Get set for success at the European Golf Business Conference!


By: January 13, 2020

Last November, the Euromonitor International Lifestyles Survey found:

  • 43% of global consumers prefer experiences over things.
  • 78% – value real-world experiences.
  • 70% say they use technology to improve their day-to-day life.

More and more golf clubs and resorts understand and embrace the importance of investing in customer experience and employee experience.

Today’s golfers want to interact with golf clubs and resorts, regardless of size in an omnichannel and always-on approach.

European Golf Business Conference 2020 in Cascais Portugal

Today there are plethora of technology solutions to handle such customer expectations.

I know it is not so simple today to grasp and understand which technology solution or innovation can best serve your customer experience efforts.

Have you heard of any of the following technology innovations?
  • Artificial intelligence & chatbots. AI is now being integrated into revenue management systems and within chatbots to engage with guests in a human-like way to answer questions and drive bookings (e.g. tee time, a table in the restaurant, etc.). AI can help you in service personalization as well (e.g. Pebble Beach Resort’s virtual concierge service).
  • Marketplace (e.g. Greenfee365)
  • Augmented reality (AR)
  • Virtual reality (VR): it helps us to show in a virtual way, what kind of experience we can give to our customers by using 360-degree imaging technology.
  • IoT – Internet of Things (see The Internet of Turf™, a virtual ecosystem of Toro® products and services: The Toro® Lynx® Central Control System)

In 2016 I was happy to participate in the European Golf Business Conference since it was a great opportunity to learn about customer experience development in golf clubs.

European Golf Business Conference presentation

The coming European Golf Business Conference (3-5 February, Cascais, Portugal) will focus on technology and innovations that can help golf clubs to succeed.

GCAE is expecting 250 delegates from cca. 25 countries.

2020 European Golf Business Conference – Agenda

The 2020 European Golf Business Conference is co-hosted with CNIG, the Portuguese National Golf Industry Council.

Here list of presentations of the conference’s keynote speakers:

  1. Miguel Franco de Sousa, President Portuguese Golf Federation – The Portuguese Golf Federation project
  2. Jonas Meyer (Danish Golf Federation) – The Danish model
  3. Javier Guidelalbe Folch (Royal Spanish Golf Federation) – Spanish best practices
  4. CNIG – Growing the game of golf! How to get more golfers to play more golf
  5. James Cronk – Building innovative teams
  6. Burhill – Innovation in customer centricity
  7. Oslo University
  8. Lodewijk Klootwijk – Create the Ultimate eco-system
  9. Renate Roeleveld – How to get more Women into Golf?
  10. Robert Fiegl – Insights in pricing strategy

In addition to presentations, you will have a very good chance to network with golf club managers and owners and of course with technology solution providers as well.

Palácio Estoril restaurant gastronomy European Golf Business Conference

Palácio Estoril – the host venue

The host venue of the 2018 European Golf Business Conference ” Das Haus der Industrie” in Vienna was very impressive, but the Palácio Estoril Hotel, Golf & Wellness is on a higher level.

Last year Palácio Estoril won the Condé Nast 2019 Spa Award.

This is the only Portuguese golf hotel where I found offers in their restaurants especially for those who want to eat gluten-free or dairy-free or low carb or detox or vegetarian or simply care about nutritional facts.

You will find these in the Healthy Menu of their Grill Four Seasons restaurant and Bougainvillea Terrace Restaurant.

This article is brought to you by GCAE, the organizer of the 2020 European Golf Business Conference.