Press release

FINAL PRESS RELEASE AND STATISTICS

GOLF SHOW 2009

The 14th International Golf Equipment and Tourism Fair

20 to 22 March 2009, Veletržní palác Prague

• The total number of exhibitors:    125 (out of which 23 from abroad)
• The number of exhibitors in the new section:   43 (Incentive Golf House)
• The number of visitors:                  5147 (both the general and professional public)
• Total exhibition area:                      4100 m2
•  

The new golf season and spring started at the 14th edition of the International Golf Equipment and Tourism Fair – GOLF SHOW 2009. Between 20 and 22 March from 10 am to 6 pm, a record-breaking 125 exhibitors participated in this exhibition that was visited by 5147 people both from the Czech Republic and abroad.

There was a lot to do – as usual: The driving range with golf instructors both for beginning and more advanced golfers was very popular. There were 2 putting greens, 3 golf simulators, samples, contests for valuable prizes and autograph signing sessions by famous golf personalities. The café-restaurant Esprit and its partners and Alois Dallmayr provided delicious food and a pleasant environment. Thanks to the first edition of the INCENTIVE GOLF HOUSE, Veletržní palace was packed with visitors.

There were numerous contests, autographs, samples and presentations by numerous exhibitors for the visitors. Deserving special mention were the “ACES of GOLF DIGEST C&S magazine” – Zuzana Mašínová (the best Czech professional, Saturday 21 March from 11:00 am) and Karel Skopový Jr. (the 2008 golf coach, an EPD Tour champion, Sunday 2 March from 11:00 am) who answered the visitors’ many questions with smiles on their faces and then showed off their skills at a driving range. Later, they took over for the GolfLab academy instructors and provided some valuable advice to others. The first Czech golf slang dictionary from the A.GA.MA publishing house made its debut at the driving range. The publisher is preparing a jubilee 10th publication about golf courses.

The largest stand this year belonged to Golf in Austria, where 22 representatives from Austrian hotels and golf resorts, together with representatives from Full Swing Golf, presented their services. The visitors were able to experience an indoor game of golf accompanied by birds singing at the GolfBlaster and Indoor-Sport-Systeme simulators. Putting greens also provided a lot of excitement and one final thrill for whomever would win either a weekend package or golf equipment. However, not everybody left smiling with a prize; after all, the golf season has just started.

As usual, the most numerous exhibitors were companies selling golf equipment; nevertheless, this year’s edition showed a significant increase in golf tourism where foreign exhibitors outnumbered domestic companies (especially from Turkey and Spain). Several hotels and resorts offered services to corporate clients and they created a special section called INCENTIVE GOLF HOUSE. Incentive tourism has been the fastest developing branch of tourism. Almost every large company organizes various corporate events for their business partners or employees. These events help promote loyalty to the employer, reinforce work relationships and work teams and, last but not least, are used as special bonuses. These include everything from golf tournaments to sports and relaxation packages to organized educational trips. 43 exhibitors tried to lure visitors in this section.

On 20 March, a workshop by foreign tour operators dedicated to golf tourism took place in the gallery of the B Hall. Professional buyers came from Poland, Germany and Slovakia at CzechTourism’s invitation. They spent the entire afternoon with invited representatives from travel agencies, hotels and golf resorts, and in the evening accepted an invitation to a welcoming party that was held on the largest golf yacht in Prague.

The organizer of GOLF SHOW 2009, RAGUSA, s. r. o., presented a new logo for the GOLF SHOW fair, as well as the dates and new venue for the 15th edition of the International Golf Equipment and Tourism Fair, GOLF SHOW 2010. When and where will the 15th edition take place? In Prague’s Exhibition Centre from 12 to 14 March.

We would like to thank all our media partners and other media for supporting GOLF SHOW 2009 and for helping to promote and advertise the 14th edition of the largest golf fair in the Czech Republic – GOLF SHOW 2009. Thank you.

Thank you for your visit and we look forward to seeing you in 2010.

Amara Zemplinerová                                                                       

GOLF SHOW Director                                                                    

Ing. Jana Patzáková

GOLF SHOW Head Manager

Organizer’s contact information:

RAGUSA, s. r. o.

Šafaříkova 5, 120 00 Praha 2

Tel.: +420 233 313 310

Fax: +420 224 252 567

E-mail: golfshow@golfshow.cz

Web: www.golfshow.cz