Global industry leaders, including top PGA Professionals from around the world, were recently gathered for the historic launch of the 2011 Asia Golf Show/PGA Merchandise Show at the Guangzhou Jinhan Exhibition Centre, inGuangzhou,China.
This largest golf exhibition ever to be held in Southern China was organised by: the China Golf Association, PGA World Alliance, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA); and supported by Reed Guanghe Exhibitions, an affiliate of PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions.
The show included more than 100 exhibitors across 7,000 square meters of exhibition space and also saw the staging of the first-ever PGA Teaching & Coaching Summit-Asia. Nearly 4,200 attendees took part in the three-day event.
It was impressively showcased by vast world-wide coverage in the printed, electronic and video-tv media to complete a hugely successful launch process.
An impressive Opening Ceremony and ribbon-cutting featured several key global golf leaders including: PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka; Rhett Evans, CEO, GCSAA; Sandy Jones, Chief Executive, PGA of Great Britain & Ireland; Brian Thorburn, CEO, PGA of Australia; Justin Apel, Executive Director, GCBAA; China Golf Association Vice Chairman and Secretary General Zhang Xiaoning; and Reed Exhibitions Greater China President Preecha S. Chen.
“Golf is a global sport that enjoys participation in 189 territories and countries at approximately 33,000 facilities worldwide by 40 million people,” said Steranka. “The PGA of America, as part of the PGA World Alliance, is proud to take our expertise and share it with the rest of the world. We are focused on setting professional standards in order for people worldwide to serve as caretakers of the values of the sport and nurture people playing the game for the very first time.”
The first-ever PGA Teaching & Coaching Summit-Asia, presented by OMEGA featured keynote speaker Hank Haney, the 1993 PGA Teacher of the Year, and a former golf instructor of Tiger Woods.
Based on the successful, biennial PGA Teaching & Coaching Summit conducted by The PGA of America, the Summit also highlighted acclaimed Australian PGA Professionals Steve Bann, instructor for K.J. Choi, and Alan Huang, a teacher of many of China’s rising golf stars; as well as PGA Professionals Billy “William” Martin, who has worked with Jack Nicklaus, and JC Video President Mark Connell.
PING exhibited on the show floor, along with top equipment companies and exhibitors, such as OMEGA, Jacobsen, Toro, Club Car and SkyCaddie. On Oct. 20, Demo Night attendees were able to try out the latest products being offered on the market from Callaway, PING, TaylorMade, Titleist and other leading golf companies at the spectacular Jingye Golf Club, which featured 110 hitting bays and three putting greens.
The entire show was a showcase of the latest innovations in the game to the worldwide golf industry. With the expansion of golf on a global scale, the PGA World Alliance will collaborate, support, assist and share expertise with new regions and emerging markets in the development of the game and business of golf, as well as help develop players to compete in the Olympic Games.
The Asia Golf Show/PGA Merchandise Show-Asia will be held each autumn in ‘a rotating location’ inSouthern China.
Contacts: Abraham Summers, Reed Exhibitions, Tel: +86 10 5933 9498. abraham.summers@reedexpo.com.cn and M Abramowitz, PGA of America,561/624-8458,mabramowitz@pgahq.com