Georgia on my mind
Pitchcare’s Laurence Gale MSc visits the GCSAA show in Atlanta
ATLANTA City, Georgia was the host city for this year’s GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show. It was originally going to be held in New Orleans but Hurricane Katrina put paid to that in spectacular and devastating fashion. The GSCAA should be congratulated on their organisational effectiveness in rescuing the event and choosing such a welcoming venue as Atlanta at such short notice.
The Georgia World Congress Centre provided excellent facilities for both exhibitors and visitors. The show promoted over 800 exhibitors, that in turn attracted well over 17,000 visitors over the three days of the show, with over 7,000 of these attending educational programmes and seminars.
The size and scale was staggering, with all the exhibitors placed in one single exhibition area. Trying to compare
Harrogate with the GCSAA show was nigh on impossible, they may have the same objectives; however the way the exhibitor information is delivered is very different. There seems to be a more relaxed atmosphere at the GCSAA. This may be influenced by the vast area and space around each stand. Harrogate has to function in a more confined space especially down the walk ways which, when busy, can herd people past stands and attractions.
Also the Americans
seem to have a greater customer care attitude in their approach to selling and looking after their visitor’s needs. There were many side attractions to further occupy visitors. I particularly liked the shoeshine booths. Also
there was enough room to facilitate a couple of golf driving ranges, where customers could try out new golfing technologies, ball, clubs etc. Around the outside of the hall were plenty of eating and drinking facilities that catered for the international audience the show attracts. Many of the exhibitors
were reporting record sales and demand for their products and services. With a number of companies having sold all their demonstration equipment on their stand during the show.
The culture of the show
is very different. It seems the people who attend, have buying power, and are able to place an order at the show, many UK companies including Campey Turfcare, Blec , Ransomes Jacobsen and Bernhard & Co were reporting healthy sales. Education is also high on the GCSAA agenda with many of the leading Universities exhibiting at the show and over 7000 people attending the large range of seminars provided at the conference. It was certainly a
rewarding experience attending the GCSAA show. The hospitality and generosity shown by exhibitors was second to none.
My personal thanks go
to Ransomes Jacobsen for hosting my visit and I’m sure that our touring party of Greenkeepers, Course Managers and Groundscare Dealers will not forget this trip for a long time. We will all return with new ideas and visions of raising the profile of our industry in the UK.
AGRIPOWER
TOP DRESSING OVER SEEDING DE-COMPACTION VERTIDRAINING GROUND BREAKING LANDSCAPING
SPECIALISTS IN ALL ASPECTS OF SPORTSTURF CONSTRUCTION DRAINAGE AND MAINTENANCE
BROOMFIELD FARM, RIGNALL ROAD GREAT MISSENDEN, BUCKS
TEL: 01494 866776 FAX: 01494 866779
www.agripower.co.uk
A good grounding in sport 3
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