Maybe it’s the opportunity to learn from respected customer relationship experts or the chance to network with golf’s largest gathering of industry leaders. Possibly it’s simply the prospect of a February round of golf in 80-degree temperatures. Whatever their motivation, golf course owners and operators are registering in record numbers for the 2007 National Golf Course Owners Association’s Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif.
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“We’re tracking well ahead of the number of registrants at this time the past two years. All signs are pointing toward a very robust conference,” said Mike Hughes, c.e.o. of the NGCOA, which includes owners and operators at more than 6,200 golf courses in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia.
The NGCOA’s Annual Conference will be held Feb. 20-24, running concurrently with the third annual Golf Industry Show, Feb. 22-24 in Anaheim. The Golf Industry Show brings together owners, operators and professional members of the golf course and club management industries.
Comparisons to the 2006 NGCOA Annual Conference, originally scheduled for New Orleans, are difficult because the event moved to Atlanta following Hurricane Katrina.
Compared to the 2005 conference in Orlando, early attendee registration is up 64 percent for Anaheim, according to Hughes, who added that the 2007 event could also break records for exhibition space.
“The opportunity to have the leaders and members of these organizations together in the same place at the same time is unprecedented in our industry,” Hughes said. “We think this will lead to a very integrated team approach to addressing challenges and identifying solutions among attendees.”
The NGCOA Annual Conference will feature some 25 educational sessions focused on uncovering solutions for owners and operators. Creating customer loyalty and distinctive experiences will be one of the major themes discussed during the conference by keynote speakers Scott McKain, author of “What Customers Really Want”; Peter Yesawich, CEO of Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell, a strategic research and consumer marketing firm; and Pat Croce, former president of the Philadelphia 76ers and nationally respected customer-service expert and a golf course owner.
Winners of the NGCOA’s annual awards for course quality, management excellence and contributions to the association and the game of golf also will be recognized during the conference.
