To draw in more retail business, many club and resort shops are beginning to host events and clinics within the shops. Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Fla., hosts cocktail and appetizer receptions on Friday nights in one of the resort shops to welcome all of the guests who are there through a package—and to give guests a taste of the shopping at the resort. “It is a way for us to say thank you and welcome to the guests, and they may shop,” says Tonya Morrow, Director of Retail.
Doral also hosts VIP events with PGA golfers and different apparel brands in the main golf shop. These events are limited to 75-100 people and they rope off a 400-square-foot section of the shop. The space is decorated depending on what player is visiting and/or what brand is being presented. “Between the graphics we use, the fixturing we use on the walls and the merchandise, each setup feels different,” says Morrow.
To decorate the spaces, they utilize brand catalogues and iconic images of the golfers to create different banners and graphics throughout the space. Each brand’s and golfer’s unique personality is evident throughout the design and execution of each event. “For an RLX event we served champagne and hand-passed hors d’oeuvres,” says Morrow. “But for J Lindeberg, we had techno music, videos playing, cocktail tables and Latin food.”
Not only do these events stir up buzz throughout the resort, but they also draw more customers to the shop. “They significantly increase our retail sales and significantly increase the cache that you want to be included in this event,” says Morrow.
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