Golf business professionals are being offered the opportunity to connect with the industry’s most influential investors, developers and CEOs at the KPMG Golf Business Forum at the Park Hyatt Dubai, April 17-19, 2011.
Top brands and businesses have already confirmed their support to the event including: Dubai Golf, Nicklaus Design, Toro, EDSA, Braemar Golf, Gary Player Golf Course Design, HydroTurf and Harradine Golf.
The Golf Business Forum is the most important annual gathering for the golf industry in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and the premier place to meet and do business with corporate leaders from over 40 countries. Those who book by February 28 will receive a special 10% discount on their registration fee.
This year’s event promises to be the best yet, with an unrivalled line-up of golf’s most powerful stakeholders. Among the latest speakers to confirm their attendance are:
- Carlos Cortês (CEO, Espart) – Espart is the real estate holding of the Espirito Santo Group and has a portfolio of 33 projects including Herdade da Comporta. Herdade da Comporta is the largest privately owned estate in Portugal and will include 2 golf courses, 5 hotels and 1,700 residences. Comporta links, one of the golf courses, is the Portuguese candidate for the 2018 Ryder Cup.
- Marc Topiol (Partner and CIO Black Knight Capital Management) – In association with the Gary Player Group, BKCM is an Investment Advisory entity focused in value creation strategy and execution within the leisure and lifestyle segment where golf is a central component.
- Bill Brown (Vice President of International Business, Toro) – Bill joined Toro in 1993 where he has held a number of management and executive positions. In late 2010, Bill returned to Toro’s golf business as the Vice President of their International business. In this role, Bill is responsible for Toro’s business outside of the United States. Toro’s International Business now represents 32% of company sales and is targeted to grow faster than the company as a whole.
- Michael Braidwood (Operations Director, Braemar) – Michael joined Braemar Golf as Operations Director in April 2010 after 11 successful years working in Bahrain. His first major assignment was to open the Riffa Golf Club in 1999 which went on to become a highly successful and profitable club delivering over 40,000 rounds per annum. More recently he managed the re-development of the golf club into a master planned community of 1,000 properties.
As well as expert panel sessions tackling key topics, a new innovation for 2011 is a series of in-depth, one-on-one interviews with top business leaders conducted by CNN’s Don Riddell.
Don will speak to Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Dr David Chu about the rise of golf in China and the vision that has made Mission Hills the largest golf development in the world.
Don will also interview André Jordan, the veteran international developer behind successful real estate projects in the United States of America, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, France and Portugal, where he founded Quinta do Lago in the 1970s and more recently Belas Clube de Campo, Portugal – and discover the secrets of his success.
As well as the opportunity to mix with leading industry figures, a new Speed Networking session will help delegates optimize their time in Dubai.
For more information about the Golf Business Forum, venue, networking events and golf days, discounts for flights with Emirates and your stay in Dubai– visit: www.golfbusinessforum.com