The grand opening of the Trade Show floor takes place at 8:50 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4.
Obviously, the GCSAA Trade Show floor will be situated in prime space. Part of it will reflect the association’s Centennial, 100 years strong, in 2026.
Mike Porter is only in Year No. 1 of the GCSAA experience — and he’s ecstatic.
Six figures’ worth of trade show floor space will be occupied Feb. 4-5 inside the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
Porter, business development representative for Fastenal, will occupy a 10-foot-by-20-foot booth. The company Fastenal, according to Porter, predominantly deals in safety and PPE gear, maintenance tools and hardware, fasteners, lubricants, facility supplies and inventory management solutions like nut/bolt bins and flame-resistant cabinets for chemicals. Fastenal certainly is taking this seriously. In its GCSAA Conference and Trade Show debut, Fastenal has joined GCSAA in its Affinity Partnership program, which in part includes providing members significant discounts on goods and services.
“We’re an e-commerce solution for GCSAA, a good fit for golf course maintenance shops,” Porter says. “Becoming a recognized partner could enhance Fastenal’s reputation and open doors to long-term contracts and relationships in the golf industry.”
And this year’s monumental, history-making GCSAA Conference and Trade Show is all about taking this industry to another level as it enters another century.
This year's Trade Show in Orlando will be even bigger than years previous.
Floor showings
It just keeps getting better and better.
By the time all is said and done, floor space inside the Orange County Convention Center will far surpass the 2025 totals in San Diego. The final total (as GCM was going to press for the January issue) is expected to exceed 176,000 square feet. “Roughly, we were at 150,000 square feet in San Diego,” says Matt Brown, GCSAA’s director of corporate sales. “Every year has gotten better since COVID.”
By mid-December 2025, booths secured by exhibitors reached 490. That passed the goal of 465 and as of last month was headed to go beyond 500.
Also, by mid-December, the total of new exhibitors was 128. That number already is larger than the most previous show’s new exhibitor participants.
“Every year, things have gotten better and that momentum continues,” Brown says. “We’re very excited where we are going.”
In addition to showings from vendors, the Trade Show floor will also host talks and events such as the Leo Feser Award ceremony.
Health matters
Superintendents take care of golf courses, their maintenance teams and those who play on their grounds. On the Trade Show floor, among the options to be offered are numerous chances for superintendents to take care of themselves.
The Wellness Pavilion will be in the house. Offerings include free on-site health screenings. Attendees can take advantage of complimentary, walk-in biometric screenings from the Syngenta MyWellbeing Mobile Wellness Unit, including:
- Blood pressure.
- Cholesterol.
- Glucose.
- BMI.
- A1C.
- Skin cancer screenings.
“They (superintendents) are so busy at their own facilities. GCSAA provides this, gives them the opportunity to do a wellness check, including mental health,” Brown says. “This is important.”
Flyaway Geese is among the popular returning vendors this year.
Retro feel on the floor
The Centennial Experience will be all around you, including on the Trade Show floor. A retrospective of 100 years of GCSAA can be seen as attendees peruse, visit and mingle at some of the booths. A collection of longtime Trade Show floor industry exhibitors will showcase artifacts from days gone by, bringing golf equipment antiques to display in their own booths. Among those participating include The Toro Co., John Deere, Turfco, Jacobsen and PBI-Gordon.
As for the Trade Show floor itself, it’s set up to be easy to navigate. It’ll have a linear grid, with rows numbered from left to right. Attendees can connect with exhibitors who will display cutting edge technology and products and services for turf, irrigation, etc.
Dining will be available. Meeting space is going to be conveniently located on the floor, making it possible to get myriad things done without having to exit the Trade Show floor.
Also on the floor, SunBelt Rentals is planning to host a golf simulator for attendees to enjoy some fun with friends and grab a refreshment. The New Product Showcase, a staple on the Trade Show floor, is ready to go.
The GCSAA Stage is back, with speakers from GCSAA and allied associations, such as the USGA. And, oh, yeah: In case you are wondering, those cute dogs will return for the Fly Away Geese attraction.
The Trade Show floor remains a great place to network with colleagues in addition to checking out the latest innovations in turfgrass management.
Second time around
Blake Mann is making his second trip to the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show. With offerings as far as the eye can see, he’s eager to take a look, including on the Trade Show floor.
“I’m going to participate in one of the tours, which I like, because I’m a visual learner. It makes more sense to me,” says Mann, assistant superintendent at Elmcrest Country Club in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and a two-year GCSAA member.
Until he was hired at Elmcrest CC, Mann did not know a whole lot about GCSAA — including its history. But after he joined the Iowa GCSA, the next step was to join the GCSAA. The timing of being in Orlando and witnessing what will unfold during the 100-year Centennial Celebration has him eagerly anticipating the marqee event.
“I didn’t even know it (GCSAA) existed until I got into the business,” Mann says. “Seeing the (Fly Away Geese) dogs and being part of history means a lot to me.”