Co-sponsored by the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), the Golf Industry Show is the foremost event for golf course superintendents and facility decision makers. Scheduled for February 6-11, in San Diego, California, the 2016 GIS offers education, networking, entertainment and, of course, great golf.
National Golf Course Owners Association
Recognizing the timeliness for renewed energy in the business of golf, this year, the NGCOA Annual Conference is rolling out both a new name and a new dynamic for its conference. Rebranded as the 2016 Golf Business Conference, the industry event will better reflect golf course owners and operators.
With new CEO Jay Karen, (the former NGCOA Director of Partner Relations and Membership) driving its vision, NGCOA is working to bolster the association’s relevancy and increase membership by expanding member services, modernizing online curriculum and other educational resources and amplifying legislative advocacy.
Karen said, “With a renewed vision and energy, it’s the NGCOA’s hope to use the Golf Industry Show and our Golf Business Conference to facilitate thought-provoking conversations and actionable ideas that help lead golf courses to a brighter future. After all, our owners and operators have more at stake in the industry than anyone. The event will surely harness the passion and stimulate ideas for our industry’s success.”
The 2016 Golf Business Conference will get underway on February 8, with a noontime reception for new members that will be followed by the two o’clock Golf Business Conference Welcome. Attendees will have the opportunity to take part in Breakout Educational Sessions, play the Maderas Golf Club and to learn, network, connect and forge valued professional relations.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Golf Business Conference sessions close with the State of the NGCOA address followed by a celebration dinner and awards banquet. Wednesday and Thursday of conference week are show time, as the largest trade show in the golf course management industry gets underway.
It’s Showtime!
The 2016 Golf Industry Show will open with hundreds of exhibitors covering thousands of square feet in the San Diego Convention Center Exhibit Hall. This year the trade show will commence with a February 10, Official Opening, planned to excite and engage attendees.
Among the educational opportunities and highlights of the GIS:
• “Answers on the Hour”
• “Tech Tips on the Half”
• New Product Showcase
• Association Clubhouse
• Silent Auction
The exhibition hall will be open from nine to five on both Wednesday and Thursday.
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
Running concurrently with the 2016 Golf Business Conference, is the GCSAA Education Conference. The GCSAA describes this event as the largest educational conference in the golf industry. Offering more than 380 hours of education and over eighty seminars (including some two dozen that are new this year), the conference covers the topics of course management, agronomies, environmental management, leadership, communications and business management.
At the GIS, look for GCSAA.tv Live to feature guests, lively discussions and demonstrations, sponsored by Lebanon Turf and for the “The Doctor Is In,” providing opportunities for one-on-one meetings with PhDs and other industry experts, who will be ready to answer questions and help attendees solve the problems they deal with at their course.
Additional education opportunities offered during the conference:
• “Irrigation Deep Dive -The Latest Trends, Solutions and Technologies,” Presented in partnership with Hunter and conducted onsite at the U.S. headquarters of Hunter Industries in San Marcos, this day-long field trip will showcase irrigation technology in action. Other presentations with field trips include “Golf Irrigation Auditor Seminar,” (February 8); “Launching a First Green Field Trip Program at Your Own Golf Course,” (February 8); and “Gadgets and Gizmos: How to Best Use Measurement Technology,” (February 9).
• The Assistant Superintendents Session, featuring “Solutions Spotlight: Career growth and Course Management Strategies for Today’s Assistant Superintendent.”
• Turfgrass Talk Show, which will for the first time use polling tools to drive a discussion of plant health.
• Health and Wellness session on the new topic of, “Turf/Life Balance: Overcoming Everyday Obstacles.”
Don’t Forget Your Golf Clubs
Arrive on Saturday, February 6, ready to take part in the GCSAA Golf Championships, presented in partnership with Toro. These members-only competitions include four events contested over three days: a four-Ball competition played at Aviara Golf Club, Torrey Pines North and Maderas Golf Club; a Shamble hosted at The Crossings at Carlsbad; the Golf Classic to be played at Aviara Golf Club, Torrey Pines North and La Costa Golf Club; and the National Championship‚a 36-hole stroke play event to be hosted at Aviara Golf Club and Torey Pines South.
The GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition
What would the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show be without the annual Turf Bowl? Once again, college students currently enrolled in an undergraduate turf program, along with students who have graduated at the end of the most recent fall semester but have not yet entered a graduate program or accepted fulltime employment at a golf facility, are eligible to participate in the GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl. Participants must also meet GCSAA student-member eligibility criteria and must be registered to attend the conference.
Competitors will be tested on the physical and visual identification of samples and must answer questions covering a range of industry-related topics such as turfgrass identification, soil fertility, irrigation, business management and the mathematics of calculations, quantities and calibrations, all relevant to the role of the superintendent.
The event, which is presented in partnership with John Deere Golf, begins with a Kick-Off Reception on Wednesday evening and includes a seven o’clock continental breakfast before the Thursday morning competition. Students participate in teams of up to four members, with the ten top teams sharing a total of $10,000 in cash and prizes.
In Case You Still Need a Reason to Attend
To make a golf course superintendent’s decision to attend the GIS even easier, the GCSAA has developed the “2016 Attendance Justification Resource.” The guide helps superintendents define both the cost and the rewards realized by being part of this important industry event. (Download here: www.golfindustryshow.com/docs/librariesprovider4/default-document-library/2016-attendee-justification-resource.pdf)
Note: Activities and schedules may be subject to change. For most current information visit: www.golfindustryshow.com
Linda Parker
Linda Parker has been writing professionally since the 1980s. With clients in �nance, sports, technology, change enablement, resorts and nonpro�t global initiatives, Linda helps organizations communicate their stories in meaningful ways to the people they most want to reach. She has authored, ghostwritten or contributed to more than a dozen non�ction books. Linda is a member of the Authors Guild and the Golf Writers Association of America. You can connect with her on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/GlindaCreative
