2007
Industry Forum
The inaugural Australian Golf Industry Council (AGIC) Industry Forum was held on Wednesday 5 September 2007 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland, the day prior to the start of the 2007 PGA Golf Show.
A crowd of 140 senior golf industry representatives were entertained, informed and encouraged to openly debate the key issues affecting Australian golf. Titled ‘The Industry Working Together to Meet the Challenges Ahead’, the forum was highlighted by presentations from industry leaders such as PGA of Australia CEO and AGIC Chairman, Max Garske, Golf Australia CEO Tony Hallam and Scott Petersen, General Manager of the Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association.
Two keynote presenters from outside the golf industry were particularly well received by those in attendance. Mark McCrindle, of McCrindle Research, delivered a highly entertaining and informative presentation looking at the demographics of a changing Australian society and how the golf industry can best engage with 21st century Australians. Neil Breen, the Editor of the Sunday Telegraph newspaper in Sydney, gave an engaging insight into the current relationship between the media and golf, while driving home the point that collectively the golfing industry needs to ‘get over Greg’, referring to moving forward in the post-Greg Norman era.
A series of panel sessions provoked a wide range of questions and participation from the floor, with many of the attendees offering opinions and requesting answers to topics which focused on - The Diversity of the Australian Golf Industry; The Future of Junior Golf in Australia; Increasing Adult Women’s Participation in Golf; Tournament Golf in Australia; and Implementing Programs at a Club Level. Nick Green, Golf Australia and Sophie Keil, Women and Sport Unit, Australian Sports Commission provided short presentations at the commencement of the panel sessions on Junior Golf and Women’s Participation respectively. The panel sessions were facilitated by highly respected golf journalists Bruce Young and Bernie Pramberg.
The Forum program; speaker, facilitators and panel member profiles; and slides from presentations are provided as attachments below.
Attendees are invited to fill out the Online Forum Evaluation Form and provide feedback on the presentations and organisational aspects of the forum.
