The 60th PGA Merchandise Show, held 23-26 January in Orlando, celebrated its six-decade history while launching what many believed to be the most vibrant PGA Show Week in recent history to begin a strong 2013 for the golf industry.
The 2013 PGA Merchandise Show brought together more than 1,000 companies and brands introducing new and innovative golf equipment, apparel, accessories and services to more than 43,000 attending PGA Professionals, buyers and industry leaders from 75 countries.
“It’s gratifying to see such enthusiasm at the PGA Merchandise Show,” said Ted Bishop, presiding over his first PGA Merchandise Show as President of The PGA of America. The activity on the PGA Show floor and at surrounding events is a great start to the 2013 golf season.”
Coming off a strong year for business in 2012, a who’s who of the game’s biggest brands and hottest new companies showcased new products meant to keep the momentum going in 2013.
The PGA Merchandise Show covered 1 million square feet of the OrangeCountyConvention Center including some 465,000 square feet of branded exhibits. Introductions from industry leaders such as Titleist, Callaway Golf, TaylorMade-adidas Golf, Ping, Nike, Bridgestone and Cobra Puma Golf created strong buzz on the PGA Show floor.
Industry attendance grew by 3% to more than 43,000 PGA Professionals, retailers and industry leaders who came to the 2013 PGA Merchandise Show from all 50 U.S. states and around the world.
The top five countries (outside of U.S.) represented in attendance were Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and Korea; and the top five U.S. states represented were Florida, New York, Georgia, Illinois and Pennsylvania.
While the PGA Merchandise Show is not open to the public, golf enthusiasts are able to learn about the game’s most innovative new products, along with all the news of PGA Show Week at www.PGA.com , www.pgashow.com , www.golfchannel.com
PGA Show Week Recap
PGA Show Week began with the biennial PGA Teaching & Coaching Summit on Monday and Tuesday, 21 and 22 January, at the Orange County Convention Center with more than 600 PGA Professionals on hand to participate in educational programs from headline presenters including 1991 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Dave Stockton; former Florida State University football coach Bobby Bowden; 2012 European Ryder Cup Team member Ian Poulter; LPGA Player of the Year Stacy Lewis, plus more than 30 of the game’s leading PGA Professional instructors. The Summit was presented by GOLF Magazine and supported by GolfTEC and Hospital for Special Surgery.
On Wednesday, 23 January, the 11th PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day, organised by PGA Magazine and PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions, was held at the Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge in Winter Garden, Florida. More than 7,000 PGA Professionals and invited retailers tested the latest products from 100-plus golf equipment, training aids, performance wear and golf accessory companies. The outdoor event also featured for the first time new Instructional Workshops presented by leading PGA instructors Hank Haney, Michael Breed and Mike Malaska, who provided insight into becoming a world class teacher, instructor, and coach to today’s golfers.
The PGA Merchandise Show traditionally attracts international industry leaders, top CEOs, influential retailers and scores of celebrity endorsers from the realms of professional golf, golf instruction and entertainment. In 2013, Davis Love III, the 2012 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain and winner of the 1997 PGA Championship, joined PGA of America Officials in the grand opening and was among a long list of participating celebrities including keynote speakers Annika Sorenstam, Ian Poulter, Dottie Pepper, plus Jesper Parnevik, Luke Donald, Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Lexi Thompson, Graeme McDowell, Blair O’Neal, Zach Johnson, Anna Nordqvist, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Lee Trevino, Nancy Lopez, Meg Mallon, Stacy Lewis, Lee Westwood, Stan Utley, Butch Harmon, David Toms, Hank Haney, Michael Breed, Suzann Pettersen and more.
In addition to the busy marketplace among nearly 10 miles of aisles, PGA Show days were full of professional learning opportunities during industry presentations at the PGA Forum Stage, in the new PGA Education Conference and at daily presentations on the FIT to W.I.N. stage, sponsored by the Titleist Performance Institute.
The game’s leading CEOs and executives shared their insights in a spirited panel discussion on the PGA Forum Stage on Friday, 25 January, covering a variety of trending golf industry topics from growing the game and pace of play, to putter anchoring and bifurcation, to water conservation and myriad of issues.
The industry panel featured influential leaders including PGA of America President Ted Bishop, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, LPGA Tour Commissioner Michael Whan, TaylorMade President and CEO Mark King, Golf Digest Chairman Jerry Tarde, NGF President and CEO Joe Beditz, European Ryder Cup Director Richard Hills, Golf Channel President Mike McCarley and PGA Board member Dottie Pepper.
Hundreds of PGA Professionals and industry members participated in PGA educational offerings which featured new Instructional Workshops at the PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day, a new Fast Track Golf Industry Course and streamlined educational seminars in the PGA Education Conference. Additionally, a focus on health and wellness through golf attracted standing-room only audiences to multiple presentations at the new FIT to W.I.N. stage by industry health, fitness and teaching experts, including PGA Professional Dave Philips and Dr. Greg Rose of the Titleist Performance Institute, sponsor of the FIT to W.I.N. pavilion.
Attendees also enjoyed an energetic PGA Show floor featuring interactive exhibits, hundreds of vendor specials and promotions; plus some 47 equipment testing bays at the Indoor Demo Days; the new FIT to W.I.N. pavilion, a centralized New Product Zone for a one-stop shopping of the newest golf merchandise; a new Fashion Showcase and Lounge; numerous specialty exhibitor pavilions including a new PGA Golf Travel Pavilion, PGA Partners Pavilion, New Exhibitor Discovery Zone, and several international exhibitor pavilions, plus an Inventor’s Spotlight Pavilion for patented products not yet available at retail.
PGA Merchandise Show Winners
The Annual PGA Awards Night was held Thursday, 24 January, at the Chapin Theater of the convention center and drew a large crowd to honor PGA Professionals who showed outstanding achievement last year including:
- PGA Golf Professional of the Year – Mike Schultz, PGA
- PGA Teacher of the Year – Michael Breed, PGA
- PGA Junior Golf Leader – Don Law, PGA
- Horton Smith Award – Carl Alexander, PGA
- Bill Strausbaugh Award – Harry Hammond, PGA
- PGA Player Development Award – Mark Holiday, PGA
Honoured earlier in the week at the PGA Magazine Merchandisers of the Year Summit, 19-20 January, were PGA Professional Merchandisers of the Year George Kahrhoff, Amy Pendergast and Dale Smigelsky.
Award-winning PGA Professionals and top golf buyers voted three new products as the top new products among new merchandise displayed in the PGA Show New Product Zone. 2013 winning products were:
- CamCaddy Pro, smart phone stand to record your golf swing, www.camcaddypro.com
- Pukka, custom mobile case for the iPhone 5, www.pukkainc.com
- Vibram Five Fingers, innovators in the toe shoe category, www.vibramfivefingers.com
Organized in partnership with the United Inventors Association (UIA) and InventionHome, the Inventor’s Spotlight pavilion showcased golf inventions not yet available at retail. UIA and InventionHome voted top inventions:
- Best Manufacturing Analysis ~ PushNPutt, Booth IS7, www.pushnputt.com
- The Pinnacle Award ~ PGF Personal Golf Fan, Booth IS2, www.PGFfan.com
- Most Innovative Concept ~The Golf Square, Booth IS5
Influential PGA Professionals and golf buyers voted two exhibitors new to the PGA Show as recipients of the Top Buyers Choice Awards. The 2013 winners were:
- CamCaddy Pro, www.camcaddypro.com representing the Equipment/Products & Services Category
- Tom Morris International, www.tommorris.com representing the Apparel Category
2014 PGA Show to have New Tuesday-Friday Format
The PGA of America and PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions announced a new day schedule for the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show. Following feedback from exhibitors and attendees regarding shifting PGA Show days away from the weekend, the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show will run Tuesday through Friday, 21–24 January. The 2014 PGA Show will tee off with the traditional Outdoor Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Center on Tuesday, 21 January (rather than on Wednesday of PGA Show Week). The 2014 PGA Show continues at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando on Wednesday through Friday, 22–24 January.
“With overwhelming support from exhibitors, PGA Professionals and golf industry members, we’re pleased to announce this new day pattern for the PGA Merchandise Show after extensive research and following a course of due diligence with our partners in the industry and in Orlando,” said PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions Senior Vice President Ed Several. “The new weekday dates of the PGA Show allow PGA Professionals to return to their facilities as needed and our attending industry members to return home for valuable weekend time spent with family and friends.”
The next U.S. PGA Golf Show, the 2013 PGA Expo is scheduled for the week of 19th August at The Venetian Hotel and Casino during Fashion Week on the famous Las Vegas Strip.
On the international scene, two other major golf shows will address the global business of golf. The PGA Merchandise Show-China is scheduled for 22-24 March at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. The PGA Merchandise Show-Asia, the sister show to the China Golf Show, is scheduled for 30 November – 2 December in Shenzen, China.
For more information on the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show and upcoming PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions events, visit www.pgashow.com
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