For the past 51 years, the PGA Merchandise Show has been golf’s most important business gathering and today is the world’s most influential golf trade show. The 2005 PGA Merchandise Show will welcome more than 42,000 PGA professionals, international retailers and industry leaders, 27th-30th January to preview product launches of some 1,200 exhibitors within approximately 500,000 net square feet of exhibit space in the Orange County Convention Centre in Orlando.
The economic impact of the Show on the Greater Orlando area is anticipated to be more than $55 million.
For Reed Exhibitions Sherry Major said, “Industry response has been phenomenal for the 2005 PGA Merchandise Show. Buyer registration is up 14%; we have more exhibitors scheduled to participate than 2004; and the response to Show special events like Demo Day, the ETC, fashion shows, Pro-Pro tournaments and more has been unprecedented.”
2005 PGA Show Highlights include:
The Golf Channel and PGA Golf Exhibitions will bring golfers inside the PGA Merchandise Show with extended live television coverage from the Show floor for the first time in the 51-year history of the event.
The third annual Golf Demo Day on 26th January welcomes more than 4,000 guests to view more than 60 companies filling over 120 hitting bays, two putting greens and a short game area at the 42-acre practice facility of the Orange County National Golf Centre
This year’s enhanced Equipment Test Centre – a 200,000-plus square-foot indoor equipment testing facility in Hall A- features 40 sold-out hitting bays and will now include the new ETC Stadium, two putting greens, an elevated chipping green and dedicated hitting bays for PGA professionals and journalists.
The third annual PGA Business of Golf Conference on 27th January includes a panel discussion featuring Roger Warren, President, PGA of America; Tim Finchem, Commissioner, PGA Tour; Fred Ridley, President, United States Golf Association; Steven Lesnik, Chairman/CEO, KemperSports Management; Dana Garmany, Chairman/CEO, Troon Golf; Jim Awtrey, Chief Executive Officer, PGA of America (moderator)
The expanded education conference features eight new professional tracks of 76 seminars for registered attendees.
The sold-out fashion shows, part of the PGA Magazine Fashion Fairway presented in partnership with The Golf Channel and Bauer International, will take place three times daily featuring the hottest trends in golf fashion from 25 apparel companies as models bring the latest trends, colours and fabrics to life on the catwalk.
The inaugural Dream Golf Shop, presented by Bauer International, is a 1,000 square-foot replica of a high-end golf shop featuring the latest golf fashions, top merchandising concepts and recognition of The PGA of America’s Merchandisers of the Year.
Five niche exhibitor pavilions will have a presence on the 2005 Show floor with most at maximum capacity. Niche pavilions include Country Club & Resort Apparel, Golf Travel, Golf Fitness, Teaching & Training Aids and International Exhibitors.
The third rendition of the “Hot Zone” New Product Centre will now organize some 300 new products by category, improve the presentation of new product displays and offer awards to best new products within each category.
The PGA Merchandise Show is open 27th January from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 28th – 29th January from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and on 30th January from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Golf buyers with proper credentials can register on site. This is a trade event only. The official web cast of the PGA Merchandise Show is located at www.pga.com
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‘ global 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.