Held in conjunction with the Merchandise Show from January 23-25 in Orlando, Fla., the conference will bring together racquet and paddle sports brands, professionals and industry leaders. As the 2019 PGA Show approached, it was also announced that the National Golf Course Owners Association will co-locate its annual Golf Business Conference with the Merchandise Show, beginning in 2020.

 The inaugural Racquet & Paddle Sports Conference will be held in conjunction with the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show, January 23-25 in Orlando, Fla.

The conference, organized by the Tennis Industry Association (TIA), will bring together racquet and paddle sports brands, professionals and industry leaders for events that will include an exhibit pavilion, with demo courts, on the floor of the Orange Country Convention where the PGA Merchandise Show will also be held, and a hands-on product demo experience at the United States Tennis Association’s National Campus in Lake Nona, Fla.

A special focus of the conference will be on pickleball, which has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., now with more than three million players. “The synergies between golf and pickleball are evident, as we are seeing many PGA TOUR and LPGA TOUR stars, as well as premier golf instructors compete, on the pickleball court more often,” said Rob Barnes, Product Manager for Selkirk Sport, the Hayden, Idaho-based supplier of pickleball equipment.

“It’s fascinating to also see the influx of professional tennis players and coaches now playing pickleball at the professional level and teaching the sport,” Barnes added.

“As a leader in the pickleball equipment category, it’s important for us to support industry growth through the participation in special events that help raise the profile of pickleball,” Barnes said. “With many premier resorts and clubs across the country installing pickleball courts to complement their racquet sports programming, it makes perfect sense to showcase the sport and the Selkirk brand at the inaugural Racquet & Paddle Show in conjunction with the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show.”

As the 2019 PGA Show approached, it was also announced that the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) was forming a multi-year, strategic alliance to co-locate NGCOA’s annual Golf Business Conference with the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, beginning in 2020.

The Golf Business Conference, hosted by NGCOA for over thirty years, is the industry’s largest meeting specifically for golf course owners and operators. The event typically has nearly forty classes and workshops on the most critical areas of golf course operations, a casual golf outing for attendees and sponsors to network, and an awards banquet to recognize some of the most significant contributors to the golf industry.

With PGA Golf Exhibitions’ operational assistance, the conference will be held at the Orange County Convention Center Monday through Wednesday, Jan. 20-22, 2020.

The NGCOA said that it would remain a partner of the Golf Industry Show (GIS) along with the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and other industry groups. The 2019 Golf Industry Show will take place in San Diego from February 2-7.

“We are pleased to bring the Golf Business Conference to Orlando during PGA Show Week, one of the biggest weeks of the year for the golf industry,” said NGCOA Chief Executive Officer Jay Karen, CAE. “NGCOA members will experience significant value in the new site and location for our event programming, and we look forward to working with PGA Golf Exhibitions and the PGA of America to enhance the conference.”

The 2019 PGA Merchandise Show will also include an all-new 2,500-sq. ft. Golf Facility Innovation Center that will offer company-led demonstrations regarding best prac­tices and fresh ideas on all phases of merchandising and product display features. PepsiCo will be the featured participating brand in the Innovation Center, sharing details of the PepsiCo National PGA Program where PGA Professionals are able to benefit from Golf Retirement Plus incentives and national account fountain pricing. Other participants will include Constellation Energy, Hampton Connect, OpenRounds, SKYiGOLF, Tonal Systems and Teesnap.