CMAA World Conference Wrap-Up - Club + Resort Business

The winter show season ended with the revival of a long-time favorite: the Club Managers Association of America’s World Conference as a stand-alone presentation.

It was recorded as the 84th World Conference and Club Business Expo of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), but the event held at the Orlando (Fla.) World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center from February 24-28 was really the “1st CMAA Conference and Show, A.G. (After GIS).” This was the first show that the club managers organization held independently, after dropping out of the Golf Industry Show (GIS) coalition following the failed four-year experiment to combine the CMAA event with the shows of other industry groups.

While the CMAA trade show floor was noticeably downscaled compared to the size and elaborate nature of the many equipment-heavy displays that dominate the GIS, activity was still brisk at the event, and reports were upbeat about the prevailing mood among buyers and sellers. Here are some highlights of what was shown and talked about among the CMAA Conference exhibits:

• In addition to a booth full of state-of-the-art CYBEX fitness equipment, Medway Mass.-based Cybex International, Inc. had its current spokesperson, Patrick House, the Season 10 winner of “The Biggest Loser” weight-loss television reality show, on hand to talk with CMAA attendees about the equipment that he used to help lose 181 pounds during the season, and his winning fitness program. “Having worked out on CYBEX equipment for upwards of ten hours a day on the show, I know how superior the equipment is,” House said. “I’m honored and excited to join the CYBEX team.” (For more information, visit www.cybexgolf.com.)

• Strahl Beverageware, through its ClickClack US LLC representation, gave CMAA attendees a chance to touch, feel and try to break its “virtually unbreakable” hand-finished polycarbonate tumblers and glasses (see photo above) that are designed for use at poolside venues or other outdoor or hard-surface locations. The beverageware offers superior insulation, is dishwasher-safe and can be customized with club logos. The full line of available products includes beer steins, wine and cocktail glasses, tumblers, pitchers, bowls, plates, platters and other accessories (for more information, visit www.strahl.clickclack.com).

• Ecoplay Playgrounds was represented at the show by Safeplay Systems. The durable playground equipment is manufactured from post-consumer recycled plastic milk jugs and is impermeable to water, can’t be eaten by insects, and never needs painting or sealing (for more information, visit www.safeplaysystems.com).

• LÄRABAR food bars displayed a full line of 18 flavors, including three new flavors with Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate chips, of fruit and nut food bars made with a blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Made from 100% whole food, each flavor contains no more than nine ingredients and all bars are gluten-, dairy- and soy-free, non-GMO, vegan and kosher. The products have a 12-month shelf life (for more information, visit www.larabar.com).

• SICO America, Inc. featured its Sophisticate Plus table, with built-in induction cooking/warming units, as an ideal mobile buffet station to help clubs and resorts keep up with growing demand for greater foodservice variety and capabilities in outdoor locations and on more remote parts of a property.

The Sophisticate Plus rolls smoothly and quietly over thresholds and down carpeted hallways on 4-inch, easy-rolling, durable dual-wheel casters, and folds compactly and easily, with the help of hydraulic dampers, for quick and efficient storage.

The table’s durable, NSF-certified, natural stone composite top surface is completely sealed, easy to clean, and scratch- and stain-resistant. The tabletop withstands hot items up to 500 degrees without scalding the surface, and the Sophisticate Plus looks elegant enough that it doesn’t require linen or skirting. For more information, visit www.sicoinc.com

• Styx Capital presented its ability to supply rental-club fleets to daily-fee, resort and private golf courses. The company’s golf-club set rental management program helps to improve revenues and guest experiences. Hundreds of courses nationwide, including Cabo del Sol, Reynolds Plantation, Poipu Bay and Oakmont, now turn to Styx to supply four to 100 rental sets annually made up of clubs from Callaway, Cobra, Nike, TaylorMade, Titleist and other leading brands.

The 85th CMAA World Conference and Club Business Expo will be held February 10-14, 2012, in New Orleans, La.

Excellence In Club Management Award Winners

EARNING THE HARDWARE—At the Excellence in Club Management Awards Dinner held at the Country Club of Orlando during the CMAA Conference, the McMahon Group’s Bill McMahon, Sr. and Frank Vain made presentations to the 2010 winners: Robert J. (Bobby) Crifasi, General Manager, New Orleans (La.) CC; David H. Voorhees, General Manager/COO, Big Canyon CC, Newport Beach, Calif.; and Thomas P. Spellman, General Manager/COO, Genesee Valley Club, Rochester, N.Y.