The PGA of Alberta buying show runs until Thursday at the Edmonton Expo Centre, always a big event on the association calendar.
All the snow that hit the southern part of the province offered golf professionals the opportunity to see their reps and it offered the reps the opportunity to get a bunch of their bookings done.
It’s not like it was warm and sunny and golf operations were running on reduced staff and didn’t have time to preview or book appointments with reps and get a lot done before the show.
However, the show is still very important to our industry and to our association. I believe that if you have 80 per cent booked, you should still go to the show and see the reps there. We’ve lost a lot of that face to face conversation in recent years, but the show is one place to carry on that tradition.
A conversation with your rep at the show is very important and I believe that a thank you to your reps for what they do and how they support us is so important. Offering your rep the face to face opportunity to thank you for your business is also important.
Call me old school or whatever, but there is a loyalty between a manufacturer, a rep and an owner, operator or golf professional and that can be illustrated when you hand them that order at the golf show, shake their hand and say thank you and allow them to do the same.’
I also believe in the networking aspect of the show and that you miss a lot of what’s going on in the industry if you’re not present on the floor at some time.
It’s also important to be there for the awards to recognize those who have aspired and have made huge strides and accomplished so much in the industry.
Matt Allen from the PGA of Canada national office was scheduled to talk about education, so I was looking forward to that aspect of this week’s show.
As my career has evolved over the years, I still find the show valuable even with different priorities.
Whatever role you play in the industry, attending the show will always be beneficial.
