Sports Turf show comes out swinging

The first major trade show of the year adds more education and sees an immediate uptick in attendees, optimism and buying interest.

Photo: Toro

Daytona Beach, Fla. — A town best known for rowdy spring breakers and race cars temporarily became sports turf managers central, as turf pros from around the country flocked to the annual STMA show.

As the Sports Turf Managers Association’s 24th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Daytona Beach, Fla., wrapped up, the news was all good. The 1,600 people in attendance made the conference trade show one of the most well attended in STMA history, and with nearly every booth filled, attendees had no problem browsing products from the 168 exhibitors on hand. Most important: They all seemed ready to do business.

Peter Moeller, director of marketing, The Toro Co., noticed an uptick in attendees as well as in overall optimism. Toro was showing off its new Tier 4-compliant engine, as well as new rotors on the irrigation side.

“I’ve felt a renewed buying interest from the customers who are here,” Moeller said. “I’ve talked to many in the municipal sector who have seen their buying budgets come back a little bit. In general I feel like there’s some optimism. It feels like attendance is up, and a better mood than in some of the recessionary times.”

Chris Vernon, vice president of marketing and product management for Jacobsen, echoed Moeller’s thoughts. He said he was “thrilled” with the crowd they saw on Thursday, the first day of the show. Jacobsen was unveiling its new 5-gang fairway mower, the LF510, and that event “brought a lot of people” to the Jacobsen booth, Vernon said.

“I think last year wasn’t quite as good,” Vernon told Golfdom. “I think last year’s show wasn’t as well attended, so I think they’re recovering and getting more attendees.”

This year’s conference offered more educational opportunities, and that may have helped numbers. More than 90 hours of education were available, including two new tracks. Tracey Hawkins, market development manager, sports, for Profile Products, heard good things about the increase in education.

“They’re really pushing the new educational speakers they’re having,” she said. “I think (the STMA is) learning from the GCSAA and local chapters that education is important, and it’s been well received.”

Kimberly Heck, CEO of the STMA, was pleased with the results. “The attendance level at this year’s STMA conference — both for the increasing number of educational sessions offered and our trade show — underscores the continuing strength of the association and the industry,” she said.

Zach Holm, head groundskeeper for the York (Pa.) Revolution, was attending his sixth STMA conference and said the show was going in the right direction.

“It seems like there’s a few more (people), but not terribly bigger, but bigger than my first year, when it was in Phoenix. And there seems to be more and more students,” Holm said.

Will Wolverton, general manager, North America for Wiedenmann, said his booth had a huge influx of people when the show’s doors opened. One of his products was discussed at a seminar that day, and he said that may have boosted his traffic.

“We got two new products for synthetic turf. The Terra Clean 100 is a pull-behind, it sweeps debris up, separates the rubber crumb and collects the debris and puts the rubber crumb back on the ground,” Wolverton said. “It was mentioned during one of the seminars.

“The STMA is a really good organization, they’ve always been fair to the vendors,” Wolverton concluded.

Blair Elliot, who works for the City of Aspen, Colorado’s Parks and Recreation department, serves on the STMA’s environmental committee, and says education is definitely the biggest draw to the STMA conference.

Elliot, who was attending the conference for the 15th time, said he was most intrigued by Netherlands-based company Campey and its verticutters.

“They get a lot of people, from NFL and Major League parks to local ball fields, they get everyone here,” Elliot observed. “Is it growing? No, I don’t think so, but I think it is stable. I would say that this year’s show is bigger than last year’s.”