The European Golf Course Owners Association has announced that its 2013 conference will be held in Lisbon from 23-25 October. 200 golf course owners, managers and industry professionals from around Europe are expected to attend the conference at the Hotel Tivoli Lisboa located in the centre of Portugal’s capital.

EGCOA president Alexander Baron von Spoercken said: “Lisbon was an easy choice for this year’s conference. The city is a vibrant capital and is ideally set up to host our event. Each year the conference is growing in strength attracting new delegates from around the world. We are very excited for this year’s conference which has been very well received and has attracted many of the golf industry’s leading speakers and industry experts from around the world.”

EGCOA says this year’s event will focus on getting back to basics. “For the golf industry to evolve we must understand better what the customer wants,” said von Spoercken. By identifying the root of issues such as falling levels of player participation we can clearly develop strategies & programmes in which to assist the industry in moving forward. Our international line up of leading industry speakers will explore a range of topics giving delegates a clear direction on how to grow the game and their business for the future.’
Gregg Patterson, general manager of the Beach Club in Santa Monica will again act as facilitator. Keynote speakers include:

• Jeff Calderwood, chief executive of National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada
• Paul Gibbons, chairman of British operator Leaderboard Golf
• Jereon Korving managing director of Leading Courses
• Dr. Nile Hatch, chairman of pricing systems specialist Quantival
• Scott Merchant, founder of Golf Pipeline.

Topics will include growing the game of golf, the power and potential of the female golf market, embracing and integrating technological advances in the golf industry, intelligent pricing in golf and the role and impact of third party tee time resellers.