NORWALK, Conn. -- PGA Professionals, retailers and industry leaders will profit from the experience and accomplishments of recognized industry experts during the free “PGA Fall Expo Trend Seminar” and the full education conference at the 2006 PGA Fall Expo, Sept. 13-14, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Convention Center (MBRC) in Las Vegas, Nev.

The inaugural “PGA Fall Expo Trend Seminar,” which opens the Expo on Wed., Sept. 13, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m., presents emerging equipment and apparel trends along with ways to profit from them. The seminar, located on the show floor, is free to all attendees.

Tom Stine, co-founder of Golf Datatech, will address equipment trends in “On & off Course Retail Product Sales Trends.” This presentation will include data on retail sales trends by category, methods to effectively use research to improve sales, a guide to identify potential growth categories and a report on how small shops can effectively sell equipment.

"While the golf retail market has become more competitive,” Stine comments, "green grass shops can still compete effectively and profitably when they track current market information and follow strategic inventory controls. Our session at the PGA Fall Expo is going to show them how to easily get the data and how to profitably use the data. And it won't cost them a dime."

Haysun Hahn, President of Futuremode, will present “Today’s Apparel Trends” including the latest styles, fabrics and technology and how to use today’s apparel trends to generate substantial profits. Attendees will leave this workshop with an exhibit checklist and advice for uncovering the best merchandising mix for their shop at the PGA Fall Expo.

“During the seminar, as we discuss why style sells, we want to encourage buyers to see golf as a lifestyle,” said Hahn. “We plan to share key ideas, items, directional messages and colors that PGA Professionals and buyers can use to fit into their buying plans as they explore the many apparel presentations at the PGA Fall Expo.”

The final presentation of the PGA Fall Expo Trend Seminar will be provided by Paul Metzler, Director of Consumer Marketing, Player Development and Research for The PGA of America. Metzler’s presentation will tie together the equipment and apparel trend data for attendees offering an outline of useful resources for facilities to track sales and measure changes in performance through key performance indicators, statistical analysis, benchmark tools and financial models.

“The PGA Fall Expo Trend Seminar has been uniquely created to make an impact on how PGA Professionals can increase retail profits,” said Metzler. “A multitude of resources such as PGA PerformanceTrak, best practices research, consumer satisfaction studies, product demand studies, focus group research and more are available to help negotiate the competitive waters of golf retail.”

Additionally, the PGA Fall Expo’s professional education program also has been reorganized to offer high-quality presentations by recognized industry experts in a more compact timeframe and affordable price. This year’s program features industry leaders such as Ken Morton Jr., Tracy Moffatt and Tom Shay providing valuable seminars on visual merchandising tips, selling to women, finding the right vendors and more. Plus, seminars will be offered from The PGA of America on Play Golf America, the PGA Certified Professional Program (CPP), and PGA PerformanceTrak

Industry professionals can experience up to 10 seminars for a one-time fee of $50. Seminars will be held in MBRC meeting rooms throughout the days of Sept. 13 (9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) and Sept. 14 (9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.). In addition to receiving 2 MSR hours for attending the PGA Fall Expo, PGA Professionals also receive 1 MSR hour per class attended (maximum of 4 MSR hours per day).

PGA Professionals, retailers and industry professionals can register, make travel arrangements and hotel reservations for the 2006 PGA Fall Expo online at www.pgaexpo.com or by calling 1-800-840-5628.

Wednesday, Sept. 13

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9:30-10:15 a.m.: PGA GENERAL SESSION: Overview of the PGA Certified Professional Program (Greg Martzolf)
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10:30-11:30 a.m.: GENERAL SESSION: Visual Merchandising Tips for Equipment (Ken Morton Jr.)
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11:45-12:45 p.m.: GENERAL SESSION: Do You Have a Pink Grip? - How to train and motivate your staff on selling golf equipment to the ladies (Beth Ann Riecke)
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1:00-2:00 p.m.: ROUNDTABLE: What's In Her Bag and On Her Feet? (Beth Ann Riecke)
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1:00-2:00 p.m.: ROUNDTABLE: Vendor Selection and Analysis - choosing the right vendors for your golf shop (Tracy Moffatt)
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2:15-3:15 p.m.: PGA GENERAL SESSION: PGA PerformanceTrak (Paul Metzler)
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3:30-4:30 p.m.: GENERAL SESSION: Pricing for Sales and Profits (Tracy Moffatt)

Thursday, Sept. 14

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9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.: GENERAL SESSION: What To Do When There Is Too Much Inventory And Too Little Cash (Tom Shay)
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10:15-11:15 a.m.: GENERAL SESSION: Polishing The Crystal Ball: Accurately Projecting the Future of Your Business (Tom Shay)
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11:30-12:30 p.m.: GENERAL SESSION: How To Do What The Best Retailers Do (Tom Shay)
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12:45-1:45 p.m.: PGA GENERAL SESSION: Play Golf America (Ron Stepanek)

The 2006 PGA Fall Expo, Sept. 13-14, is an exclusive national pre-season booking event for elite manufacturers & buyers featuring the game’s latest products & trends when it matters most for the business of golf. Thousands of PGA Professionals and golf retailers will join more than 300 manufacturers such as Callaway Golf, Nike Golf, Bridgestone Golf, Wilson Golf, Cutter & Buck, Fila, Jack Nicklaus Sportswear, Lilly Pulitzer, Tour Edge, Winn Grips and Yonex at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., to undercover new products, companies and trends while benefiting from the opportunity to participate in education forums, product testing and professional networking functions.

The PGA Fall Expo, organized in partnership with The PGA of America, is one of four leading golf trade shows in PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions’ global golf portfolio including the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando; the Ontario PGA Golf Merchandise Show in Toronto, Canada; and the PGA Merchandise Show of Australia in Queensland.

For more information contact:
Sherry Major, PGA Golf Exhibitions 954.432.1949 smajor@reedexpo.com
Jamie Carbone, PGA of America 561.624.8446 jcarbone@pgahq.com