Jim Beatty, President of Jim Beatty Golf Ventures and organizer of the historic African American Golf EXPO and Forum and PGA Golf Exhibitions, organizer of the highly successful PGA Show, formed a unique relationship with the Inaugural African American EXPO and Forum this year. In an unprecedented move, PGA Show made the offer to host the “Share Your Story” contest. This contest was targeted to exhibitors of the EXPO, that had not been previous exhibitors at the PGA Show held annually in Orlando, FL.
The contest was to encourage exhibitors to tell their story via a 3-minute video. The content of the video was to highlight the challenges and adversities they have faced in developing their business. After submission of the video, a panel of judges from PGA Golf Exhibitions and the EXPO selected the best submission using a predetermined set of guidelines which included originality, overcoming adversity, storytelling, and overall quality/impact. The winner would receive free booth space at the 2022 PGA Show in Orlando.
According to Marc Simon, VP PGA Golf Exhibitions, “we were pleased to team with Jim Beatty Golf Ventures and the African American Golf EXPO to highlight the accomplishments of these companies and to assist in their ongoing marketing efforts. PGA Golf Exhibitions is strongly aligned with the goals of increasing inclusion and diversity in the sport and business of golf. We are proud to help grow involvement by underrepresented communities at the PGA Show.”
I am happy to report that not only did they select just one of the EXPO exhibitors but due to the quality and the impact of the submissions, they selected 2 additional winners who would receive a 50% discount on a space at the show. All three exhibitors are excited to share their products with industry influencers in the golf and golf lifestyle marketplace of the PGA Show.
The winners were first place, OMG Lemonade, a Raleigh, North Carolina based, beverage company and tied for 2nd were Bucka Fogey Sports, an Abington, Pennsylvania based apparel company and American Soul Brothers, an Atlanta, Georgia based barbeque sauce company.
In addition to the value of PGA Show participation, it sends a proactive message of “inclusion” to the golf industry, the companies selected and to the entire EXPO audience. This unprecedented action in fact establishes a standard for other companies and institutions in the $84 billion golf industry to emulate in order to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.
