Get Real … As In Virtual
Golfdom partners with IGCEMA to stage virtual trade show. Toro, Deere and Jacobsen also on board.
I’ve heard people say trade shows — like the ones you attend in vast convention centers incities like San Diego and Orlando — are dinosaurs. While I don’t think trade shows are becoming extinct, I do think there’s a place for a virtual trade show.
That’s why Golfdom is partnering with the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association (IGCEMA) to stage the IGCEMA’s Virtual Trade Show, a three-day live event where suppliers, dealers and customers can gather for meaningful business development and relationship building. The event is set for May 11-13 and targets golf course superintendents, technicians and other industry personnel as attendees.It doesn’t cost anything to attend this trade show, which should be an attractive proposition to the people whose golf courses and clubs can’t afford to send them anywhere during these difficult economic times. In fact, we’re betting superintendents who couldn’t attend the Golf Industry Show in San Diego will be interested in this.
“The draw for attendees is they can enter a trade show-like experience in the comfort of their offices or homes free of charge,” says Golfdom Publisher Pat Roberts. “This is an especially appealing opportunity for those who can’t physically attend an industry show or conference due to budget cuts.”IGCEMA’s Virtual Trade Show is the brainchild of Stephen Tucker, the CEO of the IGCEMA, an organization dedicated to expanding the education, enhancing the professionalism and improving the image of the golf course equipment manager and turf equipment technician worldwide.
So far, Tucker has landed theThe Toro Co., John Deere and Jacobsen as event partners. Getting the Big Three involved in this event verifies that it’s not some pie-in-the sky effort.
“We expect other industry leaders to join them, not only because we aim to deliver them a global audience of buyers, but because we’ve made the process of getting booth set-up easy and seamless,” Tucker says.
Kudos to Tucker for getting this going. It has taken a lot of planning and hard work. It has become a passion for him.
Ten years ago, a few companies (remember Golfsat Inc.?) tried to bring e-commerce to the golf course maintenance industry. They bombed. The industry wasn’t ready for it then, but this is a different twist. Back then, superintendents weren’t interested in e-commerce partly because they valued the relationships they had with their suppliers’ sales people. With his virtual trade show, Tucker isn’t taking that out of the equation.
We think he’s on to something.
Who knows, maybe in 50 years they’ll be beaming us up to trade shows.
