FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Choiniere attends education conference and world's largest golf course management industry show

Swanton, Vt. – Al Choiniere, Golf Course Superintendent at Champlain Country Club in Swanton, Vt., was one of 25,000-plus attendees at the 2008 Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Education Conference and Golf Industry Show, Jan. 28-Feb. 2, 2008, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

Presented by GCSAA, the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) and the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), the Golf Industry Show is an innovative trade show that features unparalleled networking opportunities and hands-on access to golf course and facility management solutions for professional members of the golf industry. Also participating as supporting organizations were the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA), the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and the National Golf Foundation (NGF). The 2008 Golf Industry Show attracted 25,737 industry professionals, including golf course superintendents, owners, club managers, builders, architects, appraisers, developers, green chairmen and golf professionals.

The GCSAA Education Conference, held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show, is the largest educational conference in the turfgrass management industry. More than 8,000 attended the 2008 GCSAA Education Conference, which offered 121 seminars and 50 additional hours of educational sessions covering all ranges of golf course management, including agronomics, communication and business management.

The trade show, which represented the full spectrum of golf facility management and golf business, included 893 exhibitors and 300,900 square feet of exhibition space representing significant aspects of a golf operation – from ownership, feasibility and design, construction and operations.

The 2008 floor layout was highlighted by five solution centers that provided the opportunity to interact with other industry professionals to get answers to questions and share best management practices. Each solution center offered dynamic exercises focused on strategies and techniques for successful golf course, facility and club operations. Attendees were able to focus on different aspect of facility success, from Environmental Solutions to Golf Course Solutions to Team Solutions.

GCSAA is a leading golf organization, which has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 21,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. The association's philanthropic organization, the Environmental Institute for Golf, works to strengthen the compatibility of golf with the natural environment through research grants, support for education programs and outreach efforts. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.


The Golf Industry Show is an innovative trade show designed for the owners/operators of golf facilities, and the professional members of the golf course and club management industries. Featuring its signature interactive solution centers, as well as the largest exhibit floor in the industry, the event combines education, networking and solutions for golf course superintendents, owners/operators, general managers, chief operating officers, architects and builders. The Golf Industry Show is presented by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) and the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), along with supporting organizations, the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA), the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and the National Golf Foundation (NGF). The 2009 event will be Feb. 5-7 in New Orleans, La. Visit www.golfindustryshow.com.

For additional information contact: Al Choiniere, Golf Course Superintendent at Champlain Country Club, (802 ) 524 0352, trebla714@aol.com.