A trio of Singapore-based club managers joined club management professionals from the United States and around the world for the club industry’s largest annual gathering, the CMAA’s 2018 World Conference on Club Management and Club Business Expo.
Singapore Island Country Club’s Desmond Tay, SAFRA’s Wendy Tye and Champions Golf’s Matthew Murray were joined at the annual event by Eric Lynge, Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF).
The AGIF is the education partner of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) in Asia.
Lynge said: “It was wonderful to have such a great cross-section of the expertise that the CMAA serves – the SICC being a private member, full facility with all services, SAFRA being a collection of city/community clubs and Champions Golf being a nine-hole public course. It is evidence that CMAA education applies to a diverse variety of club management.”
In addition to attending the 91st World Conference at Moscone West, Lynge led the group on visits to a variety of facilities, including The Olympic Club in San Francisco where Pat Finlen, the General Manager, acted as host.
“It was also fantastic to catch up with Jason Koenigsfeld and Kevin Fish, who facilitated our most recent Business Management Institute (BMI) COO/GM at Sentosa Golf Club during the Singapore Open in January,” added Lynge. Koenigsfeld is Ph.D, CHE, Senior Vice President, Professional Development with the CMAA, and Fish, CCM, is Founder, Contemporary Club Leadership.
Tay, General Manager at SICC, said: “This was my first time attending the World Conference and I was so impressed with the quality of the keynote speakers as well as the presenters in the sessions.
“The quality of knowledge sharing exceeded expectations and the networking sessions, with many wonderful peers and industry professionals, were priceless. I look forward to exploring and implementing some of the best practices shared at the conference back in my club.”
Murray, Champions Golf’s Managing Director, said: “Attending the CMAA 91st World Conference on Club Management & Club Business in San Francisco was a surreal experience. I first heard about this conference during my first full-time club position in 1988.
“For many years I wondered what it would be like … and now I’m happy to say it was an experience of a lifetime. Just the sheer number of managers in attendance is truly amazing.
“Although I manage public facilities, 90% of the content is relevant to our situation. But more importantly, the network of global club industry contacts I established at the conference is priceless.
“I would strongly recommend all managers to attend the conference at least once during their tenure. I will certainly try to attend further conferences in future.”
For Tye, Club Manager at SAFRA, it was her third visit to the World Conference & Club Business Expo, but her first with a group from her home country.
“Every visit has been a memorable experience for me,” said Tye. “I thank everyone for an exceptional week at the conference.
“I was proud and happy to be part of a Singapore delegation attending this conference. I no longer felt alone. I very much enjoyed meeting everyone and sharing stories about our clubs and the challenges we face.
“Let’s continue to embark on this certification journey together with the Asian Golf Industry Federation and the Club Managers Association of Singapore.”
The CMAA’s World Conference on Club Management and Club Business Expo offers five days of unparalleled professional development and education, networking opportunities, hospitality experiences and the latest innovations in the industry showcased in the two-day expo.
Asian Golf Industry Federation www.agif.asia