Ricky Heine uses an interesting analogy to describe what he sees as the value of trade show attendance. “Have you ever used the term ‘keep sawing wood’ to express your dedication to, or focus on, your career?” asks Heine, a Certified Golf Course Superintendent who is General Manager & Director of Grounds of The Golf Club Star Ranch, Austin,
Tex. (“A Super Achiever,”C&RB, April 2007).
“At some point, the saw becomes dull,” continues Heine, who is also completing his term as President
of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). “No matter how hard you work, you just don’t cut as much wood as you did in the past.
“You need to ‘sharpen your saw’ regularly to be successful,” says Heine, “and I look at going to conferences and shows as the means to sharpen mine. [They give you] the best opportunity to enhance your skills and ultimately become a more productive member of your facility’s leadership team.”
Professionals in the club, resort and golf industries have an especially quick and convenient opportunity to get razor-sharp for the coming year, as the 2008 show season will kick off with two major events held in the same location (Orlando, Fla.) within two weeks of each other.
The PGA Merchandise Show, to be held January 17-19, will be followed from January 31-February 5 by the second-ever Golf Industry Show (GIS)—the “mega-show” that debuted last year to merge the conferences and shows previously held separately by the GCSAA, the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), and the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA). Supporting organizations for the GISwill once again include the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA), the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), and the National Golf Foundation (NGF).
In an industry where change is constant, here are some tips for what every member of club and resort management teams can expect to find at these upcoming shows to help sharpen their individual skill sets:
2008 PGA Merchandise Show
The 55th annual PGA Merchandise Show will connect attending PGA professionals, retailers and golf business executives to business leaders by addressing the game’s relevant issues.
Nearly 75 seminars, presented by the PGA of America and the Association of Golf Merchandisers, will cover wide-ranging, “of the moment” topics including: Emerging Global Trends, Custom Clubfitting, General Management Best Practices, Developing Junior Golf Programs, Growing Your Women’s Golf Business, and more.
The show boasts more than 1,200 vendors, 10 miles of exhibit aisles and more than 45,000 attendees. Market leaders such as Callaway Golf, PING, Nike Golf, adidas, Ashworth, Adams Golf, and many more, will be among the participating vendors.
Interactive exhibits, product testing, educational seminars, fashion shows, industry awards, trend reports, professional networking, merchandising workshops, and best-practices presentations will round out the three day event.
For more information about the 2008 PGA Merchandise Show, visit www.pgamerchandiseshow.com
2008 Golf Industry Show
The response has been strong for the Golf Industry Show’s move to Orlando. As the new year began, 847 exhibitors had signed on, accounting for 285,950 square feet of exhibit space and approaching the record amount established last year at the first GISin Anaheim, Calif. The 2008 GIS is projected to have approximately 25,000 attendees, 1,000 exhibitors and 300,000 square feet of exhibition space.
“Attendees see the value of having the leadership team together at the show to enhance decision-making, while exhibitors appreciate the efficiency of interacting with key facility leaders at the same time under the same roof,” said the heads of the three sponsoring organizations in a statement that noted the reasons for the favorable reception the GISconcept has already received.
Featuring its signature interactive Solution Centers, the 2008 GISwill once again combine education, networking and solutions for golf course superintendents, owners/operators, general managers, chief operating officers, architects and builders, to form one of the largest trade shows in North America.
GIS Show Highlights
Team Day (Friday, February 1) will kick off with the Golf Industry Show General Session, where motivational speaker Doug Keeley will present “The Mark of a Leader.” Two concurrent sessions will follow—one presented by the United States Golf Association’s Green Section on enhancing facility and professional growth, and another presented by Rob Morton from the Disney Institute on how service excellence can enhance the entire golf experience.
Solution Centers. The 2008 show floor at the GISwill feature five Solution Centers: Team So-lutions, Clubhouse Solutions, Environmental Solutions, Golf Course Solutions, and Range and Outdoor Facility Solutions. Focused on a particular area of golf course, facility or club management, each Solution Center offers interactive demonstrations, presentations and case studies by industry experts, as well as informative displays.
Indoor Networking Parks. Four “networking parks” will be available for attendees on the show floor, with small seating areas and food and beverage service. The networking parks will also feature satellite Internet kiosks and a Product Locator kiosk.
New Product Showcase. The industry’s newest products and services will be on display along the 40-foot aisle leading up to the Team Solutions Center located in the center of the trade show floor.
Educational Conferences
On either side of the trade show dates, GCSAA, NGCOA and CMAA will present their annual educational conferences:
GSCAA (Jan. 28-Feb. 2): Twenty-one new seminars—combined with more than 100 additional popular offerings—will cover course maintenance, busines management, and professional development strategies.
For more details, visit www.gcsaa.org/gis/
NGCOA (Jan. 28-Feb. 2): Inspirational speakers and more than 25 educational sessions will arm course owners and operators with ideas and tools to use everyday for establishing a plan to keep the customer at the core of any operation. For more details, visit www.ngcoa.org/ac08
CMAA (Feb. 1-5): The 2008 World Conference on Club Manag-ement will showcase approximately more than 80 educational sessions, including pre-conference workshops, three-hour seminars and 90-minute sessions. The Idea Fair (see box below), Member Services Pavilion, silent and live auctions from the Wine Society and The Club Foundation, and Bookmart will all add value to this week of personal and professional growth. For more details, visit www.cmaa.org/conf/
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.