One of golf’s true legends, Gary Player, will be the special guest of honour at the 3rd annual KPMG Golf Business Forum on 8-10 June in Cyprus and will be awarded the first “Golf Business Forum Lifetime Achievement Award” at the KPMG event.
Considered an international sporting hero Gary Player turned professional in 1953, has won more then 163 tournaments during a career spanning five decades, and has become one of the most respected golf course designers worldwide.
“It is a tremendous honour to have Gary present at our Golf Business Forum,” said Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG’s Travel, Leisure and Tourism practice in Central and Eastern Europe. “His experience and passion for the game make him a true ‘international ambassador’ of golf and we very much look forward to his keynote speech at the forum.”
KPMG’s Golf Business Forum has quickly established itself as the foremost golf industry event in Europe, Middle-East and Africa and is a must for all companies interested in the business of golf. The annual event has created a unique atmosphere, gathering international ‘movers and shakers’ from the golf industry (participants from over 26 countries were present at 2005’s Forum in Prague). Key industry players like Nicklaus Design, Toro, Club Car and Robert Trent Jones II partner the event, which receives extensive media coverage.
Mr Sartori added that the Forum, to be held this year at the InterContinental Aphrodite Hills Resort Hotel, provides a precious opportunity for all individuals with an interest in the business of golf to meet and explore matters of mutual concern.
“For 2006, we are putting together an informative and thought provoking agenda that covers the current issues facing the golf sector in Europe, Middle East and Africa region. We are also lining up first class speakers representing the entire spectrum of the industry from around the world.”
It is no coincidence that the event will be held in Cyprus this year according to Mr Sartori, who founded the Golf Business Forum. “Building on the success of the previous two events in Budapest and Prague,” he said, “we felt it was timely to take the Forum to the Mediterranean, where golf course development is currently booming. Countries such as Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Italy as well as north Africa offer great potential from a golf development perspective and with its central Mediterranean location, Cyprus seemed like an obvious setting for our third forum.”
Mr Sartori also cited Cyprus’s golf development policy as a key factor in the decision to host this year’s Golf Business Forum there. In 2005 the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cyprus took a landmark decision to support the development of 14 new golf courses.
This year’s Golf Business Forum promises to bring together major stakeholders in the business of golf including: developers, investors, tourism officials, designers, suppliers and operators and will have the following theme “A Blueprint for Successful Golf Development, Operations and Marketing in Emerging Countries”.
Golf Business Forum www.golfbusinessforum.com
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