Kansas, United States: The annual Golf Industry Show (GIS) will be held in San Antonio for the first time, and early projections and interest have already led the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) to schedule the event to return to the city in 2018.
The 2015 GIS will be held at the 425,000-square-foot Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Centre from February 21-26.
The innovative education and trade show event is designed for golf facility owners and managers, including the association’s 18,000 members, as well as for the industries that market to those facilities.
“This is the first time we have taken the Golf Industry Show to San Antonio, and it has created quite a buzz among industry partners and our members,” said Rhett Evans, GCSAA’s Chief Executive Officer. “This truly is the place to be if you are in the golf management field, as a golf facility owner or an industry partner.”
More than 500 exhibitors are expected, with most coming from the four sectors of equipment, turf applications, golf carts and accessories. The next shows are scheduled for San Diego in 2016 and in Orlando in 2017.
“We are excited about being an integral part of the first Golf Industry Show in San Antonio,” said Grant Young, Director of Marketing at The Toro Company, an Executive Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation. “The week is always meaningful to us – from having valuable business dialogue to staying connected with long-time friends. The excitement of a new city is icing on the cake. We wouldn’t miss it.”
In addition to offering programmes for industry veterans, the GIS also reaches students through the annual Collegiate Turf Bowl, a highlight of the week for hundreds of future industry professionals who test their classroom and field knowledge as part of a team representing their school. A team from the University of Maryland is the defending champion.
Overall, the GIS combines an education conference, trade show and national golf tournament for superintendents.
It is presented jointly with the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), along with supporting organisations: the Golf Course Builders Association of America, the American Society of Golf Course Architects, the National Golf Foundation, the United States Golf Association and the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association.