The 2006 PGA Fall Expo has undergone a makeover resulting in strong participation by many of the country’s most influential PGA Professionals, top retailers and leading manufacturers. A sell-out in the inaugural PGA Fall Expo Golf Outing & Testing Day, an 18% increase in PGA Professional pre-registration and the growth of exhibitor participation to 336 golf companies sets the stage for a valuable three-day industry business forum featuring exhibits, product testing, golf outings, seminars and professional networking opportunities.
Pre-registration reports show that one of every three attendees is a PGA Professional and nearly three-quarters of all attendees have purchasing authority. PGA Professionals and top retailers plan to capitalize on PGA Fall Expo offerings while representing some of the nation’s most prestigious and influential golf facilities and retail outlets such as the Ritz-Carlton, Mission Hills Country Club, Riviera Country Club, Pebble Beach Resort, Pinehurst Resort, Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Shadow Creek, Torrey Pines Golf Club, Waialae Country Club, Nevada Bob’s, Golf USA, Golf Warehouse and Sports Authority.
Attendees can look forward to the return of top golf equipment manufacturers such as Bridgestone Golf, Callaway Golf, MacGregor Golf, Nike Golf, Tour Edge, Wilson Golf and Yonex which have bolstered the number of participating companies to 336 exhibitors in more than 55,000 net square feet of the event’s new host facility, the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Convention Center. The apparel category includes industry leaders Antigua, Bette & Court, Cutter & Buck, Dockers Tour, Fila, J. Lindeberg, Jack Nicklaus Sportswear, LIJA and Lilly Pulitzer. Datrek-Miller, Easy Picker, E-Z-Go Textron, Full Swing Golf and Wittek are among leading exhibitors in the product and services category.
The combination of top manufacturer participation and robust industry pre-registration has resulted in full participation by both manufacturers and industry professionals in the inaugural PGA Fall Expo Golf Outing & Testing Day, Sept. 12, at the renowned Bali Hai Golf Club. During the outing, players will be able to test top products at each hole, vie for several prizes throughout the outing, including a hole-in-one contest for a car and a chance to win $10,000. Additionally, PGA Professionals can participate in a PGA Challenge tournament, where two-man teams compete within the outing format for a $1,000 prize.
Traditionally popular among attendees, the PGA Fall Expo education conference pre-registration is ahead 39% over 2005 due to the conference being reorganized to offer the latest industry topics by recognized experts in a more compact timeframe and affordable price. This year’s program features industry leaders such as Ken Morton Jr., Tracy Moffatt and Tom Shay providing valuable seminars on visual merchandising tips, selling to women, finding the right vendors and more. Plus, seminars will be offered from The PGA of America on Play Golf America, the PGA Certified Professional Program (CPP), and PGA PerformanceTrak.
“We are very pleased that more PGA Professionals are taking advantage of all the PGA Fall Expo offers in 2006, said PGA President Roger Warren. As our industry continues to evolve, it is imperative that PGA members stay on top of the latest offerings on the market. The new programs and format of the 2006 PGA Fall Expo allows them to do just that.”
“We have worked diligently with The PGA of America to create a fall industry marketplace focusing on the Western United States that is ripe with business and career opportunities for PGA Professionals, retailers, industry leaders and manufacturers,” said PGA Golf Exhibitions Vice President & Show Manager Ed Several. “The new tournament, new programs and new host facility have attracted strong advance participation and we look forward to providing a forum for PGA Fall Expo attendees to gain the important edge they need to stay ahead of the business.”
The PGA Fall Expo offers a full three-day schedule of events and programs to grow businesses and careers including the inaugural PGA Fall Expo Trend Seminar, Sept. 13, at 8:30 a.m. on the Show floor. The seminar, free to all attendees, features emerging equipment and apparel trends along with ways to profit from them. A new Apparel Retailer Forum, sponsored by The Apparel Wire, will be staged on the Show floor Wednesday, Sept. 13, 3:00 4:00 p.m., for invited PGA Professionals and key retailers to participate in four discussions of timely apparel and merchandising trends. And, a new Opening Night Reception, sponsored by Yamaha, is open to all Expo attendees beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at The House of Blues in the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.
