October 4, 2014 – At the 21st occasion on which the Golf Europe – International trade golf show has been staged, that is from the 28 to the 30 September in Augsburg, the trade fair team showed its best side, as did Team Europe at the Ryder Cup.
An outstanding atmosphere prevailed amongst the 115 exhibitors and more than 2,000 visitors from 30 countries at Golf Europe from the very first day onwards when Europe won the Ryder Cup, because Sky transmitted the Ryder Cup live to the trade show even on the days on which the stands are being assembled as well as the final day. The European victory was celebrated as befitted the occasion.
The show had exhibitors like adidas Golf, Ashworth, AUR, Bushnell, Clicgear, Oscar Jacobson, PowaKaddy, Rönisch, SKLZ, TaylorMade Golf, Tommy Hilfiger Golf, Sunice, Williams Racing Golf, Wilson Golf, Yes Golf or Yonex.
Gerhard Reiter, managing director of Messe Augsburg, is ambitious in terms of the future development of Golf Europe: “With our team and associates we feel that we are really well set up. The positive response with regard to how the trade fair has been organised, the location here in Augsburg and the exceptionally good atmosphere at this year’s event proves this again. Of course we make no secret of the fact either that it would be very important for us to be able to offer a showcase for the entire industry if at all possible – in any case we are on the right road to doing so.”
Ian Randell, managing director of the PGAs of Europe, emphasises the high quality of Golf Europe: “The feedback we have received on the most international golf trade fair in Europe has been positive in all respects and even now we are looking forward to the event next year.”
This year the support programme for Golf Europe included the “Pro Shop Forum” and the “PGA Learn & Earn Zone”. Light was shed in the talks given in the “Pro Shop Forum” targeting businesses from the textile and functional clothing sector, on the topics of “Planning and Management Accounting – for small companies too … to make them more profitable” by Uwe Duchardt, independent management consultant plus “How to display clothing and footwear correctly and how to use sales aids effectively” by Axel Beland from adidas & Ashworth Golf.
There were informative and very interesting lectures were given again in the “Learn & Earn Zone”, amongst other things there was a talk given by Dr David McGhie, the research and development manager at Swing Catalyst which focuses upon research into biomechanics, on the topic of “Soil reaction forces and driving” as well as from Michael Arndt and Christian Sude from Golf-Osteopathie Deutschland, about “The impact of the upper cervical spine being blocked on the Golf swing from the osteopath’s perspective.”
On Monday 29 September the Golf Management Verband Deutschland organised the “The conflict between golf management and golf schools” workshop.
More entries than ever before for the Product Award
The Product Award is presented for innovative entrepreneurial spirit in the golfing industry. The winning products were exhibited throughout the entire trade fair in the Golf Europe Product Award display area and the winners now have the option of using the Product Award Logo when advertising their products.
Up to 83 products were entered for the contest at 2014, that is more than ever before. An international jury of experts subjected the innovative products to close scrutiny and assessed them.
The winners in the Clothing category are the Sunice Collection and XFore Golfwear. In the Accessories category the winners were Para’Kito Mückenschutz from Green-Grass-Golf Europe GmbH & Co KG and Lite Golf Balls from Nassau Europe. The Training Aids + Customer Fitting category was won by The Swing Catalyst App from Swing Catalyst and PutterWheel from BB Golfstyle Distribution. The Bennington “QO-14 Waterproof” entered by the Haas Handelsagentur was victorious in the Golfbags category. The trolleys selected by the jury come from GolfQuant as well as Motocaddy M3 Pro. Last not least, the award-winning clubs were: Lightspeed Irons from Komperdell plus Tight LiesHybrid from Adams Golf.
There was praise from all sides for Augsburg as the venue for the trade fair. Its ease of accessibility, availability of all grades of hotel and the exceptional charm of the second-oldest town in Germany are valued by exhibitors and visitors alike.
Photos: Holger Rauner.