NORWALK, Conn. – PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions announced today that PING will launch new products from their main aisle anchor exhibit in the PGA Forum, plus showcase their latest fitting and educational tools in an area dedicated to high-tech custom fitting software at the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 22-24, in Orlando, Fla. PING is exhibiting at the global industry’s 61st annual gathering to provide some 40,000 attending PGA Professionals, retailers and industry leaders with exclusive product previews and demonstrations at the PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day, PGA Show Indoor Demo Days, on the Show floor and as a sponsor of the PGA Magazine Merchandisers of the Year Conference.
“We’re expecting another busy week at the PGA Show,” said John Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. “In
addition to several exciting new products, we’re introducing an innovative fitting tool and an education program that will allow our customers to improve their knowledge of our product line and brand. We’ll also be hosting the PING $5000 “Distance Yourself Skills Challenge” which gives PGA professionals a chance to compete for cash and prizes while testing the latest PING product and services. Four lucky winners will advance to the main stage for a putting skins game with a $2000 purse. It’s a fun, interactive event that creates a lot of interest and excitement. We invite everyone to come by our booth and visit with our team of engineers, product specialists and sales executives during the week.”
The company also announced PGA Tour professional Chris DiMarco will join renowned PGA instructors Todd Anderson and Stan Utley Thursday on the PGA Forum Stage at 2:00 p.m. for a discussion on the importance of custom fitting and instruction. A Q&A session will follow their presentation. The $2,000 putting finals of the “Distance Yourself Skills Challenge” will conclude the PING PGA Forum session.
During the PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day, scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, at Orange County National Golf Center & Lodge in Orlando, PING will provide an exclusive preview and demonstration of their new fitting tools and equipment, including the i25 Series, Karsten irons and Karsten TR putters, for PGA Professionals and VIP Buyers. Additionally, PING fitting specialists will be on-hand to share their latest best practices to support retail efforts in 2014. Utley will conduct an Instructional Workshop on the short game at 11:30 am. (registration required).
From Wednesday, Jan. 22 to Friday, Jan. 24, PING will present new products within an anchor exhibit on the main aisle of the PGA Forum; showcase their latest fitting technologies and provide hands-on product testing at the PGA Show Indoor Demo Days; and present on the PGA Forum stage. Additionally, company executives and the PING sales team will meet with golf industry leaders to grow partnerships and discuss customer needs worldwide.
PING also will return as the exclusive golf equipment company sponsoring the 7th Annual PGA Magazine Merchandisers of the Year Conference, January 17-19, at Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Florida. The conference will bring together attending 2013 PGA Merchandisers of the Year selected by The PGA of America’s 41 nationwide Sections. They will be joined in the unique forum by other merchandising experts.
About PING
PING designs, manufactures and markets a complete line of golf equipment including metal woods, irons, putters and golf bags. The family-owned company was founded in 1959 in the garage of the late Karsten Solheim, a mechanical engineer with an extensive background in the aerospace and computer industries. His frustration with his putting inspired him to design his own putter, which created a “pinging” sound when striking a golf ball. This sound was the source of the name now synonymous with innovation, quality and service throughout the world of golf. Solheim and his company are credited with numerous innovations that became industry standards, including perimeter weighting, custom fitting and the use of investment casting in the manufacturing of golf clubs. His insistence on adhering to strict engineering principles and tight manufacturing tolerances raised the level of product performance and quality throughout the golf industry. Solheim is the only person to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as a golf club manufacturer. Today, the Phoenix-based company is under the direction of Solheim’s youngest son, John A. Solheim. PING game-improvement products can be found in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.ping.com. PING is a registered trademark of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation. Other trademarks mentioned are properties of their respective owners.
About the PGA Merchandise Show
The 61st PGA Merchandise Show, held January 21-24, 2014, in Orlando, Fla., will welcome some 1,000 top golf companies and brands and more than 40,000 industry professionals from around the world to the industry’s annual global summit for the business of golf. The PGA Merchandise Show features a new day pattern in 2014 with the PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day, the world’s largest professional golf testing event, held on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the Orange County National Golf Center. During PGA Show days, Wednesday – Friday, Jan. 22-24, at the Orange County Convention Center, PGA Professionals, retailers and industry leaders will uncover the latest trends, source the newest golf merchandise, test the latest equipment, learn proven business best practices, network among peers and move forward the business of the game. The new hours of the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show are: Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The PGA Merchandise Show is organized in partnership with The PGA of America as a trade-only event. Learn more about the event at www.PGAShow.com and engage with us at:
Contact:
PGA Merchandise Show: Sherry Major, (716) 662-3855, smajor@reedexpo.com
PING: Pete Samuels, (602) 687-5487, petes@ping.com
