PGA Professionals who attend the 24th Annual ING Spring Conference June 1-4 at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City will earn Member Service Requirement Credits.
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.
Any PGA Professional who takes part in the complete conference program will earn 16 Member Service Requirement Credits as “Non PGA Education.” Those who attend portions of the conference will earn credits appropriate to the time in attendance.
One session that is sure to be popular with PGA professionals and all attendees is the Marketing Trends seminar, set for 10:15 a.m. on the first full day of the conference. It will be conducted by Jon Last, Founder and President of Sports and Leisure Research Group, a full service marketing research consultancy that supports leading brands in sports, travel and media.
Last’s 25-plus years of professional experience includes seven years as VP Corporate Marketing for Golf Digest Companies, and eight years at the PGA of America, where he oversaw marketing research, consumer marketing and retailing.
Several other educational sessions are on the schedule, including Social Media workshops following Last’s presentation. Attendees will choose between workshops for beginners and another for intermediate and advanced users.
A Best Practices presentation and a Mentor-ING breakfast round out the educational sessions.
Approximately 150 people will attend the 24th Annual ING Spring Conference in Atlantic City. Resorts Casino Hotel will serve as the official headquarters of the conference, hosting all of the educational sessions and most of the meal and networking elements of the meeting. It was the first casino hotel to open in Atlantic City, back in 1978. It has since undergone a major renovation, including the addition of the spectacular Margaritaville entertainment complex.
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 at 8 a.m., private meetings will be held every 20 minutes, for five hours over two days – Monday and Tuesday mornings of the conference.
Another key element of the conference for exhibiting companies is the Demo Lab on Tuesday afternoon. Historic Atlantic City Country Club will host this year’s ING Demo Lab, where 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, Freedom Golf Association, RadiusRoll Putters, Personal Golf Fan, Razor Golf, SNAG, and TaylorMade Golf. A total of nearly 20 companies are expected to take part.
Three golf tournaments will be conducted at Seaview Resort and Blue Heron Pines, including the ING WGAT National Qualifier.
