ORLANDO — More than 31,000 golf industry professionals from 89 countries and 50 U.S. states gathered to meet with more than 1,000 golf companies and brands at the 71st PGA Show in Orlando, Florida, January 23-26, 2024. With consumer participation in golf continuing to rise, the PGA Show, hosted by Reaction and the PGA of America, have forecast a bullish year for the $102 billion golf industry.
The PGA Show began in the trunk of a car at a golf tournament in 1954. Today, it has grown into the oldest and largest global golf business gathering, with 1.1 million square feet of exhibit, demonstration and meeting space inside the Orange County Convention Center. The game’s most recognized brands and experienced manufacturers, along with more than 350 exhibitors new to the PGA Show, showcased the latest innovations that will enhance the golf experience and drive business for the sport.
“As someone who has been attending the PGA Show for over 30 years, I can say that this latest event was even more exciting,” said PGA of America President John Lindert, who also serves as PGA Director of Golf at the Country Club of Lansing in Michigan. “The golf industry is thriving and that was very evident this year. The show is the largest gathering of PGA of America golf professionals and industry leaders each year and is the epicenter of the golf industry. It is also golf’s largest stage for education, career development and professional networking. As an industry, we are better equipped to drive the continued growth of the game we all love by coming together each year at the PGA Show.”
Among the tens of thousands of attendees at the show were more than 7,000 golf professionals from the PGA of America, LPGA and PGA International, representing diverse professional positions in the global industry and encouraging grassroots participation in the game by millions of people around the world. More than 1,000 VIP buyers from 775 golf facilities and mass merchants purchased new products and services, bringing approximately $900 million in purchasing power and nearly $2.9 billion in retail sales to the event.
“The PGA Show is the most effective way to connect with these golfers through PGA golf professionals in a four- to five-day period. We did 1,200 fittings on Demo Day and the momentum carried over to the PGA Show. The traffic and response was tremendous this year. Our appointment books were booked full, start to finish, every day,” said Dan Ladd, President of Cobra Puma Golf-North America.
Additionally, more than 900 media outlets from 22 countries covered the PGA Show, a professional-only event that offered an exclusive look at the game’s latest innovations to millions of consumers around the world. Industry professionals came from 89 countries and all 50 U.S. states, with Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, China and Ireland leading the list of international attendees, while New York, Texas, Georgia, California and Pennsylvania represented the top states, outside of the host state of Florida.
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While the PGA Show is a marketplace to discover the latest innovations in golf, PGA Show The week also offered industry professionals programming to recharge and renew their passion for the gaming sector by attending high-level industry presentations, participating in education and career workshops, and connecting in person with peers from around the world.
In addition, entertainment was provided. “We are particularly pleased with the positive response to the inaugural PGA Show Winter Jam, featuring country music star Jake Owen, and many other new experiential events that gave our attendees and exhibitors the opportunity to connect in new and exciting ways. We look forward to continuing these successes in 2025,” said Marc Simon, PGA vice president of golf exhibitions.
PGA Show Week kicked off on January 23 when thousands of PGA of America golf professionals tested the latest equipment and technology from some 70 leading golf companies at PGA Show Demo Day, the world’s largest outdoor professional demo day, on the expansive 42-acre circular course and driving range at Orange County National Golf Center. The immersive, one-day event, produced in partnership by PGA Show and PGA Magazine, also featured in-depth product training, coaching workshops, club fitting presentations, golf course strategy programming, demonstrations by PGA TOUR professionals and top PGA of America coaches, and one-on-one opportunities with industry leaders in a variety of categories.
The following day, PGA of America Chairman John Lindert and PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh delivered welcoming remarks and announced the association’s first milestone of 30,000 members at the show’s official opening. Following the ceremony, the exhibit hall doors opened to more than 1,000 companies and brands to create the world’s largest business-to-business golf event.
In addition to the busy marketplace spanning the entire show floor, the PGA Show days were packed with professional learning opportunities during exhibitor and industry presentations on five stages throughout the show floor. The 2024 PGA Show also offered a comprehensive program of educational sessions on a wide range of professional development topics presented by leading industry experts.
PGA Golf Exhibitions will then host the mid-season PGA Buying Summit, July 29-31, in Frisco, Texas, and the PGA Show will return to Orlando, January 21-24, 2025. Event details can be found at PGAshow.com.
Contact John Lindert at (561) 624-8400