Special events, celebrities and more than 1K top brands at PGA Merchandise Show

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (January 23, 2017) -- The 64th PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Jan. 25-27, 2017, is welcoming more than 40,000 golf industry professionals from around the world to discover the newest trends and technology from more than 1,000 exhibiting golf companies and brands. The industry’s annual “MAJOR of Golf Business” features a packed four-day schedule beginning with the PGA Show Demo Day, Jan. 24, 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. 25-27. (These events are not open to the public.)

The global golf gathering begins on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the 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 within 200 hitting bays, putting greens and a vendor village of the 42-acre practice facility, creating the world’s largest professional golf demo event.

World Golf Hall of Famers Colin Montgomerie and Annika Sorenstam will be joined by 2016 PGA Professional of the Year Cary Cozby and PGA officials 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. 25, from the Orange County Convention Center. Montgomerie and Sorenstam are among a long list of celebrities, renowned golf instructors and specials guests who will participate in the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show.

Following the opening ceremony, the PGA Show floor exhibit doors will open to more than 1,000 top golf manufacturers and brands, creating the world’s largest business-to-business golf event. The very best names in golf, along with some 250 companies new to the PGA Show, are introducing thousands of new products to drive golf retail in 2017.

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 to enlighten and entertain attending PGA Professionals and industry leaders. Presentations will begin on Jan. 25, with the event’s keynote program, “The Impact of Charitable Efforts in Golf - A New Report from the World Golf Foundation.” Additional first-day programming highlights include a major announcement from PGA Junior League Golf, a presentation on digital content and technology enabling a better connection with consumers, a SiriusXM State of the Game Town Hall presentation with PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua, and manufacturer programs by PING, featuring Bubba Watson, and Cobra Puma Golf, featuring Greg Norman, Jesper Parnevik, Blair O’Neal and Holly Sonders.

Additional PGA Show Week programming on the PGA Forum Stage presented by OMEGA include a SiriusXM Teachers Town Hall with renowned PGA instructors Hank Haney, David Leadbetter, Jim McLean and Michael Breed, and programming on junior golf, growing the game, golf employment, plus additional golf manufacturer presentations.

Also, the comprehensive PGA Education Conference, PGA Teaching & Coaching Summit, Outdoor Instructional Workshops, the Golf Fitness, Wellness & Instruction stage, sponsored by TPI and the Club Spa Association, and the Performance & Sports Textile Sourcing area will offer many educational programs featuring a diverse spectrum of golf, retailing, fitness and business topics.

Attendees will experience a dynamic PGA Show floor, featuring interactive exhibits, hundreds of vendor show specials and promotions; plus some 47 testing bays at the indoor Equipment Test Center, a centralized New Product Zone for a one-stop shopping of the newest golf merchandise; an Inventor’s Spotlight Pavilion for patented products not yet available at retail; and numerous specialty exhibitor pavilions including a PGA Golf Travel Pavilion, PGA Partners Pavilion, Women’s Accessories Pavilion, New Exhibitor Discovery Zone, and several international exhibitor pavilions.

More than 1,000 media from some 25 countries have made plans to attend and report from the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show. Golf Channel will deliver nearly 20 hours of coverage from the PGA Show with “Morning Drive” and “Golf Central” giving viewers worldwide insider access to the “MAJOR of Golf Business,” featuring interviews with industry leaders and insight on the latest products and trends for 2017. . Additionally, Golf Channel instruction programs will originate from the PGA Show with “School of Golf” at the PGA Show Demo Day and “The Golf Fix” from the PGA Merchandise Show Floor. Also, complementing the many media outlets providing daily live digital coverage, SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio Network will broadcast 34 hours live PGA Merchandise Show Week. Golf enthusiasts also can follow the latest daily news from the PGA Merchandise Show at PGA.com and through #PGAShow in social media.