The Golf Inc Summit: a game-changing idea

It’s easy to say it doesn’t matter. Missing a conference is no big deal right? You are busy at the club; so busy, in fact, that you should not take the time to be away. What might you learn anyway? Haven’t the past four years been a masterclass for golf course operators and their managers? The conference in question is sponsored by this magazine. I am suggesting that attending the upcoming Golf Inc. Summit just might be a game-changer. It will be a first-class event because of the experienced team pulling it together. But why? How can a few days at a conference mean anything more than a bloated credit card statement?

It was the late 1980s when I became a conference convert. I had the chance to see Tom Peters, then the hottest management guru in the world. His star was on the rise, and I got to see and hear him up close. This was my game-changer. From then on, despite no employer providing cash support, I began attending conferences and seminars for the next three decades. At first, they opened my eyes to what was going on in the wider world of business. Beyond that, it was about digging into session titles that would provide, not the rah-rah enthusiasm of a two-day high, but real information, important for my professional growth. Those sessions upped my game and then my income for the balance of my career. They created a curiosity, a need to know more in me that remains to this day.

What about you? What might you and your managers gain from rubbing elbows with industry leaders? These leaders do not teach in classrooms but operate or oversee golf organizations around the country. This In My Opinion post will provide three thoughts as to why you should consider attending this year’s Golf Inc. Strategies Summit in Hilton Head Island, S.C. from October 1-3. Here are my thoughts:

You get away from the club for a few special days. Unlike a vacation, however, your mind will still be about the business, but on a very different level. You get to spend time in a great space and converse with leaders, happy to connect about an industry ready to transition after four go-go years.

You have the opportunity to attend targeted conference sessions with those who are in the trenches like you. This is a gathering of doers, people who own, operate, and manage golf properties and other businesses. Any theory discussed is the added ideas exchanged in the halls and restaurants after session hours. You have the opportunity to hear from top operators, managers, and suppliers and then learn more beyond their sessions.

A great conference is also about the time after hours when people meet people and have the chance to get specific about how to build a better business. Whether it is the golf tournament on the first day or the time after each conference day ends, you have the chance to gather ideas, add powerful names to your Rolodex, and begin to build partnerships that can last a lifetime. All you need to do is register and plan to attend.

For more than thirty years, seminars and conferences helped me to widen my vision, increase my knowledge, and meet amazing people. Those events were my masterclass. The upcoming Golf Inc. Strategies Summit is packed with people who understand the bones of the business. To engage with leaders of any industry means to grow in unimaginable ways. Attending this event means getting close to the stories of today and tomorrow, all under one roof. I will be there too, hosting a session on October 2^nd at 10:15 am. Come by and stay for a while. The conference is just a couple weeks away. It is in a beautiful area, a great place for golf. Of all the reasons I could give you to attend, the most important one, I believe, is that you will come away charged up about golf and your business in new ways. You will grow your knowledge, your network, and your curiosity. All of this and more, I believe, is worth the price of admission.

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Jack Dillon writes the In My Opinion post. Jack is a long-time golf expert, speaker, consultant, and strategist. Jack has a special offer for readers of Golf Inc magazine: a FREE 30-minute Zoom. You can decide on a Q&A about your shop or your overall service strategy. There is no cost. Go to www.youdontknowjackd.com to find the calendar and schedule your FREE Zoom session. You can also call Jack at 407-973-6136. Jack lives in Orlando. Offer expires 10/31/2024.