PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA (January 2015) — The seventh annual International Golf Tour Operators Association (IAGTO) North America Convention will take place in Palm Springs, Calif., from June 14-17, 2015.
Known as the “Capital of Golf of the Western USA,” Greater Palm Springs — which covers the city of Palm Springs and surrounding desert cities — is home to more than 110 world-class golf courses and annually plays host to the PGA Tour’s first California event each year, the Humana Challenge. Some of the biggest names in the game have blessed the region with spectacular and challenging designs with a desert setting and mountainous background.
On the heels of the most successful North American Convention ever, when record numbers of both exhibitor and buyers attended the event in Charleston, S.C., IAGTO is returning to America’s West for the first time since 2011, when Pebble Beach on California’s Monterey Peninsula hosted the third North American Convention (NAC).
Peter Walton, Chief Executive of the global trade organization, said he was delighted that the event would be staged in a golf destination that “has it all.”
“The convention has been expanded to two full days of business sessions to cater to demand for more time for meetings,” said Walton. “We will also be giving delegates plenty of time to experience one of America’s most spectacular golf destinations.”
IAGTO’s North America Convention brings tour operators from around the world together with golf courses, golf resorts, hotels, destination marketing companies and tourist boards from North America, South America and the Caribbean. Currently, 271 of IAGTO’s 567 golf tour operator members promote, feature and sell golf holidays to North America. IAGTO operators account for 85 percent of golf holiday packages sold around the world, with annual sales of over $2.5 billion.
Walton announced: “Our three-day convention is already on course to attract a record number of buyers from Europe, Asia and Latin America as well as from the USA and Canada. More than 300 delegates will attend the event, making the 7th NAC the best-ever attended golf tourism convention in North America.
“2014 represented the third consecutive year of growth for IAGTO golf tour operators, with the majority seeing sales expand by more than 25 percent through that three-year period,” said Walton. “North American golf tourism suppliers attending the NAC in June therefore stand to benefit greatly by encouraging some of the world’s leading golf tour operators to feature their destination, expand their product range or increase their direct promotion in order achieve an immediate growth in either national or internationally golf visitor arrivals.”
All business sessions will be taking place at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort, which is also where the delegates will be staying. The networking opportunities will therefore be immense from beginning to end at the event. On the final day of the convention, the NAC Golf Tournament will be held across two of Greater Palm Springs’ most iconic golf courses: the PGA West TPC Stadium Course and the Firecliff Course at Desert Willow Golf Resort. The TPC Stadium Course has been rated the fourth-toughest course in America in Golf Digest’s Top 50 Toughest Courses in America and the Firecliff Course has been rated the No. 1 Public Golf Course in the Coachella Valley by Desert Golf Magazine.
Any inquiries for participation in the IAGTO North American Convention should be directed to Claudio DeMarchi, 1-800-250-3080 or Claudio@lakeviewproductions.com
Lakeview Productions Inc. — North American representatives for IAGTO
Lakeview Productions Inc. is a full service Destination Marketing Company “with a passion for golf” and has delivered golfers to client destinations since 1999.
International Golf Tour Operators Association (IAGTO)
Established in 1997, IAGTO is the global trade organization of the golf tourism industry. Members include almost 570 golf tour operators representing 62 countries. Total membership is in excess of 2,260 across 99 countries, comprising golf resorts, hotels, golf courses, receptive operators, airlines, tourist boards, car rental agencies approved media and business partners. IAGTO member tour operators control more than 85 percent of golf holiday packages sold worldwide and turn over more than US$2 billion per year. Six previous North America Golf Tourism Conventions have been held in Florida, California, South Carolina and Mississippi. www.iagto.com/NAC
Carlton Carugati
IAGTO General Manager
ccarugati@iagto.com
Martin Armes
(919-608-7260)
Brad King (336-306-9219)
PR@MarketingGolf.com
