Las Vegas, United States: The newly formatted PGA Show Buying & Education Summit hosted influential PGA Professionals and golf buyers who met in person with a curated group of top apparel, accessory and golf lifestyle companies in the upscale resort setting of the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa.

Organised in partnership with the PGA of America, the Summit featured fashion and accessory line showings, PGA and AGM education workshops, a PGA of America Town Hall, Southwest PGA Section events, networking receptions and an event-ending golf outing.

“The new format of the PGA Show Buying & Education Summit has been a welcome return to in-person meetings with suppliers, educators and industry peers,” said Jim Richerson, President of the PGA of America, an Executive Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

“Designed to be a smaller-scale regional event, the Summit delivered on important new business opportunities, and I personally enjoyed meeting with vendors and PGA Members in Las Vegas.”

Marc Simon, Vice President at PGA Golf Exhibitions, said: “We are pleased with the positive response to the new event format, a beautiful resort setting and the valuable new business that was generated at the first PGA Show Buying & Education Summit.

“Buyers and exhibitors alike shared that it was energising to return to face-to-face meetings and many new business relationships were formed at the event.”

Top apparel, accessory and golf lifestyle companies met with invited buyers and PGA Professionals in scheduled meetings of the private One2One event and during open exhibitor line showings.

Event attendees participated in multiple networking events, including nightly receptions and an event-closing industry golf scramble outing at TPC Las Vegas.

The PGA of America hosted a PGA Town Hall with Richerson and PGA Secretary Don Rea, and the Southwest PGA Section also offered multiple section programs during the Summit.

The PGA of America and the Association of Golf Merchandisers presented seven education workshops covering executive management, teaching and coaching and golf retail.

Five of the Summit workshops will be available on-demand at Virtual.PGAShow.com, beginning next Wednesday (August 18). The online PGA Show Marketplace will feature the virtual showrooms of PGA Show Education & Buying Summit exhibitors, many of which have digital catalogues with e-commerce functionality, powered by RepSpark.

Corey Fisk, FootJoy’s Director of Sales for the Western US, was grateful to show customers the new line, up close and personal, while continuing to build those relationships. He said: “Being able to engage with customers is huge. Everyone has missed that aspect: the personal touch. Nothing beats meeting face-to-face.”

Steve Pirring, East Coast Sales Manager for Linksoul, said: “The new PGA Vegas event was fantastic. We built new relationships and rekindled old ones, plus the format and the venue were excellent.”

Mike Elliott, President of Golf for Greg Norman Collection, said: “In our business in particular, it’s important to get back to seeing people in person. We feel most people are ready to get back to some sense of normalcy.”

Jeremy Gerson, Vice President of Sports Marketing at Perry Ellis International, said: “I think we knew going into the show that there was some uncertainty around it, but it was worth the time and investment to attend. We felt buyers and sales reps were eager to meet again in a safe and controlled atmosphere.”

Derek Gutierrez, PGA Director of Golf/GM at Twin Warriors and Santa Ana Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, and a member of the PGA Board of Directors, added: “I think it’s critical to get back to some semblance of normal here at the Summit, even with factors still being there with Covid.

“Apparel sales are rebounding, and accessories sales have sky-rocketed – eyewear, belts, handbags, skin products, anything that can be considered an impulse item, as people are buying anything they can get their hands on.”

PGA Golf Exhibitions and the PGA of America implemented health and safety standards based on current CDC guidelines, local public health guidance and JW Marriott Las Vegas protocols to help support a safe and comfortable experience.

The golf industry will reunite at the 69th PGA Show in Orlando from January 25-28, 2022.