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What Golf Can Learn from the Wider Leisure industry

Presentation by Robert B. Cook, UK Managing Director, Virgin Active UK

The world of sport is very ‘club’ orientated. Club environments can be similar in their offerings, but vastly different in the way their product is delivered. Members are key to the success of clubs, but so are the services that the members are buying.

This session will look at Virgin Active UK’s success in delivering a ‘Club Experience’ promoting health, wellbeing and lifestyle. How to provide an array of options, in an environment to suit all that can be managed and maintained on a daily basis.

With 30 years in the hospitality industry, Robert has brought a wealth of knowledge about the economies of running hotels to the sector. He believes that hard work, attitude and never losing sight of the people who work for you is the DNA of a successful business.

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Registration is done online via the BTME Continue to Learn booking system. GolfBIC can be found in the list of education sessions.

Speaker Sessions

Leadership and Management Challenges
Presented by Eddie Bullock, Eddie Bullock Golf Consultancy

Without Goals, or Deadlines, or Leadership , theres no Focus, no Urgency, no Accountability - Create An Environment That Rewards Creativity

Learning Outcomes:

Understand where leadership will be in 2020
Tactics for motivating your teams to perform to a higher level
What are the management challenges for 2018?
Mediocrity is not good enough
Everyday is a Showday!

The Impact of Understanding Your Market
Presented by Abbie Lench, Head of Club Support, England Golf and Richard Haygarth, Owner, Maple Leaf Golf

The customer is king! We hear statements like that all the time – but how often do we check to make sure we’re doing everything to put the customer first? England Golf have developed some excellent tools which are proving hugely successful with clubs and, more widely, are being used by local authorities and Sport England to match leisure activities with demand.

The tools will identify the total number of existing and potential golfers living within a 20 minute drive of your club, and also has the ability to categorise your existing members and visitors to comapre with the local demographic. With that sort of insight clubs can be really effective at retaining their existing members and targeting new ones, with tailored packages and targeted marketing campaigns. Commercial businesses are successfully using this sort of intelligence and we think golf can start to take advantge of such practices.

Come along to see how Horton Park Golf Club have utilised the tools to influence their approach and understand the impact it’s had on their business, as well as find out more about how England Golf can support you to do the same.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand the size and shape of the golfing market in England
Consider how this relates to your own members and visitors
Compare your facility with the local competition
Define your own facility's place in the market, including target audiences
Use this insight to make informed decisions, i.e marketing campaigns
Apply this approach to everything you do going forwards

The Power of Social Media to Drive Business to Your Golf Club
Presented by David Standing, CEO, Accordant Partners

In this session we will outline why social media is the reason you will still be in business in 3 years and how you can leverage it right now, with little additional cost

Learning Outcomes:

What is social media
Why is it important
Where should you start
How to create great content – fast
How to target your perfect prospects
Action plan to implement today!

How Reframing the Driving Range Experience Allowed Us to Charge More!
Presented by Nick Solski, Owner, Boomers & Swingers

The traditional driving range experience was looked at and given a unique twist. Nick will explain what he has done at Boomers and Swingers to increase participation, enjoyment and profit.

Learning Outcomes:

Customer experience
Pricing strategies
Marketing
Customer engagement
Social media use
Thinking differently

Changing the Face of Golf
Presented by Paul Dellanzo, Chairman, Dellanzo Group

Traditional thoughts about golf will be challenged in this session. Too slow, too expensive, too many rules and too dress code oriented are just a few of the perceived barriers. Along with the perception that golf is an elite sport is not helping the game or the business of golf.

How can the image of golf be altered to make it ‘cool’ and in turn, profitable for clubs?

Where there is a challenge, there is an opportunity…

What Golf Can Learn from the Wider Leisure industry
Presented by Robert B. Cook, UK Managing Director, Virgin Active UK

The world of sport is very ‘club’ orientated. Club environments can be similar in their offerings, but vastly different in the way their product is delivered. Members are key to the success of clubs, but so are the services that the members are buying.

This session will look at Virgin Active UK’s success in delivering a ‘Club Experience’ promoting health, wellbeing and lifestyle. How to provide an array of options, in an environment to suit all that can be managed and maintained on a daily basis.

With 30 years in the hospitality industry, Robert has brought a wealth of knowledge about the economies of running hotels to the sector. He believes that hard work, attitude and never losing sight of the people who work for you is the DNA of a successful business.

Find Out More

unnamed (1)

What Golf Can Learn from the Wider Leisure industry

Presentation by Robert B. Cook, UK Managing Director, Virgin Active UK

Speaker Sessions

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