ASIAN GOLF INDUSTRY FEDERATION

Vietnam Conference 2026 Agenda

Tuesday, 15th September

Morning

8:00 – 9:00 AM
Registration & Coffee
9:00 – 9:05
Opening Address
Chris GrayPresident, AGIF — Head of Sustainable Golf & Agronomy, Asia-Pacific · The R&A
9:05 – 9:10
Welcome Note
Vietnam Golf & Leisure Magazine
9:10 – 9:15
Statement of Support
Vu NguyenSecretary General · Vietnam Golf Association (VGA)
9:15 – 9:30
Technology
Beyond the Price Tag: Making Smarter Golf Fleet Decisions
Jessie LuProduct Management and Marketing Manager · Club Car
9:30 – 10:00
CV Group Vision for Vietnam Golf
Director · CV Group
10:00 – 10:30
Technology
Using New Tech to Increase Revenues
Paul YangGlobal Solution Center Leader · SMARTSCORE
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:30
Interview
Interview With a Legend
Ernie ElsOwner · Ernie Els Design

Midday

11:30 – 12:00
Turf
The R&A and Sustainability
Chris GrayHead of Sustainable Golf & Agronomy, Asia-Pacific · The R&A
12:00 – 12:30
Turf
Creating Leaders at Your Facility
DJ FlandersExecutive Vice President · Troon
12:30 – 14:00
Lunch

Afternoon

14:00 – 14:30
Tourism
Russia — A New Luxury Destination for the Golf Travel Industry
Lana KrestininaCEO and Founder · SkyWaterLand
14:30 – 15:00
TourismPanel Discussion
Getting Vietnam Future Ready
George AllisonDirector · The Golf Concierge
Mark SiegelFounder & Owner · Golf Asian
Ben StylesSenior Vice President · 54 Group
Simon WordsworthFounder & CEO · 59Club
15:00 – 15:30
Tourism
The Value of Destination Marketing for Vietnam — Learnings From Leading Destinations
Eric LyngeAdvisor · The Azalea Group
15:30 – 16:00
Coffee Break
16:00 – 16:30
Technology
Delivering Results — The Next Generation of Golf Course Management
Cameron ThompsonFounder · Thompson Golf Management
Andrew James TerryThompson Golf Management

Evening

16:30 – 17:00
Tourism
Golf, Lifestyle & Cross-Border Investment Opportunities
17:00 – 17:30
Panel Discussion
Key Conference Takeaways & Industry Action Plan
Chris GrayPresident · AGIF
Adam CalverVice President · AGIF
Dandelly NguyenBoard Member · AGIF
Nguyen Thuy LongBoard Member · AGIF
17:30 – 18:00
Displays and Demos
18:00 – 19:00
Feedback Survey and Certificate Distribution
Morning
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Registration & Coffee
9:00 - 9:05 AM
Opening Address
Chris Gray
President, AGIF — Head of Sustainable Golf & Agronomy, Asia-Pacific · The R&A
9:05- 9:10 AM
Welcome Note
Vietnam Golf & Leisure Magazine
9:10 - 9:15 AM
Statement of Support
Vu Nguyen
Secretary General · Vietnam Golf Association (VGA)

Luke Ringrose

Head Coach

PGA
Vietnam
Topic :
PROFILE :

PGA professional Luke Ringrose brings over 20 years of international golf coaching 
experience across the UK, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, China and Europe.

A University of Birmingham PGA graduate, Luke has coached elite players including Darren Clarke and Michael Campbell, as well as numerous Major, PGA Tour and European Tour champions.

He has held senior coaching positions at leading academies including Rightside Golf 
Academy, Glendale Golf Academy and Gary Edwin Golf Academy. Luke specialises in player development, performance coaching, talent identification and coach education, and currently serves as Head Coach at EPGA.

Simon Wordsworth

CEO & Founder

59club
Asia Pacific
Topic :
PROFILE :
As a PGA Master Manager, entrepreneur, and the founder & CEO of 59club, Simon is the global voice of customer service performance across golf and hospitality. The business he heads is in over 40 countries, works with well over 1300 outlets and has millions of data points on the leisure world.

With 18 years at the helm of 59club, 13 building a golf, travel and events business, and 14 driving The Belfry’s golf operations, Simon has built his career around a simple belief: great businesses start with great people and great customer experiences. “I just love the world of sport and leisure. The atmosphere that the people in the industry create is addictive to say the least.”

His approach combines the human side of customer service with the power of data — guiding golf and hospitality businesses to understand their performance, develop their teams and turn insight into meaningful improvements for customers and the wider industry.