71st PGA Show Signals a Big Year Ahead for Golf
Golf’s longest running and largest global gathering reunited the industry to drive business in 2024.
ORLANDO, Florida (January 30, 2024) – More than 31,000 golf industry professionals from 89 countries and 50 U.S. states came together to meet with more than 1,000 golf companies and brands at the 71st PGA Show in Orlando, Florida, Jan. 23-26, 2024. With the continued upswing in consumer golf participation, the PGA Show signaled a bullish year ahead for the $102 billion golf industry.
While the PGA Show began in the trunks of cars during a 1954 golf tournament, it has grown into golf’s longest running and largest global business gathering covering 1.1 million square feet of exhibit, demonstration and meeting space within the Orange County Convention Center. The game’s most recognizable brands and veteran manufacturers, along with more than 350 exhibitors new to the PGA Show, created an unparalleled marketplace to showcase the latest innovations that will enhance the golf experience and drive the business of the sport.
Among the tens of thousands of attendees were more than 7,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals, LPGA and international PGA Professionals, representing widespread professional positions in the global industry and driving grassroots participation in the game by millions worldwide. More than 1,000 VIP buyers from 775 golf facilities and mass merchandisers sourced new products and services, bringing approximately $900 million in purchasing power and nearly $2.9 billion in retail sales to the event. Additionally, more than 900 media from 22 countries reported from the trade-only PGA Show, offering an exclusive inside look to the game’s newest innovations for millions of consumers around the world. Industry professional attendance came from 89 countries and all 50 U.S. states with Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, China and Ireland topping the list of international attendees and New York, Texas, Georgia, California, and Pennsylvania representing top states, outside of the host state of Florida.
Thousands of products and services were introduced among the nearly 10 miles of Show aisles including products such as Titleist T-Series irons, Vokey SM10 wedges and AVX, Tour Soft, and TruFeel golf balls; Club Car Tempo Walk autonomous caddie; Uneekor EYE Mini Lite portable launch monitor; Ralph Lauren’s Fall 2024 performance collection featuring washable cashmere; Toptracer Coach; Bridgestone TourB golf balls; Blue Tees Golf Player+ GPS Speaker; J. Lindeberg’s Team USA uniforms; Cobra’s Dark Speed driver and irons; Under Armour new Phantom Footwear; PING i530 irons and S159 wedges; adidas/Malbon apparel and footwear collaboration; Bushnell new Wingman 2 speaker and ProX3+ rangefinder; Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke driver and irons; Dunning Summer/Fall 2024 Collection; FlightScope’s MEVO+ Limited Edition launch monitor and simulator; Cleveland Launcher XL 2 Driver and Never Compromise Putters; Eastside Golf’s first line of women’s apparel; Srixon ZX7 Driver; Yamaha DRIVE H2 golf cart; PUMA Phantomcat Nitro shoe; Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi driving irons, Pro 245 irons and T24 wedges and many more.
“As someone who has attended the PGA Show for over 30 years, this one certainly had an added excitement around it,” said PGA of America President John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at the Country Club of Lansing in Lansing, Michigan. “The golf industry is in a great place and that was very evident this year. The Show is annually the largest gathering of PGA of America Golf Professionals and industry leaders and is the epicenter of golf business. It is also the largest stage in golf for education, career development and professional networking. As an industry, we are better equipped to drive continued growth of this game we all love by coming together annually at the PGA Show.”
“The 2024 PGA Show overflowed with more exhibitors, more floor space, more attendees and an amazing energy that will surely drive the business of golf ahead in the upcoming year,” said PGA Golf Exhibitions Vice President Marc Simon. “We are especially thrilled 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 a chance to connect in fresh and exciting ways. We can’t wait to build off these successes in 2025.”
While the PGA Show is an unmatched marketplace for discovering the latest golf innovations, PGA Show Week also offered industry professionals programming to recharge and renew their passion for the business of the game by attending high-level industry presentations, participating in education and career workshops and connecting in person with peers from around the world.
PGA Show Week began on January 23 when thousands of PGA of America Golf Professionals tested the latest equipment and technology from some 70 top golf companies during PGA Show Demo Day, the world’s largest professional outdoor demo day, at the expansive circular range and 42-acre practice facility at Orange County National Golf Center. The immersive day-long event, produced in partnership by the PGA Show and PGA Magazine, also featured extensive product education, coaching workshops, club fitting presentations, programming on golf range strategies, demonstrations by PGA TOUR professionals and top PGA of America Coaches, and opportunities to meet one-on-one with industry leaders in numerous categories.
The following day on January 24, PGA of America President John Lindert and PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh shared welcome remarks and the announcement of the Association’s first-ever 30,000 membership milestone, while officially opening the Show. 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 across the expanse of the Show Floor, PGA Show days were full of professional learning opportunities during exhibitor and industry presentations at five Show Floor stages. The PGA Industry Stage presented by CapTech offered a full schedule of diverse programming from the PGA of America in collaboration with golf organizations, business leaders, top coaches, players and architects. The Clubhouse pavilion stage featured industry programming from brand executives and experts representing leading golf organizations such as the PGA of America, National Golf Course Owners Association, United States Golf Association, Golf Course Superintendents Association, LPGA and more. The Golf Fitness, Wellness & Instruction stage offered complimentary education sessions presented by TPI and the Golf Fitness Association of America, with supporting sponsor Life Fitness. The Career Zone stage presented employer-led panel presentations and career workshops, while PGA of America Golf Professionals, college students and second-career professionals also connected in the Career Zone for recruitment activations and employer networking programs. The Inventors Spotlight stage offered entrepreneur and inventor education sessions and product pitch panels each Show Day.
PGA Show evenings brought exciting industry networking events. The first Show Day, Jan. 24, featured a late-afternoon announcement of the Class of 2024 PGA of America National Awards honorees, headlined by PGA of America Golf Professionals Tony Pancake, Joe Hallett and Kelly Williams earning PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year, PGA of America Teacher & Coach of the Year and PGA of America Golf Executive of the Year, respectively. In all, 13 Award recipients were recognized on the PGA of America Industry Stage presented by CapTech, and followed by a Member Reception in the PGA of America Hub. Day 1 finished with an Industry Reception sponsored by Rhone and a live runway Fashion Show, located in the new Concert Lounge in Hall E at the Orange County Convention Center. The last Show evening, Jan. 25, ended with thousands of industry professionals enjoying the inaugural PGA Show Winter Jam, supported by adidas and Corebridge Financial, and featuring award-winning country music artist Jake Owen, the Back Country Boys and DJ Spencer Ludwig. The after-hours concert experience attracted thousands of industry professionals to an exciting night of live music while unwinding with peers after a busy three days at the PGA Show. PGA HOPE, the PGA of America’s flagship military rehabilitative golf program, was the concert’s charitable partner with Veterans, Active Military, PGA HOPE certified PGA of America Golf Professionals, PGA HOPE Ambassadors, and PGA HOPE graduates attending as special guests.
A dynamic 2024 PGA Show Floor featured interactive destinations to personally engage attendees with company products and services including, the PGA of America Hub where members could centrally access Association and partner benefits and programming; the Equipment Test Center, featuring 44 testing bays and a 3,750 square-foot putting green; a new Clubhouse pavilion; a centralized New Product Zone sponsored by The Net Return, for a one-stop shopping of the newest golf merchandise; Career Zone; Inventors Spotlight exhibitor pavilion for patented products not yet available at retail; the Golf Fitness, Wellness & Instruction area; new PGA HOPE activation; Pickleball Courts for racquet demonstrations; an Adaptive Golf Center; Golf Travel Pavilion and a new Concert Hall which was home to the live Fashion Show and inaugural PGA Show Winter Jam.
The 2024 PGA Show also featured a comprehensive schedule of education sessions across a wide range of professional development topics presented by the industry’s foremost experts. The PGA Show Education Conference offered sessions on Teaching & Coaching, Executive Management and Golf Operations, led by expert PGA of America Golf Professionals, PGA Master Professionals and top PGA Coaches. The Conference also featured new PGA Show partner association sessions focused on technology solutions, food & beverage operations, retail strategies, marketing practices, facility branding, public relations, and more. Partner association sessions featured industry experts who have presented at conferences by the Association of Golf Merchandisers (AGM), Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), and National Golf Foundation (NGF). In addition to the PGA Show Education Conference, PGA of America Golf Professionals could attend complimentary Association workshops at the Member Business Center. PGA Show Week also was host to the National Golf Course Owners Association Golf Business Conference (Jan. 22-24) and the AGM Golf Retail Conference (Jan. 23). PGA of America Golf Professionals were able to earn up to 30 PDR credits through participation in the PGA Show Education Conference, additional PGA Show Week educational programming, and various PGA Show and PGA of America programs.
Renowned PGA teachers, PGA and LPGA touring professionals and celebrities also attended the PGA Show to participate in product launches and brand appearances including Brian Harman, Matt Fitzpatrick, Brad Faxon, Jim Furyk, Tom Watson, KJ Choi, Lee Trevino, Blair O’Neal, Annika Sorenstam, Reggie Bush, Smylie Kaufman, Sherri Steinhauer, Madelene Sagstrom, Kyle Berkshire, Jim Nantz, David Leadbetter, Johnny Damon, Kevin Harrington, JoAnne Russell and more.
Awards Announced
The 2024 PGA Show also shined a spotlight on new products and talented inventors in the New Product Zone and Inventor’s Spotlight Pavilion. Innovations in the New Product Zone, a one-stop pavilion of the newest golf merchandise, were judged by a panel of award-winning PGA of America Golf Professionals and golf buyers. The judging panel selected three overall “Best New Product” Award winners – AYRO low-speed electric vehicles, SKIM Turf Management software, and the Golf Shotz Wasted Wedge.
The Inventors Spotlight pavilion, organized in partnership with the United Inventors Association (UIA), showcased new golf products developed by independent inventors within 43 inventor exhibits. Products were reviewed by UIA experts and top inventions were presented with one of three awards: Best Marketing to Subtlety LLC; Best Innovation to Putt Buddies divot tools; and the Pinnacle Award – Best in Show to All-In Golf Guard.
The Wednesday night live Fashion Show offered attendees the opportunity to vote for the “People’s Choice Awards” in three categories. Among the standout brands presenting were Fore All, whose preppy youthful styles earned the company the People’s Choice Awards for Best Dressed and Best Women’s Brand. The People’s Choice Best Men’s Brand went to Rhone, whose combination of green sweater layered over a navy mock and paired with navy joggers was a standout during the fashion show.
PGA Golf Exhibitions will next hold the mid-season PGA Buying Summit, July 29-31, in Frisco, Texas and the PGA Show will return to Orlando, Jan. 21-24, 2025. Event details can be found at www.PGAShow.com
About PGA Golf Exhibitions
The PGA Show and PGA Buying Summit are organized by PGA Golf Exhibitions (part of RX) and the PGA of America. Since its inception in 1954, the PGA Show has grown into the largest annual business event for the global golf industry. Both the PGA Show and the mid-season PGA Buying Summit drive the business of golf by providing opportunities to showcase and source innovative products, develop professional networks, learn new business strategies, and connect with peers and golf leaders. Learn more at PGAShow.com and follow us on “X”, Instagram and Facebook.
About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world’s foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About RX (Reed Exhibitions) & RELX
RX is in the business of building businesses for individuals, communities and organizations. We elevate the power of face-to-face events by combining data and digital products to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at approximately 400 events in 22 countries across 42 industry sectors. RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.rxglobal.com
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 35,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. Note: Current market capitalization can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors
Media Contacts:
PGA Show/Media: Sherry Major, [email protected]
PGA of America/Media: Jesse Dodson, [email protected]
