ATLANTIC CITY, NJ. — (November 13, 2006) – The 2nd annual ING Regional Seminar had barely concluded and representatives from every stage of the golf industry were calling it a groundbreaking event. Staged over two days in the Atlantic City area at the end of October, the event boasted a 20 percent increase in attendance from the inaugural year.
Organized by the International Network of Golf and presented by the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority, the event followed the 16-year-old ING mandate of promoting education and communication throughout the industry.
An alliance with the New Jersey Golf Course Owners Association resulted in a major networking opportunity during the first day of the event, followed by a networking dinner at Carmine’s Restaurant in the Tropicana.
On the second day, a series of seminars and panel discussions were conducted at the Tropicana Casino and Resort. After a welcome message from ING executive director Mike Jamison, world-renowned golf course architecture expert Dr. Bradley Klein gave a power point presentation and talk on the current state of the golf industry.
The keynote speech was followed by three panel discussions: Golf Travel and its Effect on the Region, The Future of Golf and What the Region’s Golf Will Look Like in Ten Years, and the Regional Golf Summit.
The Regional Golf Summit was the stage for a historic event as, for the first time in history, the four major golf organizations in the region were brought together for a panel discussion. Representing the four organizations were: Bob Twomey, president of the New Jersey Golf Course Owners Association; Geoff Surrette, executive director of the Philadelphia Section PGA; Mark Peterson, executive director of the Golf Association of Philadelphia; and John Connor, board member for the Philadelphia Golf Course Superintendents Association.
"This event was another important step in our growing involvement in this region," said Jamison. "Our national Spring Conference is being held at Turning Stone Casino this coming June, the first time we have held a national conference in the Northeast. Atlantic City has shown that it is the hub of a vibrant golf industry and it would certainly be a good site for a future Spring Conference."
"That is the goal of our association with the Regional Seminar," said Gary Musich, vice president of convention development for the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority. "Becoming the presenting sponsor was a natural. We want to show everyone that Atlantic City is serious about its golf industry. We hope the Regional Seminar was just the tip of the iceberg, in terms of involvement with the national golf industry."
Gary Shea, regional manager for Golf Vacations and executive director of the ING Regional Seminar, put the final touch on the event when he concluded, "Our goal was to bring the leaders of the industry together to talk about the most important topics that affect all of us. We did that. Now it’s time for all of us to go out and do something about it."
For more information, contact TL Golf Services at 610-279-9220.
Contact:
TL Golf Services
610-279-9220