Gregg Patterson, arguably the most dynamic speaker in the club management profession anywhere in the world, is on a mission again – this time, he is calling for guerrilla-like warfare to battle the challenges facing clubs in general.
Often called the “club sage” and sometimes, the “club oracle”, this charismatic club manager, a futurist in his own right, will be setting the tone at the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit to be held in Singapore on 14-15 October.
Not a man known to pull his punches, Gregg is not someone who will walk away from a fight. He is a living, breathing war-chest of brilliant management solutions to virtually every challenge in the club industry and at APGS 2015, he will tackle the battle of addressing today’s multi-generational demographics and provide a road-map on how to make clubs relevant to the differing needs and priorities of a diverse population.
The long-time general manager of The Beach Club in California, he is going to storm the stage and “generate heat by going guerrilla!”
As he puts it, today, people want more “buzz,” more memories, more experiences per minute invested and dollar spent. “People are drawn to leisure pursuits that are quicker to master and less challenging to enjoy …. lives are filled with “more” and schedules are packed to overflowing. Time is precious,” he says.
“Family is Job One and when decisions are made, kids come first. Wives are more vocal, emotionally stronger, better educated, business savvy and confident, partners in decision making, wanting a say before time is spent or dollars invested. Parents are looking for places that allow the entire family “time together” while still satisfying the need to “do one’s own thing,” is how Gregg sees today’s club market.
The outspoken club management guru who packs more passion than the word passion itself continues: “Conspicuous consumption is out and conspicuous virtue is in. The younger generation “don’t need no stinkin’ badge” and are turning from “club” to find status in other things in other places. And the competition “out there” in the marketplace has become meaner, more aggressive, niche oriented, uber-competitive and fast to react to changes in the marketplace.”
And this is why Gregg advocates the need to “generate HEAT” by resorting to using guerrilla tactics. The call to battle is essentially based on being and doing things “different”.
Make a date to catch the brilliant ideas offered by the spell-binding Gregg Patterson – yet another reason why APGS 2015 is a must-attend for all club management professionals.
APGS 2015 www.golfconference.org
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