11/10/2009 - Conference successfully held in Ostend, presenting the future of Golf in Belgium
More then 100 delegates attended the first National Golf Management Conference on Friday October 9th is hotel Thermae Palace in Ostend.
For the first time golf management symposium of this level was hosted in Belgium. An impressive selection of both national and international speakers shared their views on the future of Golf in Belgium. Finance, marketing, ecology, sport, junior education, golf participation are the topics of a the very broad conference approach.
The conference was supported by the Vlaamse Vereniging for Golf and the Association Francophone de Golf, covering both parties of our country.
A special word of thank goes to ‘Firma Thomas', who accepted to become the main partner of the conference. Furthermore several important golf suppliers and golf related companies became our conference partners and showed their services and products in a mini-golfshow.
At 9.00 am the conference was officialy opened by GMAB president Jan Hendrikx.
Conference director Piet Vandenbussche introduced the speakers and moderated the debates.
Roger Pride (Director of Ryder Cup Wales 2010 Ltd and Wales board of the Chartered Institute of Marketing) explained the value of golf and a major golf event for the marketing of a country.
The Dutch vision on the future evolution of Golf participation and business, was presented by Lodewijk Klootwijk (The Netherlands - Secretary General of European Golf Course Owners Association).
Mark Sandilands (Manager at KPMG) presented the major findings of the KPMG Golf Benchmark; reports on the golf business focusing on the economic value of golf, golf tourism, the cost of developing golf courses and their business performance throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMA) and further afield. The last part of his presentation was a special highlight on the effects of the economic crisis on Belgian Golf clubs.
On the very same day that golf was announced top become Olympic, Dr. Veerle De Bosscher (Department Sports Policy and management - Vrije Universiteit Brussel) gave a remarkable presentation of sports policy factors leading to international sporting success.
Jonathan Smith (Chief Executive of Golf Environment Europe) pointed out the environmental opportunities - profit, performance, profile and protection of Golf.
The Certified Club Manager and management education was presented by Jerry Kilby (CMAE - Consultant Chief Executive at Club Managers Association of Europe).
Belgian Golf architect Bruno Steensels unveiled some secrets of Golf greenkeeping and course design and explained the principles of renovation & maintenance of The Golf Course.
Finaly top of the world coaches of Biomechanics of the Golf swing Ryan Lumsden (Golf Biomechanist) and Ramsey McMaster (Golf Physiotherapist) explained their way of working with golfers from all over the world.
Conference proceedings and presentations are available for download on this website.
back