PGA professionals and buyers come together & share best practices at multiple event platforms
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – PGA Professionals, golf buyers and industry leaders attending the 2012 PGA Expo in Las Vegas, Aug. 20-22, can anticipate multiple opportunities to share best practices and network with colleagues from around the world. Networking programs are an important aspect of the PGA Expo where more than 200 top golf brands and companies will showcase the latest equipment, training aids, fashions and accessories at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. In addition to a multitude of new products and professional networking programs, the comprehensive industry event also features equipment testing opportunities, featured speakers, fashion programs, education seminars and numerous business resources.
“In addition to seeing all the newest merchandise in a single setting, PGA Expo attendees value the opportunity to share business experiences with colleagues from different regions,” said PGA Golf Exhibitions Industry Vice President John McGeary. “New business solutions, profit centers, player development programs and more will be shared during several professional networking events and casual industry settings at this year’s PGA Expo.”
PGA Expo Instruction Workshops
Eric Alpenfels, PGA, will present two, new high-impact instruction workshops at the 2012 PGA Expo on Monday, August 20, 4:00-6:00 p.m., just prior to the PGA Expo Demo Night at the Callaway Golf Center located just off the Las Vegas Strip. A widely recognized PGA teaching professional and Director of the Pinehurst Golf Academy and Golf Instruction at Pinehurst Resort, Alpenfels will offer proven training techniques used to motivate, encourage and develop skills and participation of junior and women golfers in the workshops “The Players of Tomorrow” and “Connecting with Her.” Learn more about the workshops and register here.
PGA Expo Demo Night
The 2012 PGA Expo Demo Night features product testing, instruction workshops, professional networking and a social golf outing at the Callaway Golf Center, just off the Las Vegas Strip, on Monday, Aug. 20, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. PGA Professionals, buyers and industry leaders attending the PGA Expo will have complimentary access to the event where the newest equipment, training aids and accessories from more than 40 manufacturers will be tested first hand at the Center’s two-tiered 113-stall lighted driving range, plus the putting and chipping greens. A social golf outing exclusively for PGA Expo attendees will be held at the Center’s Divine Nine, a nine-hole lighted par-3 course. Complimentary shuttle buses will depart The Venetian Tour Bus area beginning at 5:30 p.m. and run every 20 minutes. The last bus will depart the Callaway Center back to the Venetian at 9:30 p.m. Complimentary refreshment tickets for beer and soda will be provided at check-in to all attendees. View more information about Demo Night and the golf outing here.
PGA Expo Education Conference
Top golf and business instructors including notable industry experts such as Eric Apenfels, Jim Fannin and Donna Orender will join a strong team of presenters offering new seminars on golf instruction, retail business and growth of the games strategies in the PGA Expo Education Conference, Aug. 21-22, 2012, in Las Vegas. More than 20 seminars will be presented each Show day at The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. View full conference schedule and register here.
PGA Expo Industry Reception
The PGA Expo Industry Reception returns in 2012 to a new location – the Lagasse Stadium in the Palazzo Las Vegas Resort on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. The event’s most popular networking event, the seventh annual industry reception is free to all PGA Expo attendees and features beer, wine, cocktails, martinis, hors d’oeuvres, and music. Lagasse’s Stadium combines Emeril Lagasse’s signature cuisine and kicked-up game day eats with more than 100 HD TVs including a 9 foot x 16 foot main TV, luxury boxes, plush stadium-style seating, billiard tables, and an outdoor patio. (Show badges required for admittance.)
New Professional Networking Lounge
A new PGA Professional and buyer networking lounge has been added to the PGA Expo show floor to facilitate conversations on trends, new products and best practices. Each day the main stage area will host a featured speaker and following the presentation, the area will be converted into a professional networking lounge.
PGA Member Business Center
PGA Professionals will have access to a multitude of Association services, workshops and professionals at the PGA Member Business Center in The Venetian, Aug. 21-22, during Show hours. In addition to Association representatives from Golf 2.0, education, employment, insurance, and membership services departments, The PGA of America will offer complimentary employment workshops and a PGA Town Hall, where members can engage directly from PGA President Allen Wronowski and PGA CEO Joe Steranka on the Association’s most pressing topics. View more information on PGA Member programs here.
AGM Summer Forum
The Association of Golf Merchandisers will host merchandiser roundtables, designer discussion panels, and workshops at The Venetian on Monday, Aug. 20, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. The AGM Summer Forum is open to all registered PGA Expo golf buyers/merchandisers at no cost. View AGM Summer Forum information here. The AGM also will be located on the Show floor in booth #121.
AGM/GBN Product Preview
The Association of Golf Merchandisers and the Golf Business Network will host the AGM/GBN Product Preview on Monday, Aug. 20, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. at The Venetian. This event is open to all PGA Expo attendees and will provide a networking opportunity and a preview of what’s new for Spring 2013 prior to the opening of the show floor. Complimentary transportation will be provided immediately following the Product Preview for attendees to participate in the annual PGA Expo Demo Night at the Callaway Golf Center.
GBN Member Events
Golf Business Network members are invited to attend the member networking and educational event at The Venetian on Monday, Aug. 20, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., at no cost. Additionally, GBN members are invited to the private organization networking room in the Lagasse Stadium during the PGA Expo Industry Reception on Tuesday night, Aug. 21, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. View GBN member event information here.
NvGCOA Annual Meeting
The Nevada National Golf Course Owners Association (NvGCOA) Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. at The Venetian. The organization will offer education sessions based on “Maximizing Profit Throughout Your Operation” and present the Nevada 2012 Course of the Year Award. Industry professionals attending the PGA Expo may attend at no fee. Seating is limited; please RSVP to sspraul@pacificlinks.com. The NvGCOA also will have a show floor presence in booth #837.
Allied Golf Organizations
The National Golf Sales Representatives Association (NGSA), representing over 3,400 independent and company golf sales representatives, will provide a central networking and communications hub for NGSA members and golf sales representatives in Booth # 936. Additionally, the NGSA will offer employment postings for open sales representative positions at more than 229 golf companies currently listed in the NGSA’s The Sales Leader “Reps Wanted Section.”
The Women in the Golf Industry (WIGI) organization will host an industry networking reception on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 4:00 p.m., in The Venetian Bellini 2001B meeting room. The reception is open to all PGA Expo attendees.
The International Network of Golf (ING) organization will host a private networking room in the Lagasse Stadium during the PGA Expo Industry Reception on Tuesday night, Aug. 21, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
About the PGA Expo
The 2012 PGA Expo, Aug. 20-22 in Las Vegas, begins with an all-new Demo Night featuring product testing, instruction workshops, professional networking and a social golf outing at the Callaway Golf Center, just off the Las Vegas Strip, on Monday, Aug. 20.
On Tuesday, Aug. 21, the PGA Expo Grand Opening Ceremony will officially open the Venetian Ballroom doors to more than 200 golf companies and brands showcasing their latest merchandise in upscale, exhibit displays. The Opening Ceremony will take place outside the Venetian Ballroom entrance at 8:50 a.m. with exhibit hours 9 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, and 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 22. Attendees can test equipment on the show floor at the expanded Golf Performance & Training Center; uncover the newest merchandise at the New Product Zone; and network with colleagues among displays of the latest golf fashion lines in the new attendee networking lounge.
Each morning begins with a new keynote industry presentation and attendees can participate in a comprehensive education conference. Additionally, the popular PGA Expo Industry Reception will be held Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the Lagasse Stadium in the Palazzo Las Vegas Resort.
The PGA Expo is held at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in the heart of the apparel industry’s “Fashion Week” and the MAGIC™*, MODA™*, MRket®*, and ACCESSORIES: The Show®* events. It is an industry-only event and is not open to the public. Buyers, exhibitors and PGA Professionals can register and learn more information about the 2012 PGA Expo in Las Vegas online at www.pgaexpo.com.
The PGA Expo and PGA Merchandise Show are organized in partnership with The PGA of America.
*MAGIC™ is a trademark of Advanstar Communications Inc. Neither MAGIC nor Advanstar Communications Inc. is affiliated with The PGA of America, PGA Expo, or Reed Exhibitions. MODA™, MRket®, and ACCESSORIES: The Show® are trademarks of Business Journals, Inc. These shows and Business Journals, Inc. are not affiliated with The PGA of America, PGA Expo, or Reed Exhibitions. PGA Expo® is a registered trademark owned by The PGA of America.
Contact:
Sherry Major, PGA Golf Exhibitions 716.662.3855, smajor@reedexpo.com
Jamie Carbone, PGA of America 561.624.8446, jcarbone@pgahq.com
