LAWRENCE, Kan. — This year’s GCSAA Conference and Trade Show celebrated the association’s 100-year anniversary with a triumphant edition at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center that saw double-digit growth in key metrics.
Organized by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), the edition notched 15% growth in attendance, 16% growth in exhibit space and 12.7% growth in number of exhibitors.
This year’s edition also featured an increase in education hours available at the show, and broke a 2008 record for seminar seats filled. With specialized education for assistant superintendents and equipment managers, the association successfully engaged a wider audience.
“We were very intentional about how we positioned education this year,” Brain Martorana, GCSAA’s Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, said. “With the momentum we’re seeing in the game and within our membership, it was clear that education needed to take center stage. Superintendents are highly motivated to grow, improve and stay ahead. Our seminars provided the real-world tools to support that drive.”
A Celebration 100 Years in the Making
The 100th anniversary of the association was celebrated at the event with a variety of new activations and experiences for attendees to enjoy.
“A few activations really stood out because they invited people to participate rather than just observe,” Martorana said. “Our 100-year historical timeline became a natural gathering spot where attendees would stop, find the year they joined the industry, point interesting facts and historical equipment out to colleagues and start sharing their own stories. That kind of organic interaction is always a good sign.”
The team also saw strong engagement around the interactive and photo-driven moments.
“We incorporated a video testimonial booth [and] a photo mosaic, and gave away a Centennial Challenge coin that connected attendees to our founder, Col. John Morley. Past GCSAA Presidents also spent time in the Centennial exhibit, offering attendees the opportunity to learn firsthand about the history of the association,” Martorana said.
When measuring the success and engagement of these activations, the GCSAA team looked at attendance, participation rates and social engagement. They also took note of what’s happening in the room, such as observing if there are conversations happening, people lingering and a general sense of energy in the space.
“Sometimes the most telling metric is simply watching attendees choose to spend their time there,” Martorana said.
The event also featured the GCSAA Centennial Celebration at ICON Park, which served to create instant energy and a shared experience to kick off the event. The welcoming event gave attendees the chance to connect over food, live entertainment and ICON Park’s attractions.
“While a 100th anniversary is unique, the success of that format certainly reinforces how powerful a dynamic welcome event can be,” Martorana said. “It accelerates networking, increases sponsor visibility and sets the tone for the entire conference. Going forward, we’ll continue to evaluate opportunities to create impactful kickoff experiences when they align with the destination and overall goals of the event. When done thoughtfully, a welcome event can elevate the entire attendee journey.”
Striking the Right Balance
In marketing the event and its milestone anniversary, the GCSAA team wanted to be sure it struck the right balance between honoring the association’s foundation and building momentum and excitement for what’s next.
“In our marketing, we celebrated the legacy, the leaders, the milestones [and] the growth of the industry,” Martorana said. “And we paired that with forward-looking language about innovation, workforce development and where the next 100 years will take us. Visually, we blended historic elements with a modern design aesthetic, so it never felt dated or overly nostalgic.”
The payoff of this intentional marketing was clear, with attendance once again growing year-over-year for the fourth year in a row.
Revenue Generation Through On-Site Merch
The show also featured its GCSAA Store during the event, where attendees could purchase merchandise.
“GCSAA Store sales at our annual conference are typically about three times greater than total online sales throughout the year,” Joey Blackburn, GCSAA Director, Finance and Member Solutions, said. “While online sales continue to grow, the conference provides a unique opportunity to engage a captive audience, promote the GCSAA brand, and showcase high-quality apparel and merchandise to our attendees. At our recent conference in Orlando, the store generated nearly $250,000 in gross sales, with more than 5,200 individual items sold over the four-day event.”
Because the GCSAA staff manages all aspects of the store, from product selection to inventory and fulfillment to website/POS logistics to on-site execution, the association is able to retain 100% of the net proceeds — and attendees get to walk away with a tangible memento of the event and organization.
Photos Courtesy of GCSAA
