Five highlights from the Golf Club Management Conference & Exhibition

20 November 2025

With so much going on across three days at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park, we have picked out just five of the best bits…

The Golf Club Management Conference and Exhibition 2025 brought together industry professionals and esteemed guests for a brilliant event spread across three days packed full of learning, networking and many memorable moments.

Delegates were treated to a rich programme designed to inform and challenge, from headline keynote speakers and specialist breakout sessions to a bustling exhibition floor. Each element offered fresh perspectives on how clubs can adapt, innovate, and thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.

Beyond learning, the event provided opportunities to celebrate excellence, exchange ideas, and connect with peers. From awards recognising outstanding achievement to informal networking over breakfast or evening drinks, delegates left equipped with knowledge, contacts, and motivation to take back to their clubs.

With so much packed into the schedule, here’s a closer look at five key elements that defined this year’s Conference.

1. The Keynote Speakers

The quality of the keynote speakers at this year’s event was exceptional, with each of the four headline guests providing fascinating insights gleaned from their distinct areas of expertise, from Britain’s first female fighter jet pilot in Dr Jo Salter MBE, to former Microsoft Digital Strategy leader turned global speaker Allister Frost. Each highlighted how small, incremental changes can lead to big differences in the long run, underlining how a true future-ready mindset means embracing challenges, not shying away from them.

2. The Breakout Sessions

With a packed schedule covering a broad range of key topics, the Breakouts were tremendously well received, with more than 500 spots snapped up across the 12 sessions. Led by golf club managers and experts from fields such as HR, AI and agronomy, each of the sessions provided delegates with practical learnings to take back to their own clubs, from honing communication skills to avoiding the pitfalls of making short-term decisions.

3. The Gala Dinner and Awards

The Monday evening brought delegates together in style for a celebration of the very best our industry has to offer. The awards recognised outstanding achievements from some of our best-performing members, who were honoured in a room full of their peers. It is a night that will live long in the memory.

4. The Exhibition

The exhibition floor offered delegates the chance to explore the latest products, technologies and services shaping the golf industry. From cutting-edge agronomy solutions to digital tools for club management, exhibitors showcased innovations that can help clubs operate more efficiently, enhance member experience, and ensure their operations are future ready.

5. The Networking

Networking remained at the heart of the Conference, with delegates connecting in formal sessions, social events and informal gatherings. These interactions enabled the sharing of ideas, solutions and best practices, fostering collaboration and sparking conversations that extended well beyond the event itself. These peer-to-peer interactions are an invaluable benefit of attending an event like this.

By GCMA Content Team

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John Steele

John Steele is a former professional athlete, sports coach, Olympic Leader and is the Executive Director of Sport at Loughborough University. He has been Chief Executive across a range of sectors. Drawing on leadership experience of nine different Olympic and Paralympic Games (including the amazing events at the Rio Games), John reflects on the lessons from this unique period in British sport and relays his fascinating views on creating high performing teams.

Indeed, inspired from PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, by the most successful performance ever for Team GB, he has a whole host of new business and leadership insights into how this was brilliant performance was achieved and how it can translate back into your organisation.

John moved into the corporate world, before he enjoyed an outstanding career as a professional rugby player achieving international honours. After his playing career, he turned his hand to coaching and achieved the highest accolade for a British club coach by winning the European Cup with Northampton Saints. He then became Executive Director on the Saints Board during a period of unprecedented growth, and served on the England Rugby Board during the successful world cup campaign of 2003. It was no surprise that John’s talents were called upon to drive through a change and modernisation programme as CEO of the Rugby Football Union – a challenge that became controversial and ended in his departure from the post after only a year, but with his dignity and professional pride intact.

Headhunted by UK Sport, John took up post as CEO the day before London won the 2012 Olympic bid – and this promising start was sustained as he embarked on developing the UK’s high performance sport system, which he led for a six-year period of unprecedented success through the Beijing and London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Post-London 2012, with the Olympic legacy in place and an obligation to continue inspiring a generation, John took up his post as Group Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust. He has also succeeded Steve Cram as Chairman of the English Institute of Sport, an organisation described as ‘the team behind the team’, which delivers a range of performance impacting solutions to over 40 Olympic and Paralympic sports and some non-Olympic sports.

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Dr Jo Salter MBE

Dr Jo Salter MBE is famed for becoming the first female fast jet pilot, having flown the Panavia Tornado ground attack aircraft during her services in the Royal Air Force. Joining the RAF aged 18, Jo has since taken Air Cadets into the skies as part of Air Experience Flights, become the Director of Global Transformative Leadership for PWC, and most recently become a Global Advisory of GenAI for PwC.

Jo has piloted flights in the Air Cadets Air Experience Flights and inspired countless budding armed service members to pioneer a male-dominated sector, having been the leader of an all-male squadron. Since leaving the military behind, Jo has established a strong business career working in roles such as Head of Technical Services for NetConnect, European Operations Manager for Automated Power Exchange and Managing Director of Saltin Ltd.

Having developed first-class expertise in leadership, analytical thinking and performing under pressure, Jo is now a highly sought-after public speaker to share stories from her time in the skies.

Jo is a passionate Trustee of The Royal Air Force Club and an Ambassador of the Global Angels charity, an organisation that gives communities around the world access to clean water, education, healthcare and encourages female and youth empowerment. Jo has also authored two books, titled Energy: 52 Ways to Fire Up Your Life and Become an Energy Angel and Energize: Spring Clean Your Mind and Body to Get Your Bounce Back Today and Every Day.

In recognition of her achievements throughout her career, Jo has also been named as one of the 50 Most Inspiring Women in the World by Harpers & Queen. She is now working as the Director of Global Transformation Leadership at PWC, after working in other roles such as Director of Risk Technology Strategy, Director Chief of Staff to Head of Technology & Investments and the Director of People & Organisations.

In 2022, Jo was invited personally by Tom Cruise to attend the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick. Most recently, Jo received an honorary doctorate of Arts from Bournemouth University.