16 EXHIBITIONS BEN EVANS | GOLF LESS ORDINARY Back to top form!
The 58th PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando (27-29 January) was deemed a success, offering encouraging signs for the industry moving forwards.
Tese included white R11 drivers from TaylorMade, a design
partnership between Callaway and Lamborghini, a super-cool product stand from COBRA-PUMA GOLF, great golf cars from the likes of Club Car and E-Z-GO, a raft of high-tech GPS offerings exemplified by Skycaddie and GolfBuddy, plus the excellent products, market consistency and customer service from the likes of PING and Titleist that play a key role in driving the industry onwards. And then there were great accessories and components from the likes of Golf Pride, Softspikes and Champ and exciting new ideas from the British exhibitors like MD Golf, 2Tumb, Dave Hicks Golf and John Letters. Basically this show puts you in the best golf shop in the world, including some fantastic golf fashions for the year ahead. (Space denies more detail here but see more Orlando innovation on pages 50-51). Nearly 42,000 PGA professionals and industry executives from
The common sight of a crowded equipment hall in Orlando
with visitors; the walkways certainly more Times Square than Albert Square. Te organisers claimed after the event: “Te PGA Merchandise
A
Show is traditionally a barometer for the business of golf in the year ahead and this year’s event established an enthusiastic tone with increased participation levels across all segments and an uptick in business conducted. Tis indicates that the golf industry is riding a wave of positive momentum into the 2011 business cycle.” Let us hope so. Certainly the crowds came (of course in difficult times
for a trade, people may be more likely to visit a show as they are more desperate to find an edge), and the exhibitors did not disappoint either, offering an array of great looking products with exciting stories, all geared on driving sales through the cash registers of our golf shops.
FTER a couple of previous years when the Orlando exhibition felt, and was, quieter, this year there was a real buzz. Te equipment areas in particular were jam-packed
every U.S. state and 88 countries filled nearly 10 miles of aisles while previewing the latest products and writing orders from nearly 1,000 golf companies and brands during the three days. Golf ’s best names in golf manufacturing joined with its brightest
stars for equipment introductions, product testing, fashion presentations, industry announcements, a series of education seminars and networking special events to set the tone for golf business in 2011. Attendance figures for the show indicated a 3.5 per cent increase in
overall attendance and a 7 per cent increase in the number of PGA professional visitors. Attendees came from around the world with the top five countries (outside of U.S.) represented in attendance being Canada, UK, Japan, Korea and Germany. “We are pleased with the overall increased attendance and especially
the seven per cent increase in PGA professional participation,” said PGA worldwide golf exhibitions senior vice president Ed Several. “Te packed aisles, industry enthusiasm and increased order writing
reported by vendors are all solid indicators of a strong business cycle for golf in 2011.” One of the reasons why people visit is that there is a genuine sense
GBD MARCH/APRIL 2011
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