Members attending the recent annual meeting of the Golf Consultants Association (GCA) in London learned how the group will look to develop in 2016.
Howard Swan, a member of the family-owned professional architectural practice Swan Golf Designs, was re-elected chairman for the fourth successive year, while two members were elected to the association’s executive: Jerry Kilby, of Kanda Golf Marketing Services, and Neil Dainton, principal of Neil Dainton Golf.
Swan said: “It was pleasing for us to see more than half our membership attend the AGM and to have had such a lively and constructive discussion about the state of the association and the way forward.
“We realise we have still much more to do to generate more business for the members but I feel we have come a long way in the last three years – particularly during 2015 when, I think it’s fair to say, we enjoyed our busiest and most productive year. And I see us having the opportunity to consolidate and move forward with increasing intensity towards making GCA much more evident in the golf business industry, whether at home or abroad.
“Since the AGM we have been able to identify specific roles and responsibilities for those of us on the Executive, to help move the association forward further still. There will clearly be much crossover and coordination between the sub-groups which will be brought together next when the executive meets in mid-March.”
Those specific roles include NFS Technology Group’s Luis DeSouza and the Azalea Group’s Andy Barwell undertaking strategic development for the future of the association and determining how communications will work within it.
John Ashworth (John Ashworth Associates) and Dainton will focus on the constitution, rules and regulations of the GCA together with managing and developing further the current enquiry retrieval system.
Meanwhile, Kilby and Swan have been designated to work closely with the Azalea Group’s Daniel Chidley, to strengthen further the PR, marketing and promotional drive which began last autumn.
Swan added: “We are planning to hold the spring business lunch in early May and we are anticipating that members will have the opportunity to bring guests. We will invite an after-lunch speaker from our industry before stepping out for nine holes of golf, hopefully, in typical spring sunshine.”
The GCA, formed in 1999, is unique in the UK in its ability to make available a team of highly-respected and experienced golf industry professionals to see any phase of a project through from conception to end.