2017 GCAA National Convention Starts Monday, December 11
The 2017 GCAA National Convention kicks off in Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood Resort on Monday, December 11. The 34th annual convention will have its largest registered attendance with 315 head and assistant coaches.
“Our registration to date is outstanding and continues the increases we have experienced since our move to Las Vegas in 2009,” said GCAA CEO Gregg Grost.
“Obviously, our Board made a wise decision when they approved our move from Orlando. With the GCAA and WGCA now holding numerous joint sessions and integrating their respective schedule of events, we now have a must-attend golf industry event.”
The GCAA convention has evolved from approximately 100 head coaches, primarily from the largest Division I schools, gathering prior to the PGA Show to talk about the upcoming National Championship to a meeting of golf industry leaders from around the world interacting with head and assistant coaches from every division of men’s college golf. With more than a third of the annual GCAA total membership now attending, it is where the business of college golf gets done.
This year, representatives from the USGA/WAGR, R&A, and PGA of America
are just a few of the major golf organizations/bodies that will be attending. As the convention has grown, so has the media coverage. The media representatives expected to be in attendance include Golfweek, Golf World, The Golf Channel and Sirius XM radio.
During the past 10 years, the GCAA Corporate Partners Exhibit Night has grown exponentiality with nearly 70 golf companies and allied organizations participating in the event Tuesday, December 12.
“Our GCAA Corporate Partners support has been a critical part of the growth of our organization over the past decade”, said Grost. “Providing a platform for sponsors and coaches to meet and discuss innovations in the industry, see new products and just talk golf is very important. It is truly one stop shopping for our coaches”.
As the size and shape of the convention has grown so too has the member recognition opportunities culminating in the GCAA Hall of Fame Dinner and induction ceremony. Each year the new Hall of Fame class is presented to the attendees along with national awards honoring the accomplishments of member coaches and their programs across our divisions of men’s college golf.
“The GCAA National Convention has certainly come a long way since that first year at the Day’s Inn in Buena Vista, FL.” said Grost. “I remember like it was yesterday, I was an impressionable young head coach at the time and listened intently as the legends of college golf talked about our sport and looked to the future”. Who could have ever imagined the changes we have seen in college golf since the 80’s.
What will college golf look like in the next five to ten years? Who knows, but odds are coaches will be talking about all the possibilities in Las Vegas next week.