With more than 100 golf courses in the Orlando area, many of the conventions and meetings that come to town include a golf outing as a leisure option for attendees. And yet, according to the golf industry, many of the people planning the outings—the meeting and conference organizers—are women who may not play the game. Four hospitality entities have joined with the P.G.A. of America to offer planners an introduction to golf combined with information about their Orlando meeting venues and services.
The events, known as Get Golf Ready Power Mixers, began Wednesday in Chicago. Calling themselves the “Big Fore,” the Orlando participants are the Peabody Orlando, Rosen Hotels and Resorts, the Orange County Convention Center, and Universal Orlando Resort. Sales executives from each organization created the invitation list for the two-hour event, focusing on existing and prospective clients. The mixer took place at the World of Whirlpool, a private event space owned by Whirlpool Corporation, whose KitchenAid brand is the official appliance sponsor of the P.G.A. About 50 guests spent the first hour mingling with representatives from the Orlando entities and with P.G.A. professionals before learning basic golf concepts at five hands-on stations.
“We are always looking to create that overall, positive experience for meeting planners,” said Yulita Osuba, deputy general manager of the Orange County Convention Center. "They have so many options and invitations. We think this is a very unique event that they will appreciate. And it allows us to build relationships through something they can experience in Orlando when they book their meetings." She said the idea for the partnership developed in January, as she and other Orlando hospitality leaders were looking for new ways to network with clients.
The mixers are an extension of P.G.A. of America’s Get Golf Ready program, which offers five lessons for $99 at more than 3,000 courses around the country. Planners who attended the mixer were encouraged to sign up for the program to continue learning about the game. “We are interested in having new golfers enroll themselves in Get Golf Ready, but we also want them to be a door-opener for us to implement Get Golf Ready for their companies overall,” said Sandy Cross, P.G.A. of America’s director of women’s and new market initiatives.
Similar events for planners are scheduled in Washington September 11, followed by New York and Minneapolis early next year. Participants from the mixers will be invited to a golf event next spring at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando.
