ASIAN GOLF INDUSTRY FEDERATION

GolfBIC Back in Business at The Belfry

GolfBIC low
GolfBIC has made a welcome return to being an in-person event.

London, England: GolfBIC – the Golf Business Industry Convention – made a welcome return to being an in-person event for the first time since 2019.

Members of the United Kingdom Golf Federation (UKGF) and the Organisation of Golf Range Owners, along with a wide range of golf industry professionals, gathered at The Belfry Hotel & Resort last week to listen to a programme of quality speakers, meet with suppliers and sponsors, share experiences, and enjoy a drinks reception followed by a gala dinner. 

With both GolfBIC 2020 and 2021 held as online events, there was a real sense of community among the 80-plus delegates who attended, with many proprietary golf club owners choosing to share their experiences of the challenges of the past two years and how they have managed and learned from them.

Also in attendance at The Belfry’s Warwick Suite were a wide range of golf industry suppliers, whose stands proved popular with delegates before and after the presentations. The companies present included Club Car, an Executive Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

The impact of the pandemic and the subsequent boom in golf club membership proved a theme that underlined much of the conversations, while issues around member and staff retention, along with sustainability, inclusivity and creating pathways for new players to be welcomed into the game were also investigated through the guest speaker programme, which was preceded by welcome introductions by UKGF Chairman Richard Haygarth and UKGF Chief Executive Doug Poole.

Mark England, Chef de Mission for Team GB’s Olympic squad since 2014, and also leading the team in Paris in 2024, gave an insightful talk on how he engendered a sense of ‘team’ and belonging among a disparate group of 350-plus athletes at the Rio and Tokyo Games, all of whom have different demands and needs to perform at their best.

With climate change at the forefront of many minds inside and outside the golf industry, a presentation by Environmental Solutions International’s Tony Hanson on how to develop a water resilience plan proved both timely and informative. With 65% of golf clubs in the UK currently relying on mains water for golf course irrigation, and with water consumption per capita having almost trebled in the last 50 years, the need for golf clubs to develop more sustainable solutions to their water management practices was put into stark focus.

Golf clubs are being encouraged to sign up to the newly created Leisure Operator Water Charter, which commits clubs to make more efficient use of their water resources, including reducing leaks, losses and run offs, creating flood relief, installing more efficient irrigation systems and reducing the use of potable water on golf courses. 

After lunch, guests listened to an inspiring presentation by Yvonne Brooke, the founder of Ladies Golf Lounge (LGL), a Facebook group she set up during the first lockdown in May 2020. Initially launched as a way for women golfers to engage and support each other while courses were closed, since golf’s return LGL has attracted over 7,700 followers and become a forum for a complete range of activations, including arranging games between members, sharing swing tips and course reviews, discussing topics such as rules, lessons and etiquette, and sharing experiences at golf clubs. 

Kate Miller, the England & Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) Chief Diversity and Communications Officer, was the final guest speaker, providing a fascinating insight into the challenges of broadening cricket’s player base at club, county and international level among ethnic and under-privileged communities through outreach programmes into schools and local community projects.

Pre-dinner drinks – sponsored by Citation – and a Gala Dinner provided attendees with the chance to connect and discuss potential business opportunities. The evening’s festivities ended with an entertaining speech by Barry Hearn, the sports events promoter and founder of Matchroom Sport.

Reflecting on GolfBIC 2022, Haygarth said: “We would like to thank all our industry and corporate partners who joined us at GolfBIC 22. They make GolfBIC happen and their input into all our businesses is very important. GolfBIC is about growing business relationships and making all of our businesses develop strong partnerships that grow our profitability and this year’s event certainly did not disappoint.”

Kevin Hart, Club Car’s Sales Director Golf EMEA, added: “It was a pleasure to be able to attend and support, as a long-standing sponsor, the 2022 GolfBIC Conference. It was so good to spend quality face-to-face time with so many golf course owners and colleagues from the golf industry.”

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