Singapore: The PGA of Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) is committed to resuming its International Conference at the earliest opportunity.

Launched in 2017, the first three editions of the conference were staged at Laguna Phuket in Thailand. Last year’s gathering was called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Robert Maxfield, Chief Executive of The PGA of GB&I, described the previous conferences as overwhelmingly successful with delegates from 16 countries in attendance, sharing experiences with like-minded people.

Reflecting on the conferences, Maxfield, speaking during the latest Asian Golf Industry Federation webinar, said: “We’ve done three fantastic events at Laguna Phuket, which has been a wonderful host. As well as having our members coming in from around the region, we invited other PGAs and had representatives from the PGA of America and the PGA of Australia.

“Spending three days together isn’t just about working in the classroom, it’s about sharing experiences and having a few beers at night. Great friendships were developed.

“We had one individual that came from the United Kingdom because he wanted to find some work in Asia. He joined us in Phuket … and got a job on the back of the event!

“The thing that stands out the most for me is that the group of people who came together, the expertise and the knowledge that these people have got, I tip my hat to them.

“I’m so privileged to lead this organisation and have members in the organisation with such incredible knowledge and expertise and doing some of the biggest jobs in Asia and around the world.

“Are we going to do the International Conference again? Absolutely, we’ll do it again. Can we do it this year? At this time, I just don’t know. If we can, we will. If not, we’ll certainly do it in future years because it’s such a brilliant event.”

When Maxfield assumed the Chief Executive role at the PGA of GB&I four years ago, the organisation did not have a dedicated individual responsible for overseeing the overseas region, which comprises the biggest block of its membership, numbering more than 1,500.

Matthew Davies was duly appointed to fill that void as the PGA of GB&I’s Regional Manager (International).

“Matt’s done a brilliant job. When he was appointed, one of the first things that he talked about was doing an overseas event,” said Maxfield, outlining how the conference was conceived.

*The full webinar interview with Robert Maxfield can be viewed at the Asian Golf Industry Federation’s You Tube page or by clicking here.