At most conferences where networking is the ultimate goal, attendees are brought together in one room and left on their own to meet and exchange business cards.
The One-On-One Appointment Show at the ING Spring Conference takes it a step further, arranging a series of 20-minute meetings between people who can help each other grow in the golf industry.
The One-On-One Appointment Show will be one of the highlights at the 25th Anniversary ING Spring Conference, scheduled for May 31-June 3 at beautiful and historic Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, FL.
The non-profit International Network of Golf, the industry’s only media-based networking organization, conducts this annual gathering of media and golf companies and leaders. ING is “where the media and golf industry connect.”
Anyone in the golf industry and media is invited to join ING and attend the conference. Call 407-328-0500 for details.
Nearly everyone at the conference can benefit from participation in the ING One-On-One Appointment Show, which will be held over two days at this year’s conference. It was created to place an emphasis on business relations between the media and golf companies, resorts, destinations and entrepreneurs.
Participating companies set up tabletop displays. Beginning Monday afternoon, private meetings will be held every 20 minutes, for five hours over two days.
The exhibitor and the visiting media member or business attendee share the time, with the goal being to create win-win-win programs for the company, the media and the audience, whether it be feature stories, advertising or special promotions. At the very least, a business relationship is established or nurtured.
It is also a perfect time for writers to gather story material and TV/Radio broadcasters to do interviews. Several golf radio shows are expected to take part in Radio Row during the Appointment Show. Each show will set up a table, and exhibitors will be brought to the table to do recorded radio interviews for future airings.
The ING staff gathers all meeting requests ahead of the conference and makes appropriate matches for the appointments. The entire schedule is determined and published prior to the show to allow for adequate planning time.
Another key element of the conference for exhibiting companies is the Demo Lab on Tuesday morning. Companies with golf equipment and training aids set up on the range and putting green where attendees try the products first hand. Companies that have verbally committed to participating in the Demo Lab so far include Bridgestone, Knuth Golf, Razor Golf, Tour Edge Golf and Strategic Solutions.
The Dennis Walters Golf Show will kick off the Demo Lab on Tuesday, June 2 at Mission Inn. Walters will also be at the 25th Anniversary Reunion Awards Dinner that night, to present the Dennis Walters ING Courage Award to this year’s recipient. ING presented Walters with the courage award in 1994, and then named the award in his honor. It goes to an individual who has overcome great odds to contribute to the game of golf.
The ING Conference’s presenting sponsor this year is Freedom Golf Association. FGA is a 501(C)(3) charitable organization dedicated to bringing joy and a sense of freedom to the special needs community through their inclusion in the game of golf.
The conference will feature a full schedule of networking and educational events, along the Appointment Show and Demo Lab
• Educational seminars and workshops: Subjects include Growing The Game, Marketing & PR, Self and Team Improvement, and Social Media Marketing, among others.
• The 25th Anniversary Reunion Dinner. Former ING members are invited to attend the Tuesday night awards dinner and play in the Durland Cup on Wednesday morning.
• The WAGT National Qualifier. This individual stroke play net competition will be divided into five flights. Winners of those flights will earn complimentary entry and accommodations in the World Amateur Golfers Tour National Championship Sept. 24-26 at Shawnee Inn & Resort.
• Plus, the many networking sessions that ING is famous for.
To register for the ING Conference, or to find out more about ING, visit www.inggolf.com, or call 407-328-0500.
