Three reasons why you should book your place for GCMA 2021 Conference

Yet to take the plunge and sign up for the three-day event at Wyboston Lakes Resort? Let us give you some compelling reasons why you don’t want to miss out…

Already booked your place for GCMA 2021 Conference in November? Great work, we look forward to seeing you at Wyboston Lakes Resort.

The event will be a feast of networking and learning and will be staged at the Bedfordshire hotel and leisure complex between November 21 and 23.

But if you’re still sitting on the fence and are yet to take the plunge, let us outline just a trio of the many reasons why these three-days are just what you need…

It’s a chance to meet up and network after two years of lockdown and restrictions

And haven’t we all missed that? The coronavirus pandemic has changed all of us and the lockdowns and restrictions that became part of life over the last 18 or so months have left many of us yearning for face-to-face contact and the chance to just have a natter with friends old and new.

While GCMA 2021 Conference will provide some unrivalled learning and personal development opportunities, there will also be plenty of time to network, catch up with old connections and form new ones.

And with a large exhibition hall giving you the space to meet, and the opportunity to have one-on-one meetings both with your industry peers and some of golf’s most influential companies, it’s a perfect chance to forge some valuable relationships – while having fun at the same time!

Book here for GCMA 2021 Conference

Speakers will be talking about the issues that matter to your club

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s how important our wellbeing is and the need to protect it. Covid has also exposed some of us to the rising tide of technology for the first time, while the realities of climate change and their effect on our most precious resource – the golf club – are becoming ever more evident.

GCMA 2021 Conference will give you the tools to face all of these pressing issues with confidence and understand how they are going to impact your club both now and in the future.

Under the Conference themes of Leadership and Wellbeing, Sustainability, and Technology, you’ll be able to hear from the leading experts in their field.

Whether it’s charting the way forward to making our layouts more sustainable with the GEO Foundation’s Jonathan Smith in the main sessions, or finding out how to improve your members’ experiences with Golf Genius’s Craig Higgs, you’ll come away knowing your influencers from your Instagrammers and what you can do to protect your environment.

To check out the main Conference programme click here. Meanwhile, check out the full Breakout sessions here.

Book here for GCMA 2021 Conference

Celebrate the achievements of your fellow managers

It’s been an unprecedented time for all of you and you’ve done some incredible things, under enormous pressure, over the past couple of years.

GCMA 2021 Conference is an opportunity to celebrate those achievements and some incredible stories are set to be revealed at the GCMA Manager of the Year Awards.

Handed out during a glitzy gala dinner that is always the highlight of the Conference gathering, we’ll name the Manager of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Team of the Year.

Let’s all get together and celebrate those winners, while also acknowledging the amazing efforts of everyone in the golf club management industry in one memorable night.

Book here for GCMA 2021 Conference

Delegate places and Breakout Sessions are filling up quickly for GCMA 2021 Conference at Wyboston Lakes Resort. Check out the full programme, book your sessions, and get all the information you need by visiting our dedicated website here.

By GCMA Content Team

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Allister Frost


A former Microsoft Digital Strategy leader who now inspires audiences to discover the life-enhancing benefits of having a Future Ready Mindset. As a tech pioneer, Allister gained unique insights into how to transform uncertainty into opportunity, and now loves giving others the positive mindset and simple habits needed to:

  • Stay resilient in the face of uncertainty and change
  • Spot quick win opportunities for improvement
  • And *create* a brilliant future!

 

With AI and robots coming for our jobs (hint from Allister: they won’t, if we know how…), many people are anxious about the future. But Allister asserts that we’ve nothing to fear when we leverage our human superpowers and ingenuity to thrive alongside emerging technologies. That’s why having a Future Ready Mindset is now a must-have skill to remain competitive and relevant to the people we serve, our golf club members and the local community. And the best bit: everyone can do it!

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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.

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Colin MacLachlan


Colin Maclachlan, star of Channel Four's captivating reality TV drama SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s ‘Secrets of the SAS’, is an operator with over 25 years of security and risk related experience who is a popular and frequent fixture on the speaking circuit.

Colin Maclachlan, celebrated for his roles on Channel Four's SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s Secrets of the SAS, brings over three decades of expertise in security and risk management. Colin's military career began in 1989, and after serving nine years with the Royal Scots, he joined the elite 22 SAS at just 23. His time in the SAS saw him participating in numerous high-stakes operations, including the notable rescue of hostages from the West Side Boys in Sierra Leone—a mission so perilous it was dubbed Operation Certain Death.

Colin was also pivotal during the longest hostage siege on UK soil, when a hijacked Afghan plane landed in London in 2000. The standoff lasted four days with Colin as the first sniper on the scene.

After leaving the SAS, Colin exchanged insights with international forces such as Delta Force and Seal Team 6 and provided security consultancy to the Saudi Royal Family and various celebrities. His academic pursuits led him to earn a First Class MA (Hons.) in History from Edinburgh University and an M.Litt in Terrorism from St. Andrews University.

Today, Colin extends his expertise through television, books, radio, and video games. He supports numerous charities and has founded Who Dares Cares, which assists veterans and those experiencing stress. As a speaker, Colin excels in discussing Resilience, Teamwork and Leadership.

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