Large companies such as Callaway Golf, Titleist, PING, Cleveland Golf/Srixon, Bridgestone Golf and Cobra Golf reported accomplishing all of their objectives at the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show, while smaller businesses took advantage of the consistent traffic to write orders, sign up new clients and establish relationships with influential PGA Professional and industry buyers.

"As a stakeholder in the industry, we approach the PGA Merchandise Show as an opportunity to better connect with our partners," said Peter Broome, vice president of business partnerships, Acushnet Company. "We were able to accomplish this by providing multi-dimensional opportunities such as the Titleist Experience, product workshops, and Demo Day, in addition to displaying our product line on the Show floor. From launching of new products to introducing our new golf ball fitting initiative, the feedback we have received from our partners has been extremely positive."

"Like a lot of companies, we came into the Show watching our expenses carefully and not knowing what impact the economy would have on attendance and business written at the Show," noted Jay Hubbard, director of marketing for Tour Edge Golf in Batavia, Ill. "We were pleasantly surprised with the traffic and the buzz on the Show floor all week. We had a great Thursday, a good Friday and a very solid Saturday, so I would say the Show was an overwhelming success. There was a good flow to the Show and a great buzz all week. The Outdoor Demo Day was fantastic."

First-time exhibitor Dawgs, which manufacturers lightweight, flexible golf shoes and after-golf footwear, didn't know what to expect prior to the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show. But Dawgs President and CEO Steve Mann said Saturday that the Show blew his socks off – or perhaps his shoes.

"We have done hundreds of trade shows, but I’ve never seen traffic and sales at our booth like we experienced this week," said Mann. "Our Dawgs golf shoes are a new product, so we didn’t know how they would be received in the golf community. But this Show was absolutely fabulous. We picked up six international distributors, talked to 30 or 40 PGA Professionals and retail buyers, and we signed up countless new accounts. People are looking for something new with a reasonable price point, and we have filled that bill."

A full schedule of education seminars and presentations on the PGA Equipment Forum stage highlighted Saturday’s final day of the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show. A PGA Employment Services presentation entitled "How PGA Professionals can be key for employers in generating new rounds and retaining members" moderated by PGA Employment Consultant Dick Bradow drew a good crowd and generated a spirited discussion. A PGA Teaching Best Practices presentation featuring some of the best and brightest golf instructors in the game discussing how to successfully integrate new methods at their facilities also was popular.

"The various Education Conference seminars and presentations were one of the main reasons I came to the Show this year," noted PGA Professional Steve Wilkes of Fort Dodge Country Club in Fort Dodge, Iowa. "I attended three education seminars each day, and then came down on the Show floor to see what is new in training aids and other products. I did something this year I’ve never done. I visited the New Products area, where they feature just new products. That gave me a lot of new ideas, and then I visited those booths. It was a great way to help organize who you wanted to see, since I was looking for new products."

"I was looking for tournament software and tournament prizes, so this was like a giant supermarket for finding everything I needed in one place," said Mark Swanson, PGA Professional at Santa Ana Golf Club in Albuquerque, N.M. "It has been interesting to see how the Show has changed over the years, but it seemed to be better than ever this year. The Show floor seemed to be better organized so that you could visit several similar companies’ booths next to each other, rather than running from one end of the floor to another to see the same type of company. That made it very convenient."