Outdoor Demo Day Tees Off Biggest Week In The Business Of Golf Tomorrow, January 25, At The 59th PGA Merchandise Show In Orlando, Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. – As the world’s largest professional golf equipment testing event, the PGA Merchandise Show Outdoor Demo Day will welcome some 5,000 PGA Professionals and invited retailers for the industry’s exclusive preview and hands-on testing of the newest innovations in golf equipment, tomorrow (Wednesday), Jan. 25, at Orange County National Golf Center in Winter Garden, Fla. (The event is not open to the public.)

Within 200-plus hitting bays of the circular range and short game areas of the 42-acre practice facility of Orange County National, influential PGA Professionals and golf retailers will test the hottest equipment and accessories that will drive golf retail sales in the upcoming season from nearly 100 top manufacturers including Bridgestone, Callaway Golf, Cleveland Golf/Srixon, Cobra-PUMA, Mizuno, Nike Golf, PING, TaylorMade Golf, Titleist, Tour Edge, Wilson and more. United Rentals and True Temper are the presenting sponsors of the 2012 PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day.

The PGA Merchandise Show Outdoor Demo Day also will feature several special appearances by professional players, celebrities and renowned PGA teaching professionals including Lexi Thompson, Suzann Pettersen, Blair O’Neal, Sophie Horn, Mike Dobbyn, Jim Flick, Bob Toski, Michael Breed, Dennis Walters and Ronnie Renner.

While Outdoor Demo Day tees off the biggest week in golf for many, the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show doors officially open to more than 40,000 industry attendees from more than 75 countries on Thursday, Jan. 26, at the massive Orange County Convention Center. Nearly 1,000 top golf manufacturers and brands , from today’s golf market leaders to emerging companies, create the world’s largest business-to-business golf event. The very best names in golf are introducing an abundance of new products to drive golf retail in 2012 including: Adams Golf, adidas/Ashworth, AHEAD/PGA Authentics, Antigua, Bridgestone, Callaway Golf, Cleveland/Srixon Golf, Club Car, Cobra Puma Golf, Cutter & Buck, Ecco, EP Pro, Fairway & Greene, FootJoy, Gear for Sports, Greg Norman Collection, Mizuno, Nike, Oakley, Ogio, PING, Polo, SkyGolf, Sunice, TaylorMade, Titleist, Tour Edge, Under Armour, Wilson, Yonex and many more.

The PGA Merchandise Show annually attracts international industry leaders, top CEOs, influential retailers and scores of celebrity endorsers from the realms of professional golf, golf instruction and entertainment. PGA World Golf Hall of Fame member Jack Nicklaus and Major League Baseball great Ken Griffey Jr., a member of the Board of Governors of the Boys and Girls Club of America, will be joined by country recording artist Julie Roberts and PGA of America officials in the event grand opening at 8:15 a.m. on Thursday morning, Jan. 26.

Nicklaus and Griffey Jr. are among a long list of participating celebrities at this year’s industry-only PGA Merchandise Show. Many exhibiting companies will host PGA and LPGA players and renowned PGA teachers including Davis Love, Nick Faldo, Lee Trevino, Tom Kite, Brad Faxon, Chip Beck, Natalie Gulbis, Paula Creamer, Lexi Thompson, Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, Michael Breed and more.

In addition to the busy marketplace among nearly 10 miles of Show aisles in the Orange County Convention Center, Show days are full of professional learning opportunities in the PGA Show Education Conference and new PGA Show Business Leadership Series ; during industry presentations at the PGA Forum Stage and the new Golf Business Solutions stage ; and within a full schedule of fashion programs at the new PGA Show Fashion E Studio .

The PGA Merchandise Show opening morning features a keynote address by Nicklaus and PGA of America officials on Golf 2.0 ~ an industry-wide initiative to grow participation in golf, on the PGA Forum Stage . Major league baseball great Ken Griffey Jr., a member of the Board of Governors of the Boys and Girls Club of America, also joins Nicklaus and PGA officials to announce an exciting new program targeting junior golfers. Several PGA Teachers of the Year and Merchandisers of the Year will present best practices and major manufacturers such as Callaway Golf, COBRA PUMA, PING and TaylorMade-adidas Golf also will take the stage for special programs. The schedule is complete with presentations featuring the legendary Billy Casper, golf management company executives Dana Garmany, Peter Hill and Jim Hinckley and Matthew Shay, CEO of the National Retail Federation; plus multiple programs addressing the industry’s most pressing topics including participation by juniors, growth of women’s golf and golf fitness initiatives.

Attendees will find an energetic Show floor featuring interactive exhibits, hundreds of vendor Show specials and promotions; plus some 47 equipment testing bays at the Indoor Demo Days ; a centralized New Product Zone for a one-stop shopping of the newest golf merchandise; an Inventor’s Spotlight Pavilion for patented products not yet available at retail; a new International Clubmakers Guild Connections Center ; and numerous specialty exhibitor pavilions.

Each day offers a full calendar of special events and each night, attendees can participate in and network at special industry events including the Association of Golf Merchandisers Product Preview and Reception on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 5:00-7:00 p.m. and the prestigious PGA Awards Night on Thursday, Jan. 26, 5:30 -7:30 p.m.

More than 1,000 media have made plans to attend the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show. Golf enthusiasts can learn the latest daily news from the PGA Merchandise Show at www.PGA.com , www.pgashow.com and in nightly reports on the Golf Channel’s Golf Central news program. Additionally, a one-hour, prime-time Golf Channel television special will capture all the news and newsmakers at the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show on Monday, Jan. 31, at 8:00 p.m.

About the PGA Merchandise Show

Organized in partnership with The PGA of America as a trade-only event, the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show will be held in the Orange County Convention Center (view floor plan ) ~ 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 26-27; and 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Jan. 28. For more information, visit www.pgashow.com .

The PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando and the PGA Expo in Las Vegas are organized in partnership with The PGA of America.

Contact:
PGA Merchandise Show: Sherry Major, (716) 662-3855, smajor@reedexpo.com

PGA of America: Jamie Carbone, (561) 624-8446, jcarbone@pgahq.com