The British Golf Industry Association (BGIA) the lead trade body for the golf products and services industry, unveiled its new logo as part of a corporate rebrand at the recent Open Championship Lunch event held at Royal Lytham & St Annes on Wednesday 18th July.
The decision to rebrand was taken by the trade body’s Executive Committee (consisting of ten supplier member representatives) who believed the brand required modernising in line with the positive growth and increased industry awareness the Association has achieved over the past few years.
The new branding was launched to an audience of leading industry executives who enjoyed the first rays of sunshine on the hospitality suite terrace facing the 15th fairway before being seated to a three course lunch, courtesy of event co-hosts the BGIA, Golf Foundation and SMS INC.
BGIA Chairman Doug Poole hailed the new branding in his opening welcome to guests, where he highlighted how a more vibrant and dynamic image was essential in light of the significant progress the Association had made over the past 5 years in developing and servicing the industry. The Chairman then brought attention to the BGIA ‘Grow Golf’ Fund, and rallied guests to consider contributing to the fund as the industries commendable way of ‘giving back’ to the growth of the game.
The Grow Golf fund, which recently awarded £25,000 to 6060Golf’s new range play concept, and the Golf Foundation its final £40,000 as part of a £120,000 three year grant for grassroots golf, is keen to lead on a national co-ordinated initiative to bring new golfers to the game and will hope to announce plans in the coming months.
The Lunch played host to Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of the R&A who graciously accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of OGRO. Guests were then addressed by Golf Foundation’s Brendon Pyle who provided impressive facts and figures on the Charity’s success in school sport, with 94% of county sports partnerships adopting golf at county and local level and 453 golf events included in the School Games programme.
SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC.’s John Bushell then rounded up the event over dessert with his annual interesting sport stats overview, delivering the unwelcome news that UK rounds played were down by 29% in June, no doubt down to the wettest recorded June in history. But John also pointed out that rounds played were up 5% at the end of Quarter 1, and that 2011 saw the highest level of rounds played since 2005. He said that participation amongst adults in 2011 is 250,000 more than the start of the downturn in 2008, and that core golfers are up to 1.63m – from 1.4m in 2008.
He finished by providing a positive forecast of the ‘Olympic effect’ and echoed the industry’s high hopes for a fantastic Open Championship and improved summer weather!