2018 PGA Merchandise Show: Live updates, best new equipment from Orlando

We're live all week from the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. Join us on the range Tuesday at Demo Day where we'll be live with exclusive looks at the latest and greatest equipment. We'll bring you all the sights and sounds from the show floor Wednesday through Friday as the major of golf business takes center stage.

MORE: Photos from the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show

Here are the key facts and dates to know ahead of this year's show:

The 65th PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Jan. 23-26, 2018, is welcoming more than 40,000 golf industry professionals from around the world to discover the newest trends and technology from some 1,000 exhibiting golf companies and brands.  The industry’s annual “MAJOR of Golf Business” features a packed four-day schedule beginning with PGA Show Demo Day, Jan. 23, at Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge, and continuing at the Orange County Convention Center for PGA Show exhibits, industry presentations, education seminars and special events, Jan. 24-26.  (These events are not open to the public.)
 
The global golf gathering begins on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at PGA Show Demo Day, where thousands of PGA Professionals and invited golf retailers will preview and personally test the newest equipment, training aids and accessories from more than 100 top golf companies, utilizing 200 hitting bays, multiple putting greens and a vendor village at the 42-acre practice facility, creating the world’s largest professional golf demo event.
 
PGA Champions Dave Stockton, Hal Sutton, John Daly, Steve Elkington and Davis Love III join PGA President Paul Levy to help open the PGA Merchandise Show, the world’s largest gathering of PGA Professionals, live on Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” at 8:20 a.m., on Wednesday, Jan. 24, from the Orange County Convention Center.  The past PGA Champions are among a long list of celebrities, renowned golf instructors and specials guests who will participate in the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show.
 
Following the opening ceremony, the PGA Show floor exhibit doors will open to some 1,000 top golf manufacturers and brands, from today’s golf market leaders to emerging companies, create the world’s largest business-to-business golf event. The very best names in golf, along with more than 200 companies new to the PGA Show, are introducing thousands of new products to drive golf retail in 2018. 
 
In addition to the busy marketplace among nearly 10 miles of exhibit aisles, PGA Show days are full of professional learning opportunities during industry presentations. The PGA Forum Stage presented by OMEGA will offer a full schedule of compelling speakers and diverse programming for thousands of attending PGA Professionals and industry leaders.  Presentations will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 24, with the event’s keynote program, “100th PGA Championship Celebration” – a panel discussion featuring PGA Champions Davis Love III and John Daly, who will share memorable moments from their major championship victories and announce the PGA’s plans for the upcoming 100th PGA Championship, Aug. 9-12, at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. Additional first-day programming highlights include the Sirius XM Teachers Town Hall, hosted by PGA Vice President Suzy Whaley and featuring Michael Breed, Debbie Doniger, Hank Haney, David Leadbetter, Jim McLean and Larry Rinker; and programming on technology in golf, environmental initiatives and employment opportunities.
 
Days 2 and 3 presentations on the PGA Forum Stage, presented by OMEGA, cover a diverse array of topics, including golf facility management, industry diversity, growth-of-the-game programs, employment, technology, teaching and the new PGA Show Live Fashion Show.
 
Additional educational programs featuring a diverse spectrum of golf, retailing, fitness, career and business topics will be offered throughout PGA Show Week at the PGA Education Conference; PGA Global Youth & Family Summit presented by OMEGA; Golf Fitness, Wellness & Instruction stage, sponsored by TPI and the Club Spa Association; PGA Member Business Center; and during complimentary Performance Textile Fair workshops on the PGA Show Floor.
 
Attendees will experience a dynamic PGA Show Floor, featuring interactive exhibits; hundreds of vendor show specials and promotions; plus 50 equipment testing bays at the indoor Equipment Test Center; a centralized New Product Zone for a one-stop shopping of the newest golf merchandise; the Inventors Spotlight exhibitor pavilion for patented products not yet available at retail; the Golf Fitness, Wellness & Instruction area, with a new Adaptive Golf Center; and numerous specialty exhibitor pavilions, concentrating exhibits in the areas of travel, technology, international exhibitors, women’s accessories and new exhibitors.
 
More than 1,000 media from some 25 countries have made plans to attend and report from the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show. Golf Channel will provide comprehensive live coverage with nearly total 20 hours of news and instruction programming delivered to a worldwide audience in more than 36 countries.  Also, complementing the many media outlets providing daily live digital coverage, SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio Network will broadcast 32 hours live from the PGA Merchandise Show. Golf enthusiasts also can follow the latest daily news from the PGA Merchandise Show at PGA.com and through #PGAShow in social media.