LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- More than 4,000 PGA Professionals, retailers and industry leaders from 48 U.S. states and 27 countries came to Las Vegas for the 2008 PGA Fall Expo and a full three-day schedule, Aug. 25-27, at Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Attendees experienced non-stop vendor sourcing, product testing, education, networking and sharing of best business practices in the West Coast version of the "city that never sleeps."

Strong attendance was due in large part to new value-added event programs and cost-saving measures implemented for golf's annual fall marketplace. Many of the nation's most prestigious and influential golf facilities and retail outlets sent buyers including Adios Golf Club, Dick's Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, Haggin Oaks Golf, Kaanapali Golf Resort, Nevada Bob's Golf, Oakmont Country Club and Trump National Golf Club.

On the other side of attendance, 2008 was one of the strongest showings of some 400-plus exhibitors within 54,000 net square feet of interactive exhibit space at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Exhibitors included more than 120 top apparel brands, more than 20 golf equipment leaders and a wide variety of accessories, training aids, golf management software, golf services and lifestyle products.

"The PGA Fall Expo has truly found its niche in the golf landscape," said PGA Shows Group Vice President Ed Several. "The golf community really came together this week and from all indications it was a very successful three days of business."

"We see our role with both PGA Shows in two parts: to facilitate the business of the game by providing unparalleled vendor sourcing, relevant education and best practice presentations and a valuable forum for the exchange of new ideas. Secondly, we strive to provide a platform that will help raise our industry to new heights in terms of personal career development, the business of golf on the frontlines and the overall growth of the game."

The 2009 PGA Fall Expo will return to Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Sept. 1-2, with Demo Day and the PGA Fall Expo Tournament on Aug. 31. The industry is now preparing for the 56th PGA Merchandise Show where more than 46,000 industry leaders will preview the latest merchandise and trends of some 1,200 golf manufacturers at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

SUMMARIES OF PGA FALL EXPO SPECIAL EVENTS

Tournament & Demo Day Builds Momentum for Day 1
More than 800 PGA Golf Professionals, retailers and industry leaders participated in the PGA Fall Expo Golf Tournament and Demo Day at Badlands Golf Club in Las Vegas on Monday, Aug. 25.

The third edition of the PGA Fall Expo Golf Tournament provided nearly 250 exclusive playing opportunities during two shotgun starts for attendees who wanted to test the latest equipment in real playing conditions. Tournament players enjoyed one of Las Vegas' premier courses, breakfast, lunch and an evening reception, plus a PGA Fall Expo tournament gift bag loaded with products from participating manufacturers. A $2,000 prize was awarded to the top PGA team with prizes and trophies presented to the low-scoring amateurs. Tournament winners are posted online at www.pgaexpo.com.

The Demo Day filled every hitting bay, practice green and spot in vendor village at Badlands Golf Club with more than 40 golf manufacturers demonstrating their latest equipment, training aids and accessories. Market leaders such as Callaway Golf, MacGregor, Tour Edge and Wilson Golf were among the equipment manufacturers demonstrating their newest introductions, while companies such as CT& T Electric Cars, FlightScope, Greg Norman Collection, Ogio and Pride Sports drew crowds to see their latest apparel, accessories and services.

"This is a great opportunity to see new technology that we will have in our golf shop next spring," said PGA Professional Gary Schneiter of Pebble Brook Golf Links in Winslow, Ariz. "You really have to hit it, feel it and see how the ball carries off the club before you buy it in this day and age."

Education Conference Attracts Record Participation
The PGA Fall Expo education conference attracted record participation in 2008 with the industry's hot topics and key business issues as the essence of more than 20 business and education seminars presented daily at Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

The PGA of America, Association of Golf Merchandisers and PGA Golf Exhibitions developed a full schedule of seminars with many attracting standing-room only attendance including sessions such as the "Basics of Investing," "Joint Pain and the Game of Golf," "Promoting Your Coaching and Instructional Business," and "Strategies of Moving Inventory."

"I've been to every West Coast PGA Show since it was held in Anaheim, and the show and the education seminars just keep getting better," said Jim Kirwan, PGA Professional of Saddlebrooke Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz. "The seminars were right on point with this year's current issues."

Dennis DeYoung of Styx Rocks the Elations Welcome Reception
More than 1,000 PGA Fall Expo attendees were able to network with colleagues and then enjoy the performance of Dennis DeYoung of Styx throughout the evening at the Elations Welcome Reception on Tuesday, Aug. 26, at the House of Blues. A founding member of the rock super group Styx, DeYoung and his band rocked the audience with Styx classic songs including "Come Sail Away", "Babe", "Mr. Roboto" and "Grand Illusion."

Expo Floor & New Product Center
The energy was buzzing on the show floor with a full schedule of programs including the indoor equipment testing center, fashion designer roundtables, complimentary business seminars and PGA Town Hall Meeting among the exciting vendor displays. The New Product Center greeted attendees at the new entrance location with nearly 100 companies displaying new products. VIP buyers voted on their favorite product introductions at the Expo with D-Brush's golf pocket groove brush, Jack Nicklaus Sunglasses and Club Cap as the overall three best new products.

New Dates Announced for 2009 PGA Fall Expo
PGA Golf Exhibitions and The PGA of America announced today that the 2009 PGA Fall Expo returns to Mandalay Bay Convention Center next year, Sept. 1-2, with the PGA Fall Expo Tournament & Demo Day on Aug. 31.

"We have enjoyed such a valuable atmosphere here at Mandalay for the past three years," said PGA Shows Group Vice President Ed Several. "We are actively listening and responding to our attendees and exhibitors who have high regards for the timing, upscale venue and host of new programs. Next year, we intend to surpass the successes of 2008 and offer a growing selection of resources to help PGA Professionals, retailers and exhibitors grow their business."

Industry prepares for 2009 PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 29-31, in Orlando, Fla. The 56th PGA Merchandise Show will welcome some 46,000 industry professionals, Jan. 29-31, 2008, in Orlando, Fla. In addition to providing an unmatched marketplace for the discovery and testing of the latest golf products, the PGA Merchandise Show will offer a full schedule of events and programs, including the return of the popular PGA Equipment Forum, to help PGA Golf Professionals and golf retailers sell-in and sell-through merchandise, enhance careers, grow participation and drive the business of the game.

Golf's top manufacturers -- including Antigua, Bobby Jones, Callaway Golf, Cutter & Buck, adidas Golf, Fairway & Greene, Puma, Ahead, E.P. Pro, Fidra, Como, House of Carrington and Tehama -- will take part in the interactive exhibits staged by more than 1,200 golf-related manufacturers encompassing more than 500,000-net square-feet of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. In 2009, the exhibits are open three days -- Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 29-31, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. Demo Day, open exclusively to PGA Golf Professionals and VIP retailers, will be Jan. 28 at Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge in Winter Garden, Fla.

PGA Announces Diversity Forum at 2009 PGA Merchandise Show
The PGA of America will host the second annual Golf Supplier Diversity Forum during the 56th PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 17-19, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. The inaugural event was facilitated by National Diversity Solutions (NDS), a Lexington, Ky. based certified minority owned business, to expand their Golf Industry Supplier Diversity Initiative.

This forum, which in 2008 attracted strategically selected minority and women owned businesses, provides a platform for these types of businesses to broaden their industry knowledge, meet key executives that drive golf's economic engines, stimulate interest and create opportunities to participate in the $76 billion golf industry.

Quotes from the PGA Fall Expo Floor

We're a new company and Demo Day is a great opportunity to get our product into the hands of qualified buyers. What a perfect opportunity to personally test Cutters Gloves with real equipment in real playing conditions. Before Demo Day officially even started, we had two buyers in our booth. - Dave Venneri, Cutters Performance Gloves and Grips

I love seeing product before they hit the shelves. - Brian Winslow, PGA, Composite Golf

The show is a way for us to reach influential PGA Professionals with a first look at our new products. It creates buzz around our products leading into the PGA Show. - Kyle Scoby, Wilson Sporting Goods Co.

Demo Day is great way to meet with a lot of PGA Professionals and buyers, put our products in their hands, make connections and offset the slow economy. - Lee Miller, PhD, Chairman/CEO, Feel Golf Co.

I get to focus on the key buyers here. This is our second year here with an improved product and we love the opportunity to be exposed to the right people. - Robin Austin, EEZ-Read

The flow of Demo Day is excellent and people love seeing their shots on video. We've gotten great exposure being a sponsor at Demo Day. - David Quigg, Verishot

We have had a tremendous response across the board at Demo Day, on the show floor, at the welcome reception and in our business seminar. It has been a great industry launch and we expect a strong final day too. - Michelle St. John, representing Elations

This is our first PGA Show and we have had an exceptional time meeting with buyers who are excited about the new line of Jack Nicklaus sunglasses. We can't wait to participate again at the PGA Merchandise Show in 2009. - John Meisner, Jack Nicklaus Sunglasses

This has been our best Vegas show ever. We've written more orders, had great booth traffic and established new customers. - Susan Hess, Golftini

This is my first time at the PGA Fall Expo and the quality of the education conference has been excellent. - Thomas Young, Genoa Lake Golf Course

The speakers were very knowledgeable and the education conference more than met my expectations. - Sally Miller, PGA

The PGA Fall Expo is easy to negotiate, great to find new products and I have almost satisfied all my MSR Credits for the year. - Paul Guerra, PGA Professional, Pro Shop Golf, Bakersfield, Calif.

The PGA Fall Expo has been the perfect launching pad for VeriShot. So far, interest has been very high and we have made hundreds of new contacts. - Steve Hiltebrant, VeriShot

The exciting colors for Nick Price Apparel and the spring line of men's high fashion are both creating quite a good reaction by buyers here this week. - Mitch Wise, Nick Price Apparel

We're using the Expo to launch several new products for 2009. For us, this is a tremendous opportunity to increase our brand exposure and build on the momentum of Wilson Staff member Padraig Harrington. With the challenging economy it makes good business sense to meet so many current clients and potential customers in one setting like the PGA Fall Expo. From a business perspective, why not meet with hundreds of clients in Las Vegas rather than attempting to visit so many over six or eight months? - Chris Rusin, Wilson Staff Golf

We've been booked solid with appointments. This year's PGA Fall Expo has been a terrific show for us. - Becky Ryan, Jack Nicklaus Sportswear

The PGA Fall Expo, organized in partnership with The PGA of America, is one of three leading golf trade shows in PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions golf portfolio including the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando and the Ontario PGA Golf Merchandise Show in Toronto, Canada.