The Golf Business Conference, organized by Golf Poland and sponsored by the Toro Co., is a great opportunity to not only gain access to some of the world’s top business experts but to network with others in the golf industry.
The event will kick off with a golf tournament at The First Warsaw Golf & Country Club – where anyone scoring a hole-in-one will win a workman from sponsors Toro – before heading into two days of conference at the Westin Hotel in Warsaw.
Marek Podstolski, president of PGA of Poland, said: “Each step brings more and more development to golf in Poland and in the Central and Eastern Europe region.
“There are many very good golf courses where big tournaments can be played. With the help of educational programmes of the PGA of Poland the number and professionalism of golf teachers continues to rise. This is, without a doubt, the region in which we will observe a dynamical development of this sport,” Podstolski said.
Piotr Mondalski, president of the Polish Golf Union, said: “During recent years, with the help of golf promotion programmes held by the Polish Golf Union, we have noticed a considerable increase in the number of golfers in Poland.
“We hope that the Golf Business Conference will increase the understanding of this sport at local government level and stimulate further interest in building golf courses, especially public ones which will allow members of Green Card Club to train and bring their abilities up to a higher level. Public golf courses will play a crucial role in increasing number of golfers.”
Pawel Lewinski, organiser of the 2nd Golf Business Conference, said: “Organisation of conferences in Poland is a very important factor stimulating golf development in our part of Europe. This type of meeting, when people with various experience in many aspects of golf industry gather in one place to share their knowledge and opinions, is very important.”
Speakers at the conference include:
• Denise Adams - vice president of Kitson & Partners and an international expert and author of over 80 club programmes for golf clubs all over the world.
• Mark Casey - International Development and European Solheim Cup Director
• Tony Bennett - Director of Education for the PGA's of Europe with experience in developing coach education frameworks, retail centres, academy structures and learning pathways.
• David MacLaren - Chief Executive of PGA European Tour Courses, which consists of 11 facilities in different countries
• Marek Podstolski - PGA of Poland President
• Michael Pask- Senior Vice President IMG, the biggest company in the world involved in sports marketing
• Terry Coates - Chairman CECTA and one of the most renowned experts in tourism industry with a special emphasis on golf tourism
• Jerry Kilby - Club Manager Association of Europe with long term experience in managing some of the best courses on the continent
• Geoff Russell- founder Golf Business News and media specialist
• Lodewijk Klootwijk chief executive of the European Golf Course Owners Association.
• Jeff Howes – an internationally acclaimed golf course architect with an impressive worldwide portfolio