Total attendance for the Orlando event, held February 1-6, was 14,147, an 8 percent increase over the 2013 event in San Diego. The GCSAA’s education program saw a 15 percent increase in seats sold, as well as a 14 percent increase in the number of qualified buyers on the trade show floor.

Total attendance for the 2014 Golf Industry Show in Orlando, held February 1-6, was 14,147, an 8 percent increase over the 2013 Golf Industry Show in San Diego.

In the classroom, GCSAA’s education program sold 5,192 education seats, an increase of 15 percent versus 2013. And on the trade show floor, the good news continued with 6,845 qualified buyers exploring the latest products and services offered by 561 exhibitors spread out over 184,500 sq. ft. of exhibit space. Those numbers represent increases of 14, 9 and 7 percent, respectively, over San Diego.

“The feedback that I received during the week from attendees, exhibitors and allied association colleagues was overwhelmingly positive, so it’s gratifying that our final numbers back up those assessments,” GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans said. “The changes that we have made to the Golf Industry Show in recent years were done with an eye on maximizing the experience and the investment for everyone involved, so we are pleased that the event continues to be embraced as enthusiastically as it has ever been.”

“The enthusiasm for the week’s events that I witnessed in Orlando tells me that the Golf Industry Show is largely hitting the mark,” said Mike Hughes, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association. “We’ll continue to evaluate the event to make sure it meets the needs of the event’s constituents, but it’s rewarding that the positive responses to the event have been reinforced by the show’s final numbers.”

The 2015 Golf Industry Show will head to San Antonio, Texas, February 23-26, which will mark the event’s first visit to the city in more than two decades.