The Golf Show 2010 – the inaugural joint venture between The PGA, TGI and Foremost Golf – proved a hit with suppliers, delegates and educational speakers after more than 1,250 golf industry professionals visited Europe’s newest golf trade and educational event.
The three day show, held at the Harrogate International Centre, saw PGA Professionals from across the continent take the opportunity to see golf’s leading suppliers and service providers under one roof and take advantage of a number of educational seminars conducted by the industry’s leading figures.
Stands were reportedly packed throughout the event and suppliers had encouraging stories of large amounts of business written as delegates conducted their forward buying for the year ahead.
Spanning three halls of the impressive Harrogate International Centre, delegates were able to see the latest products from suppliers such as TaylorMade-adidas, PING, Titleist, Nike, Callaway and Srixon Cleveland.
There was also an extensive educational programme that saw guest speakers such as Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish, former Boots and ASDA chief executive Richard Baker, inventor of the Pro V1 golf ball Bill Morgan and former USPGA Technical Director Frank Thomas, passing on their wealth of expertise to delegates.
The Golf Show initiative was taken by The PGA together with buying groups Foremost Golf and TGI Golf, joining forces to stage an event open to all PGA members across Europe. The three parties were extremely pleased with the way everything had come together.
Sandy Jones, PGA Chief Executive, said: “I think the good news from the whole week is that from the first moment of the show, in fact even before it had officially opened, there was a buzz of expectation and a positive expectation that this was going to be good and that feeling has been maintained through the three days.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of PGA members, companies and exhibitors and they have all been full of praise for the show and the initiative of bringing the show together.
“The educational programme has also been excellent with a wide range of seminars and speakers that have all been extremely well received. No one who has attended the show will go home without having learned something or benefited in some way and all I think are leaving with a feel good factor.”
Paul Hedges, Foremost Golf CEO added: “It has been a great first show, there may well be a few things that need tweaking to make next year’s show even better, though the overall feeling from suppliers and members alike is that the show has been a success.
“It’s been amazing to see all three parties – The PGA, TGI and ourselves – come together and put on a great show for the benefit of the whole industry.”
“The show has been well received by everyone, it is amazing to see so many people engaged in the event and conducting business,” said Eddie Reid, TGI Golf Managing Director. “This is exactly what we all hoped the show would be, The Golf Show isn’t an exhibition it is a trade show where people can see products and, most importantly, place orders.”
“The educational element of the show has also been a great success with PGA professionals expanding their knowledge in important areas such as coaching, retail and technology. This first year has given us a sound platform to build a credible and recognisable pan-European event. We are already looking forward to the challenge of next year’s show.”
The show floor was abuzz with delegates and suppliers talking business, while the Queen’s Suite was packed as PGA Professionals increased their knowledge and amassed Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points to aid them in the Association’s Lifelong Learning Programme.
Stuart Syme, PGA Professional at Dumfries & County Golf Club, said: “The show has evolved from previous years with the involvement of the PGA. It has grown into a much bigger event with better displays, while the seminars have been great with excellent headline speakers. Hopefully that will evolve even further in future years.”
Dave Regan, West Byfleet Golf Club, added: “The exhibition had an excellent layout, which allowed easy and comfortable viewing of the latest products from all the leading suppliers in the industry.”
What the industry said
Steve Carter, PING National Sales Manager: “The Golf Show was really good we are really pleased. I think everyone, including the organisers, may have been a little apprehensive six months ago, but from PING’s point of view I think the show was fantastic. There were a lot of people through the door, every time I left the stand for a meeting and came back it was rammed with a good vibe.
“We’ve been looking at how we judge the success of the show, for me it’s not about writing the most amount of business, it’s about engaging with the customers, and talking to people.
“The show was different, that’s the nice thing about it, I think the seminars have been good, they haven’t taken people away from the show floor. I think the success of the show will be judged on the amount of people that came through the door, and there were a lot of people there and they all wanted to talk.”
Leslie Hepsworth, Srixon-Cleveland Golf Europe CEO: “The show was brilliant, there was a lot going on for us this year and what we really wanted from the show was to have the opportunity to talk to green grass pros and explain our products and what we’re doing. The stands worked really well and gave us the opportunity to do that, it was a really fantastic show.
“We have certainly written a lot more business than in previous years, but that’s not the most important thing, that was to talk to people about the brand and what we have planned for next year. We have been able to do that and taken orders on the back of it.
“The British golf industry has to have a golf show and The PGA, Foremost and TGI Golf have joined together and done that for us. It’s really important the trade can show what it’s up to and this is the right environment to do that.”
Giles Birkhead, TaylorMade-adidas Field Sales Manager: “The Golf Show was exceptionally good, there was a great vibe and everyone seemed very busy. We have written a lot of business, more than we have done so at previous shows.
“I think there has been great quality, the number of visitors was good, and the educational element was fantastic, it certainly added another element to the event and attracted more people.”
The Golf Show 2010 www.golftradeshow.co.uk