Davis Love III Joins PGA of America Officials to Open the 60th PGA Merchandise Show

Davis Love III Joins PGA of America Officials to Open the 60th PGA Merchandise Show, January 24-26, 2013

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Davis Love III, the 2012 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain and winner of the 1997 PGA Championship, will join PGA of America Officials in the grand opening of the 60th Anniversary of the global golf industry’s PGA Merchandise Show, January 24-26, 2013, in Orlando, Fla.

Love and PGA of America officials will be joined by members of the local PGA Junior League at 8:15 a.m. to strike the ceremonial first ball from the 2nd floor stage to open three jam-packed days of golf business for nearly 1,000 golf companies and brands and more than 40,000 PGA Professionals and industry executives from around the world. Additional special guests for the Opening Ceremony will be PGA Professional Clark Luis of Philadelphia, Pa., who will sing the national anthem and Phoenix Jazz Trio, who will entertain attendees in the lobby before and after the ceremony.

“We are delighted that Davis Love and players from the PGA Junior league will be able to join us to open the 60th PGA Merchandise Show,” said PGA President Ted Bishop of The Legends Golf Club in Franklin, Ind. “The Grand Opening is an exciting tradition to begin the PGA Merchandise Show and a tremendous way for our industry to launch the business of the new golf season.”

Davis Love and the PGA Merchandise Show opening speakers on the PGA Forum Stage, Annika Sorenstam, Ian Poulter and Dottie Pepper, 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 Jesper Parnevik, Luke Donald, Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Lexi Thompson, Blair O’Neal, Anna Nordqvist, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Lee Trevino, Nancy Lopez, Meg Mallon, Stacy Lewis, Butch Harmon, David Toms, Hank Haney, Michael Breed, Suzann Pettersen and more.

More than 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, along with more than 250 companies new to the PGA Show, are introducing an abundance of new products to drive golf retail in 2013. Leading exhibiting companies include adidas Golf, Adams, AHEAD, Antigua, Ashworth, Bobby Jones, Bridgestone Golf, Brooks Brothers, Callaway Golf, Carnoustie, Cleveland/Srixon, Club Car, COBRA PUMA GOLF, Cutter & Buck, Dynamic Brands, Easy Picker, Ecco, E.P. Pro, EZGo, Fairway & Greene, Flightscope, FootJoy, Full Swing, Gear for Sports, Greg Norman Collection, Linksoul, Mizuno, Nike Golf, Peter Millar, PGA Authentic, PING , Polo, SkyGolf , Sunice, Sun Mountain, TaylorMade Golf, Titleist, Under Armour, Wilson Golf, Wittek, Yonex and many 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 during industry presentations at the PGA Forum Stage, in the new PGA Education Conference and at the new FIT to W.I.N. stage, sponsored by the Titleist Performance Institute.

The PGA Merchandise Show opening morning features a keynote address by Annika Sorenstam and PGA of America officials on growing participation in golf, on the PGA Forum Stage at 10:00 a.m. Golf standouts Ian Poulter and Dottie Pepper immediately follow Sorenstam at 11:00 a.m. to deliver keynote presentations on the business of golf from their perspectives. The PGA Forum Stage schedule of presentations is diverse and will include Golf 2.0 initiatives such as PGA Junior League Golf, TEE IT FORWARD, PGA Sports Academy and Get Golf Ready: The Robin Meade Experience, plus programs by COBRA PUMA GOLF and PING. Additionally, Friday’s programming schedule will be begin with a featured State of the Industry Roundtable with panelists scheduled to appear including PGA of America President Ted Bishop, PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan, European Ryder Cup Director Richard Hills, TaylorMade President and CEO Mark King and Golf Digest Chairman, Editor-in-Chief Jerry Tarde, National Golf Foundation President and CEO Joe Beditz, and Dottie Pepper, newly appointed member of The PGA of America Board of Directors, at 10:00 a.m.

The new PGA Education Conference features new Instructional Workshops at the PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day, a new Fast Track Golf Industry Course and streamlined educational seminars in the PGA Education Conference. The new Instructional Workshops at the PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day, Jan. 23, features Hank Haney, Michael Breed and Mike Malaska, who will provide insight into becoming a world class teacher, instructor, and coach to today’s golfers. The new PGA Merchandise Show Fast Track Golf Industry Course is a condensed, high-energy, time-efficient educational opportunity for attendees to hear directly from top industry employers, golf executives and PGA of America leadership who will provide critical information on current industry conditions, golf business trends and career planning. The Fast Track Program will be offered on Friday, Jan. 25, 8:00-11:00 a.m. in the Orange County Convention Center.

Additionally, the traditional PGA Merchandise Show Education Conference is streamlined for PGA Professionals and industry leaders to focus on three core subject matters – instruction, leadership and player development – and will be presented by the industry’s foremost experts on Thursday, Jan. 24, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., and Friday, Jan. 25, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., at the Orange County Convention Center.

The new FIT to W.I.N. pavilion sponsored by the Titleist Performance Institute will focus on health benefits of golf along with the programs and products that aid in increasing performance. Vendors have packed the sold-out inaugural pavilion and daily presentations on the FIT to W.I.N. stage by industry health, fitness and teaching experts will be offered.

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 Fashion Showcase and Lounge; and numerous specialty exhibitor pavilions including a new PGA Golf Travel Pavilion, PGA Partners Pavilion, New Exhibitor Discovery Zone, and several international 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. 23, 5:00-7:00 p.m. and the prestigious PGA Awards Night on Thursday, Jan. 24, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Attendees can be updated of Show programming, special events and vendor news, along with convenient access to a mobile directory of exhibitors, by utilizing the complimentary PGAShow2Go mobile application.

As the largest, annual gathering of PGA Professionals, there are multiple events organized especially for PGA members during Show Week. The PGA Merchandise Show Outdoor Demo Day offers PGA Professionals and invited retailers a first look and hands-on testing of the latest innovations in equipment from nearly 100 vendors on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at the 42-acre practice facility of Orange County National Golf Center in Winter Garden, Fla.

Each Show day, many aspects of PGA membership service, including complimentary career workshops, are available within the PGA Member Business Center of the PGA Merchandise Show (OCCC – 4th floor, Valencia Room). PGA Professionals may participate in the PGA Section Short Game Challenge for daily cash prizes for their Section at Indoor Demo Days. A PGA Member Town Hall with Association leadership is held. In all, PGA members have the opportunity to earn more than 35 MSR credits may at various PGA Merchandise Show events and programs.

Multiple allied golf organizations are utilizing the PGA Merchandise Show to host educational seminars, organizational meetings and network with their membership including: the Association of Golf Merchandisers, The British Golf Industry Association, Golf 2.0, Golf Range Association of America, International Clubmakers Guild, International Network of Golf, Ladies Professional Golf Association, National Golf Course Owners Association, National Golf Foundation, Nat’l Golf Sales Representatives Association, PGA Tour Wives Association, PGA Universities and the USGA.

More than 1,000 media have made plans to attend and report from the 2013 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 2013 PGA Merchandise Show on Sunday, Jan. 27, in prime time, and re-air on Monday, Jan. 28.