The retail and education show, which will be staged at the Harrogate International Centre (HIC), 26-28 October 2010, is a joint venture between The PGA and buying groups Foremost Golf and TGI Golf, and will be open to all on-course PGA professionals and their business associates.
Detailed plans for The Golf Show, which builds on the success of Foremost and TGI’s own shows, were revealed to suppliers at PGA National Headquarters on 20 May, including leading businesses and brands TaylorMade, Ping, Callaway, Acushnet, Srixon-Cleveland, Powakaddy, Glenmuir and ProQuip.
Eddie Reid, Managing Director of TGI Golf, told the audience of golf industry professionals: “This is a three-way partnership which we have all committed to for a minimum of five years.
“Our goal in this period is to become the largest and best quality golf trade event in Europe. The UK accounts for two-thirds of the European golf market, so there is no reason why this shouldn’t be the flagship golf show for trade professionals from across Europe to attend.”
The Golf Show will be staged in HIC’s halls B, C and M offering a large amount of space, including an indoor driving range, plus a wide variety of facilities for attendees and exhibitors.
Exhibition space will be available to Foremost Golf and TGI Golf approved suppliers, plus any non-conflicting, non-approved suppliers that are of benefit to PGA professionals.
Paul Hedges, CEO of Foremost Golf, said: “There has been tremendous cooperation between all the partners to make this work and the reaction from the trade to a single, high-quality trade show in the UK has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We will be structuring the event so that professionals will have reasons to be at the show every day, all day, which is why the educational programme, plus Foremost and TGI events at the beginning and end of the week are all important attractions.”
Continuous Professional Development points will be available to PGA members thanks to a variety of classroom based seminars as well as shorter, ‘speaker’s corner’ style events. In total there will be six headline speakers, appearing at the start and end of each day, and 17 expert speakers delivering 20-minute presentations throughout the day, although there will be no more than one session at a time to maintain numbers in the exhibition halls.
Sandy Jones, Chief Executive of The PGA, said: “The PGA is delighted to be backing the show, which we are confident will go on to become one of the most important and influential trade and educational events in Europe.
“It has been a long time since such a show was staged on these shores, which makes this venture even more exciting. The importance of these trade shows cannot be underestimated, bringing suppliers together with their key customers and allowing PGA professionals, a significant number of whom work in many countries across Europe, to come together and share best practices with one another in a relaxed environment.”
It was also announced that a new website – www.golftradeshow.co.uk – will go live in June, where full details will be available.