Backspin Volume 3, Issue 3 | Page 32

2016pgashow centennial celebration in orlando Bubba Watson hits a drive during his clinic at Demo Day during the PGA Merchandise Show held at Orange County National Golf Center on Jan. 26, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America). 32 with a special opening tee shot at the PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day and opening ceremony at the PGA Merchandise Show. Also, the Centennial was marked with a history exhibit in the lobby of the convention center, a #ThxPGAPro Lounge on the PGA Show floor and during a special PGA Professional Reception on the opening night of the PGA Merchandise Show. “This was truly a special PGA Merchandise Show, where the golf community was able to mark the Centennial of the PGA of America and celebrate the impact PGA Professionals have had on the game,” says PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions Senior Vice President and General Manager Ed Several. “As is the tradition of the PGA Merchandise Show, the world of golf came together here in Orlando to drive forward the business of the game in a face-toface environment.  In addition to sourcing from a wide spectrum of the newest merchandise, The 63rd PGA Merchandise Show, the attending PGA Professionals and golf buyers were industry’s annual “MAJOR of Golf Business,” able to personally experience the most advanced came to a close Jan. 29, in Orlando, after technologies in demo events, personal interaction successfully marking the kickoff to the PGA of with the game’s leaders and product designers, a America’s Centennial Celebration and welcoming sharing of best practices among colleagues and a more than 42,000 golf industry professionals from full calendar of professional resources to impact 91 countries around the world. PGA Professionals their businesses and careers.”  and buyers uncovered the newest products, trends and technology from more than 1,000 exhibiting golf companies and brands, including 284 companies new to the event, creating the world’s largest business-to-business golf event within 1 million square feet of interactive exhibit, demonstration and meeting space of the Orange County Convention Center West Concourse Exhibit Hall. The 2016 PGA Merchandise Show attracted more than 7,000 PGA Professionals from around the world to drive a 3 percent increase in overall attendance, despite the early-week Winter Storm Jonas impacting the East Coast of the United States. The top five countries (outside of U.S.) represented in attendance were Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico [