With just over five weeks to go, the 2009 Asia Pacific Golf Summit looks set to smash past attendance records as the movers and shakers of the global golf industry head to the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur for one of the most important golf business conferences in the world.
The Summit, just in its third year, has quickly established a reputation as an event that no serious player in the golf industry can afford to miss.
“The Summit is still in its embryonic state but given the growing importance of Asia as the world’s most important growth hub for golf, this has placed a great deal of importance on the Summit,” explained Mike Sebastian, managing director of Asia Pacific Golf Development Conferences Pte Ltd, the owner and producer of the Summit.
“This year’s Summit has a line-up of speakers and panelists who virtually represent the who’s who of the golf industry,” Sebastian revealed. “We have on board the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer and a host of other luminaries from the trade and we have lined up more than 50 of the world’s best brains in golf as speakers and panelists,” Sebastian added.
The Summit will be held on 26-28 October at the purpose-built Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC). “This is some facility to behold – it is truly spectacular and we believe that it will be an outstanding staging venue for the Summit,” Sebastian pointed out.
The Summit’s programme has been designed to address some of the most pressing challenges that are confronting the golf industry in the region. Two key areas that will receive a lot of exposure will include matters relating to club management and turf maintenance. “These are the two areas that require recurrent investments from owners and operators of golf courses and are the same areas that ensure that golf clubs are viable and profitable,” Sebastian explained.
Besides a solidly packed three-day programme, the Summit will stage two workshops that will run in conjunction with the main conference proceedings. These workshops are being organized by the newly formed Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) and according to its president, Wong Khen Jee, “these workshops are hands-on sessions led by top consultants in areas that impact club management operations and golf course maintenance.” Details on these workshops can be obtained from the AGIF’s web site at www.agif.asia
Another highlight of the 2009 Asia Pacific Golf Summit is a trade exhibition that will be staged in tandem with the conference. “I am happy to report that we have completely sold out all exhibition booths and we have on display a cross-sectional representation of exhibitors drawn from virtually all sectors of the golf trade,” according to APGDC’s executive director, Georgina Wong. “This exhibition will also be staged at the PICC and will be only open to the delegates who attend the Summit – however we plan to open the show to the public on October 28 between 12 noon to 3:00pm.” she added. Admission for the public will be free of charge.
Registration to attend the Summit is still open and interested parties can visit www.golfconference.org to register on-line.