The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) has moved the dates of its 2021 Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit to September 26 to 28, 2021 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, FL. The event was initially scheduled for May 16 to 18.
“With the continued uncertainty and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we believed it was best to delay the Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit to later in 2021,” said Matt Carlson, president and CEO of NSGA. “The encouraging development of vaccines and their availability in 2021 is great news for our society to emerge from the pandemic and have the ability to attend in-person gatherings from sporting events to meetings. We believe pushing back the date of the conference will allow people to feel safer and more comfortable about travel and attending industry events.”
The input of members of the industry and previous Management Conference attendees through an NSGA survey impacted the decision to change the date to late September of 2021.
“The survey respondents gave us some valuable information, not only about delaying the conference but also on their willingness to attend an in-person event and on the subjects impacting the sporting goods industry they would like to see addressed,” Carlson said. “We would also like to thank the Ritz-Carlton for their flexibility regarding the dates and the extensive protocols they have implemented to create the safest environment possible.”
Additional news regarding registration, scholarships, speakers, education sessions, and other Management Conference events will be shared over the next few weeks. And NSGA will present virtual programming during the originally scheduled dates in May.
The Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will be held in September in Naples for the Class of 2020 inductees Peter Capolino (Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia Company), Robert Greenberg (Skechers) and Klaus Obermeyer (Sport Obermeyer) and the Class of 2021 inductee Eric Bezanson (Cleve’s Source For Sports).
“We all missed those valuable in-person connections we would have made during the 2020 conference,” Carlson said. “We know everyone in the industry is eager to get back out and see old friends and build relationships in person. We are looking forward to giving everyone that opportunity at the 2021 conference in the safest possible way.”
