It’s that time of year. TaylorMade, Callaway, Cobra, Titleist, and hundreds of other brands will showcase their newest innovations in equipment, technology, training aids, fashion, accessories and golf-related services at the 65th Annual PGA Merchandise Show.
This four day event is absolutely MASSIVE! Part trade show, part exhibition of equipment and services, the event kicks off on Tuesday, Jan. 23 in Orlando, and includes more than 10 miles of exhibitor space. Imagine football fields full of golf gear—from shoes to clubs, and including everything from software to run tee sheets to golf scooters —and you’ll start to get a sense of the expanse of the show.
So how big are we talking? Consider this:
- 1,100 exhibits from every major name in golf. With new equipment announced from industry leaders Callaway and TaylorMade in recent weeks, the battle between industry leaders is highly anticipated. In past years TaylorMade has hosted rock concerts to promote launches, while Cobra’s booth features DJs pumping out electro tracks.
- More than 40,000 individuals with a connection to the game will descend on Orlando from 74 countries.
- The trade show portion kicks off on Jan. 24 with the appearance of PGA Championship winners Davis Love III and John Daly.
- 1,000 reporters from all over the world will cover the show from 25 countries, and Golf Channel broadcasts live from the show.
- Many small vendors and new product inventors arrive at the show and spend thousands of dollars hoping their products will gain notice—and potentially find benefactors to help bring them to market. Got a teaching tool to cure a slice? A putting grip that helps you roll a few more in? If that’s the case, you’re probably pitching your idea at the Merch Show.
And you best believe that we will be there as well, bringing you the highlights and insights from the game’s major equipment club makers, starting with the incredible Demo Day at Orange County National’s 42-acre circular range where golfers will hit the latest clubs until they are exhausted or run out of daylight—whatever comes first. Follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and of course our blog, as we take you inside the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show to share the coolest products for the course and beyond.