The PGA of America and PGA Golf Exhibitions jointly unveiled a list of firms planned to attend the 2022 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando on Thursday, putting an end to months of speculation and speculations. The press statement also shows which businesses have decided not to participate.
More than 450 companies have registered for the event, with over 600 expected to display their products and services on Demo Day on January 25 at the Orange County National Golf Center and January 26-28 at the Orange County Convention Center. Bridgestone, Cleveland/Srixon/Xxio, Cobra/Puma Golf, and Ping will be among them.
Callaway, Mizuno, PXG, TaylorMade, Titleist, Tour Edge, and Wilson are among the firms missing the PGA Show this year.
Since 2018, TaylorMade has not attended the PGA Show. PXG, which was created in 2014, has never had a presence at the PGA Merchandise Show.
“The PGA of America cherishes the corporations that are coming to Orlando to interact with our membership and align with our association to develop the game,” said Jim Richerson, PGA of America president. “At the PGA Show, we’ll be focusing on addressing major industry concerns and providing timely answers for our pros to assist the sport’s business move forward.” We look forward to working with and supporting our PGA partners, as well as the hundreds of other firms that have committed to assisting thousands of PGA professionals achieve their business goals at the 2022 PGA Show.”
The PGA of America and PGA Golf Exhibitions announced in October that the 2022 PGA Show would be held in person. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the 2021 PGA Merchandise Show was hosted virtually in January. Members of the PGA of America, brand representatives, and members of the media met in bespoke portals and teleconference rooms to discuss ideas, conduct business, hold instructional symposiums, and network.
Over the past month, Golfweek met with representatives from numerous firms that decided to boycott this year’s exhibition. While they all expressed their full support for the PGA of America and its members, they noted they had to consider a number of issues before making final judgments.
Companies are being forced to weigh the cost of being in Orlando for a week versus the health risks associated with many employees gathering in an indoor space during the COVID-19 pandemic, unlike in pre-pandemic years when more than 40,000 people and 1,000 brands typically attended the show, companies are being forced to weigh the cost of being in Orlando for a week versus the health risks associated with many employees gathering in an indoor space during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brands sending 50 to 100 personnel to the PGA Show can potentially spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, on PGA Show-related expenses. Some firms, like as Callaway and Titleist, which are seeing record growth, did not have to pay those expenditures when the PGA Show turned virtual last year, so reintroducing them into marketing and sales budgets in 2022 may be difficult to justify.
Throughout the year, large corporations employ sales associates and regional reps to create contacts and generate business on a local and regional level. As a result, the PGA Merchandise Show may not be seen as a necessary event for placing new orders.
Over the previous year, supply chain challenges and a surge in demand for gear have resulted in huge backlogs, with club orders taking months to complete. Some industry experts feel that forcing customers to buy new clubs until orders can be completed more rapidly may lead to frustration.
“I think (there is) just too much in the wind for everyone to commit those kinds of resources given the current state of things,” one insider veteran told Golfweek.
The PGA Merchandise Show, which first took place in 1954, is not open to the general public. Its purpose is to serve as a link between the PGA of America and the golf business. It connects the people who own and operate golf facilities and give lessons with the companies that create and develop everything from golf clubs to ball washers, course management systems to awards. Most years, any product seen on a course can be found on exhibit at the PGA Merchandise Show.
Members of the PGA of America can also attend training courses and symposiums to advance their golf education at the PGA Merchandise Show. The PGA Merchandise Show is also one of the most important golf networking events. In the Orlando area, representatives from public facilities to upscale private clubs and world-class resorts walk the aisles, attend cocktail parties, and play golf.
“Buyers have shown a pent-up desire for items and services, and they miss the face-to-face interaction with products and company leadership,” said Marc Simon, vice president of PGA Golf Exhibitions. “Through the collaborative efforts of the PGA of America with allied partners such as the National Golf Course Owners Association, the Association of Golf Merchandisers, and others, there is a desire to return to peer networking, national-level education, and industry programming that only PGA Show week can provide.” We are excited to provide the golf community with an unforgettable occasion.”
What remains to be seen is whether firms that have opted not to attend the PGA Merchandise Event in 2022 will return in 2023 and subsequent years, or if the show will be compelled to adapt in order to bring back corporations that have elected not to participate in 2022.
