AROUND THE TRADE AROUND THE TRADE
INAUGURAL GOLF BUSINESS FORUM A HUGE SUCCESS
Photos: Stewart Donn
Lodewijk Klootwijk (CEO of the European Golf Course Owners Association) far right and Golf Business Forum co-directors Guy Chapple and Andrew Davis right. Over 200 golf industry leaders converged on Melbourne in late July for the inaugural Golf Business Forum, Australia’s largest gathering of golf facility owners, operators, industry leaders and business partners. “We set out to create a new opportunity for industry owners and operators to engage with industry leadership, suppliers and other participants, with a focus on facilities servicing public golfers”, says Forum co-director Andrew Davies. “We were thrilled to see so many respond and have received great support from across the industry to take the Forum further.” A range of golf facilities were represented at the Forum, including municipal golf facilities, private golf clubs, driving ranges, mini-golf facilities, virtual golf facilities, hotels and holiday resorts. Industry suppliers and organisations, including the AGCSA, were also well represented. The Golf Business Forum featured a trade show and theatre, offering the attendees an array of speakers on topics relevant to all golf businesses across three key themes: Market dynamics – insights into international and local sports and golf participation trends; l Facility development and innovation – including a showcase of leading Australian golf facilities; and l Customer engagement and experiences – critical insights into harnessing digital marketing and community relations to engage golfers, building loyalty and delivering memorable experiences. Speakers were sourced from both Australia and abroad, with keynote speakers Jay Karen (CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association) and Lodewijk Klootwijk (CEO of the European l
Sean Callanan spoke of the importance of online presence to engage members 58
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Golf Course Owners Association) both providing highlights. “To get the international perspective from leaders like Jay and Lodewijk is a huge bonus,” said Forum co-director Guy Chapple. “Their insights gave many confidence that we can embrace the trends in other markets and leverage their experiences to our advantage here.” Feature case studies were presented by Wembley Golf Complex in WA, Moore Park Golf in NSW, Yarra Bend Golf in Victoria and Club Parkwood in Queensland. Each facility showcased their story with detailed presentations showing the benefits of long-term planning, an investment strategy and committed leadership. In his presentation, Stephen Pitt, chief executive officer of Golf Australia, outlined the array of programmes the industry body is rolling out to drive participation of golf into the future. “Getting engagement with all golf facilities, both public and private, is critical for us in order to grow the game in this country,” Pitt said. “We were pleased to be a part of the Golf Business Forum as its Foundation Partner.” Leading sports digital expert Sean Callanan from sportsgeek.com offered valuable perspective on the state of the digital landscape, and identified practical steps golf facilities can take to manage their online presence and create engagement with customers in the use of content, data and social media. “Golf facilities are like stadia and sports clubs around the world,” Callanan said. “They need to engage with their fans, and increasingly that means a carefully managed digital strategy.” Delegate Alison McCaig, RACV’s general manager of hospitality support services says the forum was extremely valuable and is looking forward to the next one. “There was a huge amount of information, really testing the way we think about participation in golf in this country. I’d be encouraging a lot more clubs to be attending this; I think it could only get bigger and better.” Visit www.golfbusinessforum.com.au for a full wrap of the event including video resources.