Sporting powerbroker Mark Steinberg, the man who guides the careers of both Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam, is the latest addition to the impressive portfolio of speakers committed to GolfEx Dubai.
Steinberg, who has looked after the business interests of world number one Woods for the past seven years, will deliver an address on the subject of managing champions and the future direction of player sponsorships when the global golf summit and exhibition opens its doors at the Jumeirah Conference Centre on January 29-30.
Having Steinberg – who will be in Dubai with Woods for the 17th Dubai Desert Classic – agree to deliver a speech at GolfEx Dubai is a major boost for an event that will be making its debut on the sporting calendar and for event organisers and promoters, the Dubai-based company Driving Force.
“We are naturally delighted to have someone of Mark Steinberg’s experience and authority to agree to support GolfEx Dubai,” said Driving Force managing director, Neil Hamp-Adams. “He has been at the sharp end of player management and sponsorship for more than a decade and I am sure delegates will be keen to hear what he has to say about the subject and the future of his industry.”
A graduate from the University of Illinois Law School, Steinberg is one of the most respected names in the sports marketing industry. Since joining IMG in 1992, he has represented some of the best-known golfers in the world, including Woods and Sorenstam. As their agent, he has been responsible for negotiating some of the largest endorsement deals in the history of golf.
Today, Steinberg continues to look after the day-to-day management of the world’s number one male and female golfers, while also shaping the direction of the golf division globally as senior vice president and managing director of golf (Americas and Asia). In addition to his duties at IMG, he also serves on the board of directors for the Tiger Woods Foundation and the Tiger Woods Learning Centre.
A key supporter of GolfEx Dubai, IMG is the world’s premier sports and lifestyle management and marketing firm with 70 offices in over 30 countries. IMG is also commercially involved in an average of eleven major sports and cultural events around the world every day; represents the interests of major corporations and is a leading literary agency and book packager.
IMG also owns and operates top sports and fitness academies and IMG Consulting works with many of the world’s largest corporations on marketing and sponsorship programmes around the globe.
The news that Steinberg will speak at GolfEx Dubai comes just days after IMG Middle East managing director Greg Sproule said he believes the showcase can only be good for the game and for Dubai’s position as a global golf player.
As well as Steinberg, other speakers already confirmed include former PGA European Tour chief executive Ken Schofield, Asian Tour executive director Louis Martin and South Africa’s Sunshine Tour commissioner Johan Immelman.
Although primarily a conference, GolfEx Dubai – which will be staged at the beginning of Dubai Desert Classic week – will also host a trade exhibition and gala dinner to enable the golfing world to share knowledge, broker business deals, network with the leading figures and experts in the industry in order to drive the game into the future.
GolfEx Dubai www.golf-ex.com
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