It’s all systems go! The web site for the 2008 Asia Pacific Golf Development Summit has been launched.
Full details on all aspects of the Summit are now available at www.golfconference.org
Following the overwhelming success of last year’s inaugural Asia Pacific Golf Development Summit, Mission Hills Golf Club in China has been confirmed as the venue for the 2008 gathering.
Heavyweights from the global golfing industry will converge on China’s Mission Hills Golf Club for the second edition of the Asia Pacific Golf Development Summit.
Senior executives from a host of world-renowned golfing organisations have already pledged their backing for the three-day event for which the theme will be: Golf Development – Making Asia World-Class and Keeping it That Way.
Mike Sebastian, managing director of Asia Pacific Golf Development Conferences Pte Ltd, the owner and organiser of the event, said more than 300 senior management personnel including developers, owners, operators of golf courses and resorts and the trade will attend.
Sebastian said, “We have decided to bring the Summit to China because we feel that Mission Hills fits in perfectly with the theme of the event.
“We had an excellent response to the 2007 Summit and this year will be bigger, better and more focused and business-driven. This will be a definitive Summit designed to prepare Asian golf courses to move to the next level – the world class level.”
Ken Chu, vice chairman of the Mission Hills Group, said, “We are delighted to be able to play host to this very strategic and important industry event and will do everything to ensure that all delegates are given a truly great experience.”
The world’s largest golfing establishment with 216 holes, Mission Hills’ outstanding facilities extend to a purpose-built multi-million dollar international convention centre at which the Summit will be staged from December 2-4, the week after the Omega-Mission Hills World Cup.
Sebastian said, “Mission Hills is living proof of Asia being able to deliver a truly world-class product matched with a standard of service that is absolutely world-class.”
In direct response to feedback received from delegates at last year’s event in Singapore, the 2008 Summit will be structured to address critical topics with a total of 16 keynote speeches which will then be developed and discussed at specially structured breakout panel sessions.
We feel that this would be a more effective way to conduct proceedings and it will also allow for interaction between speakers and the delegates,” said Sebastian.
Topics on the agenda include:
• Golf development trends and the future of golf.
• Golf and the environment – Asia in the spotlight.
• Turf matters – sustainable and effective maintenance.
• Marketing services with special emphasis on membership development and loyalty building.
• Golf tourism promotion.
• Junior golf and player development.
• Human resource development for world-class golf management.
Confirming that major trade players Club Car, Toro, John Deere, Nicklaus Design, RTJ Design and Schmidt & Curley Design will all have a presence at Mission Hills, Sebastian said, “Based on the success of the inaugural Summit, we have been able to attract interest from an excellent cross-sectional sampling of industry heavy hitters.”
Among the speakers already lined up are Dennis Hines, senior executive vice president, Toro, Peter Walton, chief executive officer of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO), Jonathan Smith, chief executive officer, Golf Environment Europe, Mark Adams, managing director, IMG World Asia Pacific and Denise Adams, senior vice president of club membership specialists Kitson & Partners and Max Garske, CEO of the PGA of Australia.
“Speakers who have been invited for this Summit will deliver special addresses aimed at showing the road map on how the Asian golf industry can be the best of breed in a multi-billion-dollar global business,” said Sebastian.
The complete programme for the three day Summit and the keynote speakers and panelists will be announced in March.
One new facet that is being introduced in 2008 is a trade exposition open to industry players at the Summit venue.
Sebastian said, “We are not gunning for an exhibition on the scale of the PGA Merchandise Show. This will be a more intimate exhibition that will allow exhibitors and delegates to network and work on business collaborations.”
For the second year in succession, the Summit will also include the presentation of the annual Asian Golf Monthly Awards which will boast two new features, a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Golf Environment Award.
Note: For further details and delegate registration, please visit the dedicated conference website at www.golfconference.org or contact Mike Sebastian at mike.sebastian@golfconference.org Tel: +65 6323-2800 Fax: +65 6323-2838