PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The final program and schedule of events for the 2012 PGA Expo is attracting top vendors, influential buyers and industry leaders to a marketplace of inspired solutions for merchandising top new products, learning effective business-building strategies and sharing best practices in growing the game, Aug. 20-22, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Thousands of industry professionals representing top golf destinations, resorts, golf clubs, retail stores, mass merchandisers and golf organizations from 47 U.S. states and 28 countries are expected to attend and take advantage of a robust schedule of exhibits from more than 200 top golf companies and brands, indoor and outdoor product testing, fashion programs, education seminars, industry presentations and professional networking events.
The PGA Expo, now in its 28th year, begins with new instruction workshops, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m., followed by the PGA Expo Demo Night, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., on Monday, Aug. 20, at the Callaway Golf Center, just off the Las Vegas Strip. Exhibits, education seminars, fashion programs, industry presentations, and special events will take place at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 22, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Returning to the apparel industry’s “Fashion Week” and the upscale Venetian Ballroom, the PGA Expo is positioned at the center of the MAGIC™, MODA™, MRket®, and ACCESSORIES: The Show®* events.
“The 2012 PGA Expo is packed full of inspiration with exciting, new vendors and merchandise, valuable business resources, and fun events that bring together golf professionals from all regions and sectors of the golf industry,” said PGA Golf Exhibitions Industry Vice President John McGeary. “We are experiencing a nice uptick in Show attendance and education conference registration and look forward to an energetic business atmosphere at our PGA Expo events next week.”
Exhibits
More than 200 golf companies and brands will showcase the newest equipment, training aids, fashions, accessories and services in upscale, all-inclusive exhibits in the Venetian Ballroom including top names in golf such as adidas Ashworth Golf, AHEAD, Antigua, Callaway, Cobra Puma Golf, Cutter & Buck, Fairway & Greene, Flightscope, FootJoy, Foresight Sports, Full Swing Golf, Greg Norman Collection, PGA Authentic, PING, Polara Golf, Pukka Headwear, Straight Down, Summit Brands, Tour Edge, Yamaha, Yonex and many more. View the full exhibitor list here.
Buyers
More than 4,000 industry professionals are expected to attend the 2012 PGA Expo including top retailers from influential golf and retail facilities such as American Golf, Aug.a National, Bel-Air Country Club, Brentwood Country Club, Classic Club, Congressional, Dallas Golf, Doral Resort, Edina Country Club, Golf Galaxy, Grayhawk, Indian Wells, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, PGA West, OB Sports, Pebble Beach, Phoenix Country Club, Play It Again Sports, Rancho Santa Fe, Riviera Country Club, Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, Southern Highlands, The Boulders Resort, The Broadmoor, Torrey Pines, TPC Summerlin, TPC Las Vegas, Troon, Trump National, Wigwam Resort, Wynn Las Vegas, USGA and many others.
General Schedule of Events
The 2012 PGA Expo schedule of events offers PGA Professionals and buyers access to a diverse menu of industry programs to build their businesses while sourcing a multitude of new merchandise. View schedule of events here.
PGA Expo Instruction Workshops
Eric Alpenfels, PGA, will present two, new high-impact instruction workshops at the 2012 PGA Expo on Monday, Aug. 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, demonstrations, contests, 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.
Main Stage Presentations
»Hank Haney – Excel Through Golf – 8/21, 9:00 a.m.
Achieve & Maintain Instruction Excellence
Growing the Game
Successful Business Motivators
»Fashion Designer Panel – 8/21, 10:00 a.m.
John Ashworth of LinkSoul
Billy Draddy of Fairway & Greene/Zero Restriction
Mike Rowley of Straight Down.
Ralph Dunning of Dunning Golf
Moderators: Golf Digest Fashion Director Marty Hackel and Win McMurry, Golf Channel reporter and resident fashion expert
»Jim Fannin – Golf Success 2.0 – 8/22, 9:00 a.m.
Adapting to Changing Consumer Behaviors
Maximizing Customer Experience
Tools to Enhance Learning and Increase Frequency of Play
Equipment & Instruction Section
The PGA Expo floor will also welcome a new equipment and instruction section, which will showcase the latest equipment, ball-flight monitors, simulators, clubfitting systems, and teaching and training aids. The “practice” area is anchored by an expanded putting green with turnkey kiosks for putter companies as well as the new Club Performance and Testing Center, which will allow hands-on testing of the latest equipment and training aids. Callaway Golf, Cobra Puma Golf, Ping, Tour Edge, Yonex and others will anchor the equipment and instruction section, with several companies offering clubfitting services for PGA Professionals.
Fashion Row, Las Vegas Fashion Week & Apparel Companies
The 2012 PGA Expo will again focus on fashion, conveniently positioned among five trade shows during Las Vegas “Fashion Week,” including MAGIC, MODA, MRket and Accessories: The Show, to allow PGA Professionals and buyers to take advantage of multiple business and networking events among the fashion shows. A new “Fashion Row,” complete with mannequins displaying the latest golf apparel, will greet PGA Expo attendees in the hallway of the Venetian ballroom as they register and prepare to enter the exhibition hall each day.
Some of the brightest brands in apparel will be showing off their newest designs at the 2012 PGA Expo, including Abacus, adidas Golf, Ahead, Antigua, Ashworth, Bobby Jones, Callaway, Carnoustie, Cobra Puma Golf, Cutter & Buck, Donald Ross Sportswear, Dunning Golf, Ecco, EP Pro, Fairway & Greene, FootJoy, Gear for Sports, Greg Norman Collection, Imperial Headwear, J. Lindeberg, Kentwool, Linksoul, Maui Jim, Nivo, PGA Authentic, Page & Tuttle, Ping Apparel, Pukka Headwear, Sport Haley, Straight Down, Sunice, Tommy Hilfiger, Travis Mathew, Under Armour, Zero Restriction and many others.
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. 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 – Lagasse’s 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 main TV, luxury boxes, plush stadium-style seating, billiard tables, and an outdoor patio. (Show badges required for admittance.)
New Product Zone
The New Product Zone is one of the most popular areas on the Show Floor because it is the best place to see all the newest merchandise in one location. In 2012, the New Product Zone is being expanded to accommodate growing interest by exhibitors and attendees and will be segmented by equipment, apparel and accessories.
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 lounge.
PGA Members
The 2012 PGA Expo provides members with the opportunity to earn up to 18 MSR credits by participating in education seminars, main stage programs, the PGA Town Hall, Demo Night and PGA Expo events. View the full schedule of MSR credit opportunities here. Also, PGA members will have access to a comprehensive PGA Member Business Center, located just off the Show floor, where The PGA of America will offer a multitude of services, workshops and Association representatives from Golf 2.0, education, employment, insurance, and membership services departments.
AGM Summer Forum & Product Preview
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. Following the AGM Summer Forum, The AGM will partner with the Golf Business Network to 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.
Allied Golf Organizations
Golf Business Network (GBN) 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.
The Nevada National Golf Course Owners Association (NvGCOA) Annual Meeting will be held 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 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.
PGA Expo Registration
Advance registration for the 2012 PGA Expo is open to industry professionals online at www.pgaexpo.com. The PGA Expo is a trade industry-only event. Onsite registration is available at the Venetian Ballroom with proper golf industry credentials. Additional badge information is available here.
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
