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View the Full Confirmed 2025 Conference Programme

30 July 2025

The event takes place at at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park over three days from November 16.

The 2025 Golf Club Management Conference & Exhibition provides the perfect opportunity to meet with your peers and connect with the wider industry, while tapping into the wisdom provided by a stellar line-up of speakers.

The event 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.

Sunday 16th November 2025

16:00 – 18:00Registration & Exhibition
18:00 – 19:30Welcome & Official Opening of Conference Tom Brooke, CEO, GCMA informal buffet and drinks  
20:00 – 21:30Quick Fire Team Challenge This year’s Sunday evening activity will be a tablet-based experience requiring clever thought, lean management and a strong strategy. Teams will play to complete the most mini-tasks before time is up  
Until midnightNetworking and late night bar

Monday 17th November 2025

07:45 – 09:00Breakfast Sessions and Supplier Engagement Time Your opportunity to attend one of the scheduled breakfast sessions, schedule a visit to the Exhibition or an appointment with a specific supplier
08:00Registration, Networking & Exhibition
09:00 – 09:30Conference Welcome and GCMA Update Tom Brooke
09:30 – 11:30Keynote 1 followed by workshop: The Future Ready Mindset Allister Frost  
12:00 – 14:00Lunch, Networking & Exhibition
 Breakout Sessions
11:45 – 12:45Breakout 1 The Club Communication Promise – Positive & Transparent Member Communication   Sean Boyle Chesterfield Golf ClubBreakout 2 Managing Your Future – Career Planning     David Reeves & Matt Orwin Promote PeopleBreakout 3 Employment Law Changes – What do we need to do differently to keep up?   Carolyne Wahlen Golf HR  
12:45 – 13:45Breakout 4 Using AI in Driving Golf Club Operations   Sam Poole Aquila Golf  Breakout 5 The Future of Sustainable Agronomy   Gordon Howat R&A Sustainable AgronomyBreakout 6 Future Proofing your Recruitment   David Reeves & Richard Pilbury Promote People
14:00– 15:00Panel Discussion Water Sustainability Phil Helmn (Host), Bernhard Academy Jim Croxton, BIGGA Richard Windows, R&A Jimmy Sandison, Rain Bird Tom Young, The Environmental Partnership  
15:15 – 16:15Breakout Sessions
 Breakout 7 The Perfect Board – Is This a Realistic Possibility? – How can a golf club manager influence change at their club and achieve a stable working environment   Jerry Kilby Kanda Golf  Breakout 8 Gen Z at the Tee: Managing the Next Generation of Club Talent       Debbie Kleiner Wellbeing in WorkBreakout 9 Future-Proofing Retention through Customer Led Insights         Amelia Lewis & Jacob Bukstead Players 1st
16:30 – 17:30  Keynote 2:   The story of Driving Change to Generate Success – Team GB (From Beijing to Today) John Steele  
18:30 – 19:00 19:00 – 01:00Drinks Reception Conference Dinner incorporating the 2025 GCMA Golf Club Management Awards and Special Recognitions Followed by after-dinner music by Damian Delahunty

Tuesday 18th November 2025

08:30Registration & Exhibition
09:30 – 10:30  Keynote 3: Influencing in Driving Change Dr Jo Salter MBE  
10:45 – 11:45Breakout Sessions
 Breakout 10 The Cost of Short-Term Thinking in Golf Club Leadership   David Sheppard The WisleyBreakout 11 Using AI and Data in making golf course management decisions Valentine Godin Maya GlobalBreakout 12 Open to All: Participation Success from Both Sides of the Fairway Municipal and traditional clubs share what’s working

Chad Parker
Marton Meadows GC Phil Beard
Vicars Cross GC  
12:00 – 13:00Keynote 4: Resilience / Negotiating Skills through SAS Missions Colin MacLachlan  
13:00 – 13:15Close of Conference Tom Brooke, CEO, GCMA  
13:15 – 14:30Lunch, Networking & Exhibition

Introducing our headline speaker line-up for 2025

Colin MacLachlan

Renowned for his roles on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s Secrets of the SAS. With over three decades of experience in security and risk management, Colin brings unparalleled insights into leadership, resilience, and teamwork, qualities essential to success in any industry, including golf club management.

His expertise in resilience, teamwork, and leadership promises to inspire and empower attendees of the 2025 Golf Club Management Conference.

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John Steele OBE

Former professional athlete, sports coach, Olympic Leader, Executive Director of Sport and current chair of Team England.

His keynote will offer delegates an exclusive opportunity to learn from one of the industry’s most influential and experienced figures, gaining fresh perspectives on navigating the evolving challenges of modern sports organisations. 

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Jo Salter MBE

A trailblazer in aviation, known for being Britain’s first female fast jet pilot and an expert in transformational leadership. 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.

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.

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Allister Frost

A former Microsoft Digital Strategy leader turned global speaker, will take centre stage to share his invaluable insights on building a Future Ready Mindset – a crucial skill in today’s fast-evolving world.

With a background in pioneering technology and digital transformation, Allister has spent years helping individuals and organisations turn uncertainty into opportunity. His key message is clear: adopting the right mindset and habits can unlock resilience, drive innovation, and create lasting success.

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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.

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01275 391153

By Mark Shanley

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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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