The organizers to the Connecticut Golf Show, scheduled for March 20-22 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford have announced that the event will be postponed due to concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, March 12, the organizers said, “We are looking at dates in May that will be appropriate and available to host our Show to kick off the 2020 Season and support the Golf Community in Connecticut. We anticipate having our plans in place approximately within a week and will be in touch with each and every Sponsor and Exhibitor as to availability for our new date.”
The Connecticut Golf Show has grown in popularity over the past several years, and typically draws more than 9,000 avid golfers to the three-day event. “The vast majority of shows start up, last a couple of years, and go away. We run eight consumer golf shows around the country, and only Seattle, with about 10,000 attendees, regularly outdraws Hartford,” said Brian Beaky of Varsity Communications, which runs the show. There were more than 110 exhibitors at last year's show. It is a key contributor to the Connecticut golf industry.
“This show has helped put us on the Connecticut golf map,” said Chris Cote, of Chris Cote's Golf Shop, one of the show's sponsors said last year. “Eleven years ago I was working out of my garage in Portland selling used golf equipment on Ebay. Really an amazing small business story! The week after the golf show our phones are ringing off the hook with golfers scheduling golf club fitting. It kicks off our season.”
Which is why the show's organizers will seek to reschedule. But safety concerns took precedence, they said.
“The Connecticut Golf Show wants to express our concern for everyone impacted by the COVID-19 virus in the State of Connecticut and around the World. We continue to closely monitor the situation as State agencies take proactive measures to ensure health and safety and prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 virus in our State. As always, the well-being of our Golf community, from our attendees and exhibitors to our staff on-site, is of the utmost importance.”
