News on Golf Europe 2012 (…und weiter)

The German PGA having been singularly unresponsive to requests for details of their re-invigorated strategic support for the Augsburg Golf Europe (see previous press releases on www.golfeurope.com), I sought out the opinions of one or two well-connected European golf journalists who were in Orlando for the PGA Merchandise Show last week.

Golf brands at all levels (from the majors to the tiniest) seemingly remain reluctant to rush and book stand / booth space in Augsburg. Clearly, the wider European golf industry has not had more detailed information from the German PGA either – or anybody else – and if they have it’s unconvincing.

This would be a shame, because I am among those who would argue that Europe does need a trade show (an ‘open’ one, as opposed to a closed shop). More importantly, however, it needs one that is CREDIBLE.

My sources indicate that if Augsburg fails to win enthusiastic support right now in the form of high volumes of exhibitors, then there will be no Golf Europe 2012, or ’13, or ’14… Golf Europe will be a thing of the past.

In the absence of renewed interest in the show by the golf industry, the only hope for the future of an open European golf trade event lies in the ISPO Munich event in Golf Europe’s former venue, MesseStadt. (This year’s event is running now – between February 29 and February 1 www.ispo.com/munich.

If Golf Europe can render itself a sufficiently attractive proposition to become a worthy adjunct to ISPO, then it might yet fly again. And while some would argue that mid-winter is too late to hold a golf equipment show for pre-orders to happen in time, there are those who put forward the counter argument that buying patterns of the industry are set to change too, and this might make a February event still viable.

Meanwhile, waiting in the wings are the Scottish Golf Show (Glasgow SCCC) in April and Golf Live (The London Golf Club) in May – either or both of whom could easily fulfil dual B2B and B2C roles in pursuit of a strategic business advantage.

But the fact remains that, as everyone loaded their pallets onto homeward bound trucks at Orange County Convention Centre and headed for the bars to celebrate the end of a very robust 59th PGA Merchandise Show, I failed to hear the usual farewell among colleagues and competitors: “See you at Golf Europe”.

Nope.

Not one.