BY AAGD STAFF
“I attended Wednesday’s PGA Show, January 23, and like the average spectator there on the floor for the opening day of the exhibits and educational conference, I just roamed the hundreds of acres of retail space, checking out the latest in golf, in every category possible,” says AAGD reporter John Perry. “I even listened to Greg “Shark” Norman conducting a Q&A session and witnessed golf’s guru instructor David Leadbetter doing something similar.
(l-r) James Beatty, Executive Editor, AAGD with John Perry, Reporter, AAGD, on the exhibition floor of the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show.According to PGA Show statistics, more than 40,000 golf industry professionals from around the world were expected to travel to Orlando, Florida, for the 66th PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 22-25, 2019.
The PGA Show is known as the industry’s annual “MAJOR of Golf Business” exhibition and it features a packed four-day schedule. There, attendees are given the opportunity to discover the newest trends and technology from some 1,000 exhibiting golf companies and brands.
It begins with PGA Show Demo Day, Jan. 22, at Orange County National Golf Center (OCN), and continuing at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) for PGA Show exhibits, industry presentations, education seminars, and many special events, Jan. 23-25. (PGA Show events are for trade professionals only and is not open to the public.)
Onsite at the Show this week, AAGD reporter John Perry claimed, “The multiplicity of vendors was off the charts with their new creations and inventions.” Perry says that he also watched John Daly sign autographs, ran into golf royalty Annika Sorenstam and Judy Rankin, “…both candidates for LPGA’s Mt. Rushmore, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
“I was there for nearly five hours before I ran into AAGD Exceutive Editor James Beatty. Seeing ‘J.B.’, my eyes lit up like a Christmas tree! With James’ presence at this Show came my hope, and a belief, that some version of representation would be in this house (PGA Show) in terms of People of Color.”
Naked and Abandoned…
Perry continued: “I mentioned to Jim how naked and abandoned I felt, as there were no Black vendors, or exhibit booths portraying people of color, anywhere to be found at this ‘global golf gathering’—unless I was just coincidentally missing them. Jim told me about a booth titled “ We Are Golf” (booth number 2887.) He assured me they had people of color over there. When James and I went our separate ways, I made a beeline over to the booth, but to my disappointment, they had left for the day.”
“J.B. was on his way to a Diversity Initiative Forum, where the main objectives are to gather golf industry and community-based program leaders in the same room for introductions in hopes of developing long-term, meaningful relationships. He invited me to join him, Diversity Task Force Chairman Michael Cooper, and others, but the five hours that I had already put on my 70-year-old legs was taking its toll. So, I graciously declined. My energy level was hovering around empty. I sincerely hope that the forum proved beneficial, because, if there was ever a desperate need for minority vendors/exhibitors and participants on all levels, it was at this year’s PGA Merchandise Show—given the fact that according to a 2013 report by the National Golf Foundation 1.3 million African Americans are playing the game of golf. Yes, in my humble opinion there’s an obvious disconnect somewhere.”
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The PGA Merchandise Show garners a wide spectrum of attendees from the LPGA, PGA TOUR, World Golf Foundation and WE ARE GOLF, who all join PGA of America leaders, industry executives, popular social media influencers, touring players and top PGA Teachers as featured speakers and hosts during a comprehensive schedule of industry presentations. “However, when one looks around at all of the levels of participation, from deals being done to partnerships being developed, diversity and inclusion of African Americans at this Show is seemingly still an after-thought.”
