GolfEx eyes future growth following successful second edition

In January, GolfEx Dubai 2007 - sponsored by Jumeirah Golf Estates - attracted over 500 delegates from 24 different countries to a two-day platform at Dubai's Madinat Conference Centre featuring thirty world-class speakers including Colin Montgomerie, Ken Schofield, Thiery Pascal and Mark Steinberg.

Buoyed by that success, Dubai-based Driving Force - the company responsible for launching the Middle East's premier golfing showcase - will now aim to take the GolfEx brand to new markets with Europe and countries further afield already earmarked.

'We are all absolutely delighted with the success of GolfEx Dubai 2007,' said Driving Force Managing Director Neil Hamp-Adams.

'I think we managed to attract an excellent mix of speakers that brought up some very controversial points, while the exhibition again gave delegates and exhibitors the chance to interact away from the conference area. Our next aim is to build on this success and develop the affairs of GolfEx on a global scale.'

The world push follows hot on the spikes of a Dubai event that provoked a number of debates thanks to the viewpoints of the heavyweight speaker line-up.

Speaking at GolfEx Dubai, Montgomerie himself raised a few eyebrows by insisting that suppliers make slower balls and modified clubs to boost competitiveness at professional level.

Monty believes that balls should be made with ten to fifteen per cent less velocity and wedges cut back from 60 to 56 degrees to restore the skill factor, while the perennial debate over big-hitting clubs and lengthening courses still needs to be addressed, believes the eight European Tour Order of Merit winner.

'The longer we hit the ball, the better we are, and we have to get away from that,' he said. 'The Masters has lost some of its charm. I used to shoot 66 on a round but I can't see that happening now. St Andrews has six new tees and when changes are being made there, you know we have a problem.'

IMG's Mark Steinberg, meanwhile, told GolfEx Dubai delegates that coverage generated by the FedEx Cup is a 'ground-breaking, watershed' moment in golf sponsorship. Speaking on the second day of the conference, Tiger Woods' manager and the Global Director of Golf and Senior Executive Vice President for IMG said the tour had provided direct access to fans and taken title sponsorship to a new level.

'Title sponsors want it all and don't want their message diluted which is different from the past,' he said. 'There's a change in mindset with event organisers to allow more overt advertising on site through TV.'

Steinberg said sponsorship relating to tours and governing bodies was the fastest growing sector, although organisers were finding it harder to fix dates in an increasingly crowded international schedule. 'We are turning significant money away because we aren't able to work together as a worldwide governing body,' he said. 'But the one benefit over time is that we may see a weeding out of events and only the ones that come up to a certain standard remain.'

But while the man behind a great slice of Woods' commercial success also indicated that his number one client may target China as another location for a TW course, the trend for celebrity designers was criticised by leading golf course architect Peter Harradine.

Harradine questioned whether money is becoming the only criteria for course designs. 'The whole world is based on marketing,' said Harradine.

'Tiger is the best athlete that's ever walked the earth, but as a golf architect? If a top player is involved in a course design, it usually means it will be over budget and over schedule. My signature stands for quality, built on time and on budget.'

Harradine didn't reserve criticism for the players so much as developers and owners. 'The players aren't daft, if they know they can ask for $1 million or $2 million more they will, and good luck to them - they realise that daft people will pay them.'

Voted an overwhelming success by all that attended, GolfEx Dubai 2007 reflected the ongoing boom in Dubai's golfing scene, which will see the number of courses jump from seven today to 20 by 2010.

'Dubai is certainly a priority in the golfing world and this was reflected by both the attendance in terms of delegates and the quality of speaker,' added Hamp-Adams. 'The success of the Dubai event has certainly given us a good feeling as we head for other markets and venues.'