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Speakers: Marketing Track
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Bob Baldassari
PGA General Manager
PGA Village
Bob Baldassari
PGA General Manager
PGA Village
Baldassari in 2006 won the PGA of America National President’s Plaque for Player Development Programs while general manager-head golf professional at Cannon Ridge Golf Club in Frederick, Va. He also has been involved in launching numerous grow-the-game initiatives at the PGA Village and at a number of other clubs. |
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John W. Boykin, PGA
Founder & CEO
Business Golf International
John has been a PGA head golf professional, GM and golf facility owner, an author, broadcaster, noted international instructor and corporate spokesman. John and Business Golf International, LLC were recently commissioned by Delta Airlines to create, execute and manage a “virtual golf club” for the benefit of SkyMiles Members. |
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Rich Carter
General Manager
Indian Wells Golf Resort
An experienced executive with Troon Golf, KemperSports and Coolwell, Inc., Carter returned to Troon earlier this year to run the Indian Wells Golf Resort. During his prior tour of duty with Troon, Carter managed four of Troon’s flagship properties, including Monarch Beach Golf Links in California, Turnberry in Scotland, The Club at Savannah Harbor in Georgia and Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass in Arizona. |
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Tom Enders
Regional Director of Sales & Marketing
Troon Golf
As regional director of sales & marketing for Troon golf, based out of the company's headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, Enders is responsible for the development, implementation of strategic marketing plans and programs for the company and its premier facilities. Previous executive experience includes leading golf marketing initiatives for Marriott International and Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. |
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Brian Gaines
Regional Director of Sales & Marketing
KemperSports
Gaines has over 20 years experience in marketing and operating golf and country clubs, including several vice president and director-level positions with ClubCorp. Before joining KemperSports, he operated his own consulting firm specializing in strategies for transitional clubs and troubled golf properties.
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Larry Gulko
Chief Marketing Officer
CYBEX International
For 25 years, Gulko has introduced and positioned over 75 products for a variety of companies and organizations. Gulko is an expert in developing powerful brand marketing strategies that build leading brands that are focused and deliver a unique value proposition, “own something special” in the customer’s mind, unlock a market, dominate a product category and build brand equity and business value. |
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Jon Halpern
COO
Tour GCX
Halpern is co-founder and COO of TOUR GCX, a marketing and financial partner to the private golf industry. Halpern has run his own business, JDH Consulting, working with companies during their formation to help raise capital, developing business and marketing plans. Halpern was also Managing Partner/Founder of Harvest Strategies, a division of Newtek Capital (AMEX: NKC). |
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Steve Harker
Manager of Golf Business Solutions
Walt Disney World Golf
Harker joined Disney Golf in 1991 and as manager of golf solutions, manages Disney’s five courses in Orlando, Fla. With a B.S. from the University of Southern California and a Masters degree from Princeton, he is one of very few Disney “cast members” who has twice been awarded Disney’s “Partners in Excellence” lifetime achievement award. |
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Peter Hill
CEO
Billy Casper Golf
Hill has led the Vienna, Va.-based Billy Casper Golf management company to a position as the second largest operator of U.S. courses, with 111 courses in 25 states. The company, growing steadily over the past decade, made a major jump this year, adding 18 course management deals in the first three quarter of the year including seven Chicago Park District facilities. The properties have done well, particularly in a down economy, showing a 2 percent same-store rounds increase over 2008. |
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Richard Katz
President
Buffalo Communications
Katz heads the Buffalo Communications arm of parent company Billy Casper Golf. In addition to promoting Billy Casper Golf-run properties, Buffalo provides public relations, branding and marketing-communications services to golf courses, clubs, resorts, destinations, communities and products, both domestically and internationally. |
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Ben Keilholtz
Director of Marketing and Sales
BlueStar Resort & Golf
Keilholtz directs marketing and sales efforts for BlueStar, which manages all Shea Homes golf properties as well as other properties on a third party management basis. He helped lead the company’s golf courses and restaurants to double-digit growth in each of his first three years with the company. Prior to BlueStar, Keilholtz headed public relations operations for Intrawest’s Leisure & Travel Group. |
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Matthew C. McIntee
Senior Vice President Properties & Operations
Crown Golf
McIntee has over 20 years’ experience of golf industry experience. Matt joined Crown Golf in 1995. As senior vice president of acquisitions & development since 2001, he has primary responsibility for the analysis and development of investment opportunities for the company. |
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Beth Meister
President
Club Marketing & Communications, LLC
A veteran of membership sales and marketing operations for both ClubCorp and Arnold Palmer Golf Management, where she also worked in business development and acquisitions, and later director of club operations at Boca Raton Resort and Club, Meister currently heads her own marketing firm, working with developers, owners and managers on key marketing, sales and training initiatives.
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Ryan Mull
Managing Partner
IMAVEX
Mull is an Internet marketing pioneer with Internet industry experience since 1999. He has worked for some leading Internet companies including Travelocity and InterActiveCorp, and has consulted American Express on local search marketing and had his local PPC work published in the New York Times. As Managing Partner at IMAVEX, he is responsible for business development and visioneering their Internet marketing strategies. |
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Glen Murray
Director of Golf Operations
Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club
Murray, an experienced executive with the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton brands, currently leads day to day operations of a luxury tier mixed use facility in Sarasota, Fla., that supports a private membership, residential component and AAA 5-Diamond hotel. In 2008 he earned the company’s golf organization’s highest honor, Professional of the Year. |
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Stephen Ready
President & CEO
VCT Corp.
For the past 10 years, Ready has helped private clubs and management firms incorporate new technologies into their current marketing plans and more recently has introduced a new concept in club communications in thinking like a magazine publisher. |
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Jim Szilagyi
Vice President of Sales
Verishot
Szilagyi is responsible for managing channel and existing course partnerships while securing new partner golf courses for Verishot. He has extensive experience in golf sales, marketing and operational experience, and for the past 14 years has worked successfully for several start-up and established GPS technology companies. Prior to his GPS experience, Jim worked in national advertising as Eastern Regional Manager for PGA Magazine, and as a National Sales Manager for WWJ/WJOI Radio and CBS Radio in Detroit. |
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Kris Strauss
Director of Sales and Marketing
OB Sports Golf Management
Strauss is responsible for creating group sales, public relations, brand development, promotional activities and advertising initiatives. He has directed successful, award-winning marketing initiatives at upscale resort and daily fee golf facilities in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Palm Springs and Reno/Tahoe. Prior to joining OB Sports, he was sales and marketing manager for Troon Golf. |
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Clay Thomas
General Manager
Westchase Golf Club
As general manager at Westchase Golf Club in Tampa, Fla., since 1999 and head golf professional for four years prior to that, Thomas has won numerous regional and sectional awards for golf merchandising and operations. He is a three-time winner of the West Central Chapter NFPGA Bill Strausbaugh Award, and twice won the award for the PGA North Florida Section.
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Chris Tivey
Founder and SVP, Marketing
PGA TOUR CLUB
Tivey served as CEO of The Hathaway Group, a prominent marketing, branding and advertising firm. He later helped found and was a partner in the marketing firm E&S, working closely with resort developer like Intrawest. Chris joined Star Resort Group in 2000 as VP of Marketing and went on to serve as President until 2007 when he formed Gravity Destination Properties, Inc. |
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Marion Walker
General Manager
Hunter’s Creek Golf Club
As general manager of the OB Sports-managed Hunter’s Creek in the highly competitive Orlando, Fla., market, Walker and her team have bucked the economic and tourism downturn to grow rounds and increase market share at the course each month since she took over in the summer of 2009. Prior to joining OB Sports, she worked with KemperSports and for over six years with Crown Golf, where she was named General Manager of the Year for 2003.
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Speakers
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