In just five years, the Deep South Turf Expo has grown into one of the country's premier regional conferences for superintendents.
The sixth edition of the Deep South event, at least the in-person educational portion, will have to wait a while, and we'll give you three guesses why.
In response to Covid-19, this year's event has been canceled, and a hybrid outdoor trade show and golf event will take its place this year.
The show was scheduled for Nov. 4-5 at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi. The hybrid event will be held Oct. 26 at The Preserve Golf Club in Vancleave, Mississippi, and will include - for now - golf, an outdoor tailgate event and a trade show with products and equipment on display throughout the golf course. Show organizers said most respondents to a customer survey indicated they wanted to hold the show in a traditional in-person format, but in the end there were too many question marks.
According to a release from show organizers: "The majority wanted to meet in person, however the facilities were not guaranteed to be open for us to meet . . . so we have made some adjustments that will ensure social distancing and safety for everyone."
The fate of next year's Golf Industry Show in Las Vegas is still undecided. The GCSAA is considering several options for the next GIS and members and show exhibitors will be surveyed later this month with a final decision expected in October.