With golf clubs everywhere facing the daunting prospect of dwindling numbers, a one-day seminar on ‘Membership Sales and Retention’, delivered by an award-winning exponent is likely to be an in-demand event.
The USA’s ‘club executive of the year’, Gregg Patterson, will deliver the seminar at Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club, ahead of 59club’s annual customer service excellence awards, on Monday, February 29.
Patterson, who was given his accolade by the prestigious Club Managers Association of America magazine Club Management, has been general manager at the Beach Club, Santa Monica, since 1982, and was heralded for his “energy, insight (and) great passion for the business of club management”. Gregg was the keynote speaker at the GCMA 2011 Conference.
The creator of a number of widely used management-development programmes and a regular contributor to leading trade journals, Patterson also teaches certification courses in leadership and marketing for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association and is a visiting professor at two universities in Gujarat, India.
He will bring his unique and engaging style of presentation to bear on the subject of ‘Membership Sales and Retention’ in an event 59club officials believe is a ‘must-attend’ for those involved in that part of club business.
59club director Mark Reed explained: “The seminar is aimed at all front-line golf and leisure staff who engage with members and guests – especially those responsible for membership sales and retention.
“Clubs are constantly searching for innovative ideas to encourage visitors to ‘linger longer’ and increase member loyalty, and Gregg’s presentation will demonstrate how we can all make it happen and how that success will be determined by the critical front-line operators at our clubs. Attendance at the event might just be the best return on investment made by the club in 2016.”
Reed will precede Patterson on to the stage with a presentation on the membership sales process, including how to increase conversions and how to identify emotional triggers in a prospect.
The all-day seminar – an essential date in the diary for staff involved in member sales or retention – costs £75 (plus VAT) per delegate, with a ‘car-full’ discount rate of £250 (plus VAT) for four places.
To book, email [email protected], or for more information contact [email protected] or [email protected].
By Mike Hyde
