Every so often, an event comes along that isn’t just a gathering, it’s a pivot point. The 2025 GCMA Golf Club Management Conference & Exhibition (16-18 November – De Vere Cotswold Water Park) might well be that moment for many of us in club leadership.
What’s New, What’s Needed
The Theme: “Future Ready”
The core message this year is about equipping club managers (and their boards, staff, suppliers) to anticipate change rather than just react. We’re talking strategy, resilience, responsibility. We aren’t asking “What’s next?” – it’s asking “How do we make sure we are next?”
Speakers who bring lived experience of disruption
With line-ups like Allister Frost, John Steele, Jo Salter MBE, Colin MacLachlan, you’ll get more than inspiration: you’ll see how others have steered through change, crisis, technology shifts, leadership under pressure. View the keynote speaker line-up
The Programme: practical, hands-on, relevant
The breakouts are where the rubber meets the road: managing AI in operations, sustainable agronomy, career planning, recruitment, membership communications. We’ve made sure to keep all breakout sessions relevant to present and future issues and challenges facing the golf industry.
Networking reimagined
It isn’t just about rubbing shoulders. The Sunday evening team‐challenge, extended exhibition time, supplier engagement breakfasts have all been designed to foster real exchange, not passive listening. If you want ideas, new tools, partnerships, this is the conference to be at.
Why It Matters Right Now
For all of us juggling rising costs, shifting expectations from members, environmental pressures, technology change, staff recruitment, changing regulation, the golf club world is in flux. The old playbook is no longer enough. We need fresh strategies.
This isn’t just “best practice” catch-up. It’s about safeguarding the future of our clubs. It’s about being nimble yet grounded, creative yet sustainable. It’s about leadership that isn’t afraid to ask hard questions “What if?”, and also act on them.
Takeaways to Look For
If you go to the conference, here are a few markers you might watch for, indicators of true progress:
- Adoption of Data in real daily decisions, not just theory. Are clubs beyond spreadsheets, using analytics in membership trends, turf health, retention?
- Culture of transparency: member communication, employment law, staff wellbeing. How are clubs managing expectations, change, loyalty?
- Environmental and agronomic innovation: water sustainability, course ecology, supplier practices. How green is the green?
- Leadership pipeline & retention: who is being groomed, how are clubs recruiting and retaining for the future? Gen Z, new voices, diverse perspectives.
- Collaboration between clubs, suppliers, and regulatory bodies: sharing risk, shared learning, pooled knowledge.
A Call to Engage, Not Observe
We encourage you not to approach this conference as a spectator. Come with questions. Bring issues you’re wrestling with (membership, climate, margins, staff, tech). Compare notes. Maybe even disagree a little – that’s how breakthroughs happen.
Let’s not leave Conference 2025 talking about what we learned. Let’s leave it changed.
Because being Future Ready isn’t somewhere you get to — it’s something you’re always becoming.
An Unmissable Event for the Industry
The Golf Club Management Conference & Exhibition 2025 will bring together experts, thought leaders, and innovators to share practical insights, strategies, and solutions for the future of golf club management. Attendees can expect a dynamic programme of keynote speakers, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and an expanded exhibition showcasing the latest products and services in the sector.
For updates and further information, register below or visit our conference site
Register for Conference Updates
By Mark Shanley
