attendees are invited to the pre-awards reception and the evening presentation at the Orange County Convention Center’s Grand Auditorium.
PGA Employment Center - Designed as a clearinghouse for golf industry positions and a networking hub on the Show floor, the PGA Employment Center is a wide-ranging employment service provided free of charge to all golf exhibitors, employers, attendees and job seekers who are interested in working in the golf industry. The PGA Employment Center, located in the PGA Experience pavilion, will have career counselors available throughout all four days of the Show and feature a multitude of employer programs.
The PGA Merchandise Show…& Convention, Jan. 26-29, in Orlando, Fla., is the world’s most influential gathering of PGA Professionals, retailers, golf manufacturers and industry leaders. Attendees travel from more than 70 countries to test the latest products, find the hottest trends, learn cutting-edge business techniques and grow participation in the game. More than 1,200 golf-related manufacturers showcase their newest products and services within more than 500,000 net square feet of exhibit space in the Orange County Convention Center. Golfweek’s Golfest, a consumer demo weekend, kicks off Show week, Jan. 21-22. Demo Day, Jan. 25th, marks the official opening of the Show for thousands of PGA Professionals, key retailers and media as they test the products of some 80 participating manufacturers at the 42-acre practice facility of the Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge in Winter Garden, Fla.
Buyers and media can register online, plus make hotel and travel reservations at www.pgaexpo.com or by calling 1-800-PGA-EXPO. The PGA Merchandise Show offers airfare discounts and shuttle bus service from 32 official hotels.
The PGA Merchandise Show, organized in partnership with The PGA of America, is one of four leading golf trade shows in PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions’ golf portfolio including the PGA Fall Expo in Las Vegas; the Ontario PGA Golf Merchandise Show in Toronto, Canada; and the PGA Merchandise Show of Australia in Queensland.
Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2006, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.
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