Inventors Spotlight to Showcase Innovative Golf Products at the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show

NORWALK, Conn. (Dec. 12, 2019) – Inventors of new golf training and teaching aids, accessories and equipment will be able to gauge the interest of nearly 40,000 attending PGA Professionals, golf industry leaders and media from around the world at the Inventors Spotlight, during the PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 22-24, 2020, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Organized in partnership with the non-profit United Inventors Association (UIA), the Inventors Spotlight on the PGA Show Floor showcases new golf and golf lifestyle-related products developed by independent inventors. UIA experts will be in attendance throughout the PGA Show to answer questions associated with taking an idea to the development, patenting, production and product distribution stage. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office will also be located in the Inventors Spotlight pavilion this year to provide information about intellectual property protection and to answer questions on filing or pending applications before the Office.

In addition to the business networking opportunity provided by the PGA Show, Inventors Spotlight exhibitors also participate in the UIA Awards Program, where their products are reviewed by UIA experts and top inventions are presented with one of three awards – Most Innovative Concept, Best Marketing, and the Pinnacle Award (Best in Show).  The awards presentation takes place in the Inventors Spotlight pavilion on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 1 p.m.

“We are pleased to work with the United Inventors Association to provide a unique platform for inventors to introduce and demonstrate their golf-related innovations, receive feedback from golf industry influencers, and, potentially, secure new points of retail distribution,” said PGA Merchandise Show Event Vice President Marc Simon. “Each year, we look forward to shining a spotlight on the latest inventions and getting to know the people behind the product’s journey to this stage.”

The Inventors Spotlight exhibitor pavilion is located at the front of aisles #4300-#4500 (new location) in the Facility Solutions Hall of the PGA Show Floor.  Inventors Spotlight participating inventors/inventions currently include:
(as of Dec. 12, 2019)

 

 

About the Awards:

Most Innovative Concept: This award recognizes a product (in development or finalized) that is truly unique in a product category.  From a sketch through a fully developed product, this category looks at the overall innovation of the concept and how it fits into the category.  Examples of this include:  Does the product represent an innovative approach to the benefit it provides the consumer? Does the product take a novel approach to its function and design? Does the product solve a consumer problem in a new or creative fashion?

Best Marketing Effort: Marketing an idea effectively can be a daunting challenge. This award showcases inventors who develop and deliver an irresistible sales pitch that makes prospects acutely aware of the value they will derive from their product or service, in a clear and quantifiable way.

The Pinnacle Award (Best in Show): The successful development of a product takes talent, knowledge, and tenacity. As such, the Pinnacle Award recognizes the broadest range of efforts by the inventor, be it from design, market research, sales, fulfillment, manufacturing and quality. This category is judged on the entire process. Judgements on this award are based on the attention paid by the inventor to all phases of ideation, invention and commercialization.

How Judging Works: Judging will be conducted by UIA experts, who will visit inventors at their booths to learn more about the product. Inventors will share attributes, demonstrate the product and be able to ask questions to the judges to further their invention. There is no fee required to participate in the UIA Awards Program.

About the United Inventors Association
The UIA is a 501c3 non-profit educational foundation dedicated to providing educational resources and opportunities to the independent inventing community, while encouraging honest and ethical business practices among industry service providers.  As the largest inventor membership organization in the country, which includes nearly 100 affiliated local inventor clubs, the organization’s mission is to empower inventors through education, access and advocacy.  Learn more about the UIA at www.UIAUSA.org.

About the PGA Merchandise Show
The 67th PGA Merchandise Show, held Jan. 21-24, 2020, in Orlando, will welcome some 1,000 top golf companies and brands and nearly 40,000 industry professionals from around the world to the industry’s annual global summit for the business of golf.

In 2020, PGA Show Week begins with the NGCOA’s Golf Business Conference (Jan. 20-22), the AGM Retail Conference (Jan. 21) and the PGA Show Education Conference (Jan 21-24) at the Orange County Convention Center.  The 18th Annual PGA Show Demo Day, featuring nearly 100 top golf companies within 200+ hitting bays, practice greens, and a golf cart test track, will be held Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Orange County National Golf Center.  PGA Merchandise Show exhibits, demonstrations, education seminars, special events and industry presentations will fill out the industry calendar Wednesday – Friday, Jan. 22–24, at the Convention Center.   Additionally, the Racquet and Paddle Sports Show, a four-day trade event for the tennis, racquet and paddle sports industry, will be co-located with the PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 22-24, in the Convention Center (West Halls E/F).

The PGA Merchandise Show, “the MAJOR of Golf Business,” is organized in partnership with the PGA of America and is a trade-only event, not open to the public.

Learn more at PGAShow.com

SOURCE: PGA of America