Calling it a ‘win-win-win’ situation for the golf industry, the PGA of America, the National Golf Course Owners Association, and PGA Golf Exhibitions will co-locate the NGCOA’s Golf Business Conference with the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando beginning in 2020.
The Golf Business Conference, hosted by NGCOA for more than 30 years, is the industry’s largest meeting specifically for golf course owners and operators, while the PGA Merchandise Show draws 40,000 industry professionals and 1,000 leading golf companies each year to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The two events will unite the golf industry while providing synergy and a one-stop educational, operational and merchandising destination for industry operatives.
With PGA Golf Exhibitions’ operational assistance, the Golf Business Conference will be held at the Orange County Convention Center Monday through Wednesday, Jan. 20-22, 2020, intersecting ‘seamlessly’ with the PGA Merchandise Show on Jan. 21-24, 2020.
“The PGA of America is excited that the new proximity of the NGCOA’s Golf Business Conference — beginning with next year’s PGA Merchandise Show — will create special collaboration opportunities for PGA Members to discover, learn and share best practices with golf course owners and operators,” says PGA President Suzy Whaley. “For example, the alignment will lead to enhanced opportunities for PGA Professionals to access career-specific education topics that are important to course owners, as well as opportunities for owners to learn about the programs and initiatives that are important to our nearly 29,000 PGA Professionals.”
During the Golf Business Conference, the NGCOA will continue to offer a variety of sponsorship opportunities for vendors. For vendors exhibiting at the PGA Merchandise Show, the 2020 Golf Business Conference schedule will allow course owners and operators ample time to explore the PGA Show Floor on Wednesday before the conference concludes, as well as all day Thursday and Friday. Vendors of all kinds will have many options to see course owners and operators.
“We are pleased to bring the Golf Business Conference to Orlando, a popular destination among golf course operators and vendor partners, during PGA Show Week, one of the biggest weeks of the year for the golf industry,” says NGCOA Chief Executive Officer Jay Karen, CAE. “NGCOA members will experience significant value in the new site and location for our event programming and we look forward to working with PGA Golf Exhibitions and the PGA of America to enhance the conference.”
“PGA Golf Exhibitions is pleased to work with the NGCOA on this valuable opportunity to further collaborate with owners and operators during PGA Show Week,” explains PGA Golf Exhibitions Event Vice President Marc Simon. “We look forward to the opportunity to welcome even more NGCOA members to connect face-to-face with leaders from all aspects of the industry to drive forward the business of golf and grow the sport.”
The NGCOA will remain a partner of the Golf Industry Show (GIS) along with the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), GCBAA, ASGCA, NGF and USGA. NGCOA will continue to host its semi-annual gathering of the Top Agronomic Officers at the GIS. For more information and to register for the 2019 GIS, which takes place Feb. 2-7 in San Diego, please visit golfindustryshow.com