Organizers from the PGA of America say exhibitors from 25 countries are on hand this year.
ORLANDO — It wasn’t long ago that many were wondering whether or not the PGA Show at Orange County Convention Center was losing its fastball.
The 2024 edition of the annual trade show, however, is proving definitively the lasting power of the show — and perhaps how important it’s become in the wake of remote working quarters and increased travel.
According to organizers from the PGA of America, more than 1,000 exhibitors from 25 countries are on hand this year, and the event still includes a robust series of speakers and prominent guests, like 2022 U.S. Open champ Matthew Fitzpatrick and 8-time major champ Tom Watson. Attendees from 80 different countries registered for the event.
Also, while most guests come from the United States or Europe, many of the exhibitors come from China, Korea and Canada. A handful of the major golf club manufacturers still haven’t returned to the show, but many have and the floor has been an endless stream of activity.
“The PGA of America is actively sourcing more opportunities to partner with like-minded organizations, golf facilities and mission-driven individuals across Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa,” said Sean D. Thornberry, Director of Global Development at the PGA of America.
ORLANDO — It feels like old times at the Orange County Convention Center as the crowds and many of the vendors have returned to make the annual PGA Show a vibrant gathering in the Sunshine State.
The annual Demo Day was held at Orange County National on Tuesday and a week of exhibits and education runs through Friday at the convention center.
The event, which was held virtually in 2021 and in a smaller form in 2022, typically attracts more than 40,000 PGA of America professionals, manufacturers, media members and golf industry insiders.
The 69th PGA Show returned to an in-person event but it was a mere shadow of what it used to be.
ORLANDO – These are wonderful times to be part of the golf industry. Rounds played are up, equipment is selling like hotcakes, and teaching pros have never been busier. All it took was a global pandemic to make golf popular again.
It’s not a good time, however, to be in the convention and exhibition business. The 69th PGA Show, the largest annual gathering of PGA Members and the international golf industry, returned to an in-person show but it was a mere shadow of what it used to be.
None of the major equipment makers – Callaway, Cleveland/Srixon, Cobra, Ping, TaylorMade, Titleist – nor apparel companies – Polo, Summit Brands, Peter Millar, Travis Matthew, Ahead – decided to participate.
Instead of nearly 10 miles of exhibit aisles and roughly 1,000 exhibitors, the Orlando County Convention Center used a much smaller footprint for the 600 companies who signed up, and attendance on what is usually the biggest day of the Show resembled closing time on Friday. On the bright side, parking was easier and concession lines for lunch were non-existent. And the smaller footprint meant less wear and tear on the feet
The PGA Show, which began in the trunks of cars at a winter golf tournament in 1954, was doomed by a perfect storm. COVID-19, of course, was the main culprit. The Show’s timing, Jan. 25-28, couldn’t have been worse. Six months ago, it looked as if the country was through the worst of the global pandemic and the annual industry gathering would be all systems go. Then the Delta variant came along followed by Omicron. Experts predict that this could be the peak week for COVID. Companies that planned to participate dropped out as the date neared despite a willingness to be flexible by Reed Exhibitions that bordered on desperation.
The 69th PGA Show at the Orlando County Convention Center in Orlando, January 2022. (Photo: Jason Lusk/Golfweek)
The reality was too many companies were uncomfortable asking their employees to travel at what some perceive as a super-spreader event. As one executive at Titleist said, how could we ask our employees to travel to the PGA Show when our offices are still closed? It’s a sensible move in uncertain times.
The other contributing factor is that many of the leading companies are producing more than ever before, but are sold out of products and can’t manufacture new goods to sell fast enough. The combination of supply-chain issues being real and the fact that most companies are thriving during the pandemic made it easier to drop out.
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One of the few big players in the equipment space that did have a presence on the Show floor was Bridgestone, which had its employees drive in from Georgia. Dan Murphy, president and CEO of Bridgestone Golf, said it felt odd to be exhibiting in a hall without his competitors but enjoyed having many of his best customers in the 5,000 club pros who registered for the event essentially all to himself.
“It’s a time where people are going to stadiums to watch games and schools are back in session, so we think it is appropriate to be here and be careful about it and support the business and keep the good going,” he said. “We don’t mind zigging when everyone else zags.”
But Bill Hughes, longtime PGA professional and general manager of Country Club of the Rockies in Colorado, summed up the feeling of his brethren when he said, “I’m worried that these companies aren’t going to see the velocity on the return on investment. It’s kind of a fork in the road. Maybe there is a reckoning.”
Is this a one-year COVID blip? Or has COVID exposed the PGA Show’s fatal flaw: that a January gathering doesn’t align with product launches anymore. I asked one Show regular how does he measure whether he had a good show or not.
By alcohol level, of course, he cracked. This, after all, is a working vacation for many PGA pros, and for some a veritable spring break. (Apologies to all those pros from the Northeast who expected to work on their suntans and were greeted by rain and temps that barely cracked 50 degrees. The weather also turned Tuesday’s outdoor Demo and Fitting Day into a bust.)
National Golf Foundation’s Greg Nathan said he judges success by his dance card, which was packed with appointments with both clients and partners. Plenty of business and educational programming still will be conducted this week. The Show remains – alongside the Masters and British Open – among the best networking opportunities in golf.
But here’s the rub: if a golf company didn’t go to the Show this year, that means by the time the next one rolls around, it will be at least three years since its last attendance. It likely also will be three years in which the company has done financially better than when it last attended. Its reps and employees have figured out how to do Zoom calls and local shows. That’s three years where they have figured out how to work without the Show and now will be asked to pony up quite a bit of money.
The equipment makers pulling out this year suggests the industry has voted against an in-person Show during a global pandemic, but the fact that 13,000 pros registered suggests the industry still wants to get together. The elephant in the room is what happens next year. Will exhibitors want to have a big presence again and be willing to pay the price? Or has The Show outworn its relevance? Could this be the beginning of the end for the PGA Show?
We’ll have a better idea next year, but for now, the show must go on.
The PGA Merchandise Show has been in Florida for 67 years, but could it be headed to Frisco, Texas, when the PGA moves its headquarters?
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ORLANDO – Ever since the PGA of America announced it was moving its headquarters to Frisco, Texas, rumors have swirled that the PGA Merchandise Show wouldn’t be far behind in packing its bag for the suburb of ‘Big D.’
Not so fast my friends – at least that’s what leadership at the PGA and Reed Exhibitions, the operator of the Show, will have you believe.
A spokesperson for Reed Exhibitions tells The Forecaddie that the PGA contract with the Orlando County Convention Center runs through 2028, and dates are reserved until 2050, said Marc Simon, Reed Exhibitions event vice president.
“It’s not on the radar for us,” said Jeff Price, PGA’s chief commercial officer. “Frisco doesn’t have the space (for the 10 miles of exhibit aisles), not sure if Dallas does, but it has a future plan for expansion.”
Price added, “We think of the PGA Show as the global golf gathering. We’re open to everything but Orlando has been a really good partner.”
The SiriusXM Town Hall at the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
This year marked the 67th annual PGA Show in the Sunshine State and it has set up shop in Orlando since 1985.
The reasons for the “major of golf business” to stay put are plentiful: the Orlando County Convention Center provides 1 million square feet of meeting, floor and special event space, and also hosts the National Golf Course Owners Association and the Racquet & Paddle Sports Show. Orange County National Golf Club is ideal for handling more than 7,000 participants at PGA Demo Day with more than 200 hitting bays. The warm climate, direct flights, nearby attractions and ability to store exhibit booths also make Orlando a perfect fit.
The PGA Merchandise Show, which began in the trunks of cars at a winter golf tournament in 1954, has grown into the world’s largest annual gathering of the golf industry and is organized in partnership by PGA Golf Exhibitions and the PGA of America.
If the PGA Show is to move to Frisco, it is more likely that it will be for the PGA Fall Expo, which has been held in Las Vegas (Sept. 18-19) for years. That contract, Simon said, is on a year-to-year basis and offers more flexibility. The Fall Expo also receives only about 3,000 attendees compared to 40,000 that participate in the three-day January affair to discover the newest trends and technology from some 1,000 exhibiting golf companies and brands.
PGA CEO Seth Waugh provided an update on the development in Frisco, calling the city a Texas miracle.
“They built a highway, they built a practice football field and now it’s the fastest growing city in the country,” he said. “Every time out there the dream gets bigger.”
Waugh detailed how the PGA is targeting to open its new headquarters there in June 2022, which would include the resort hotel, golf operations at the two championship courses and a convention center.
He also addressed the possibility of the AT&T Byron Nelson moving to Frisco after the PGA Tour event ends its run at Trinity Forest later this year, saying everyone is kicking the tires around.
“Are we happy to talk to them about it? We are,” Waugh said. “We’re not pursuing it but if it makes the most sense for the city and for us and our partners and golf we’ll be happy to entertain it and see if it is possible.”
The PGA already has 23 championships, including the PGA and Ryder Cup, scheduled in Frisco in the first 12 years. Waugh confirmed he met with the Salesmanship Club and had discussions with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.
So just kicking the tires?
“Well, we don’t have any tires (yet),” Waugh said. “There is no car.”
But soon there will be and whether the PGA Show or the Byron Nelson end up there, Frisco is destined to be on the golf map soon.
