Greece. Birthplace of the Olympiad. Home to next year's Olympic Games. Home to some of the most historic buildings on the planet.

And now it would appear an enthusiastic convert to the sport of golf. From the current tally of six golf courses, the Greeks want to take that total to more than 50 by the year 2010.

With such enthusiasm for golf construction projects in the country, it would appear Athens is an ideal venue for the first European Golf Investment and Real Estate Conference and Exhibit, which takes place at the Athenaeum InterContinental Athens on November 28 and 29.

A total of 250 delegates from 23 countries will participate in what is
undoubtedly the largest and most wide-ranging conference of its sort.

Development

Organised by the INV Business Network - a European organisation of investors and business professionals - it aims to promote the further development of golf by bringing together experts and decision-makers to expedite the promotion and recognition of the integrated resort, golf development and leisure real-estate opportunities in emerging markets.

Conference director Peter Michel Heilmann (pictured above) explained: This unique two-day international event will focus on Europe as a whole, bringing east and west closer together.

One of the goals of this event is for participants to find new business partners in emerging markets in Europe, such as central and eastern Europe; for example Bulgaria, Croatia, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, the ten new EU countries and the East Mediterranean.

Investors, consultants, manufacturers, developers, planners, constructors, designers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders from the west are increasingly setting their eyes on new markets for golf development and resort investments.

The fact that this pan-European conference is being held in Greece, an
embryonic market, with huge development potential will give Europe and other parts of the world such as North America and Asia a clear message that these emerging, virtually undeveloped and virgin markets need expertise, know-how, capital, products, services and support from the west.

Another target of the conference is for participants to discuss forthcoming projects, develop new business, make new deals and even sign new contracts in existing, more mature markets such as western, central and northern Europe. They will be able to explore new market
trends and recognise emerging opportunities in the dynamic European region. Delegates will also have the opportunity to exchange ideas and views on the future of the golf, resort, hospitality and leisure real estate industries throughout Europe.

At the two-day exhibition - which runs parallel to the conference - manufacturers and service providers will showcase their products, services and technology, and present their company to the conference participants and the media.

Approach

Heilmann added: Unlike other conferences that have been organised in the past, we are taking a more integrated approach to the whole matter, as it is well-known the value that can be creat- ed with associated and surrounding land uses can be substantial.

Several golf conferences have been organised in the past in Europe, and most of them focused on a particular country or area. Other events included golf in their conference programme as a sort of 'add on'. However, none of these conferences have focused on the whole of
Europe so to date, no industry event has taken place on a pan-European level.

The problem with most of the conferences that directly or indirectly
focus on golf is that hardly anyone is tackling the real estate and residential housing aspect of golf development.

At our conference, investors and financiers will meet entrepreneurs with projects who are looking for capital; golf-course designers will do business with those looking for expert advice; land owners will mingle with those looking for land to develop integrated leisure resorts or sustainable - real estate driven - golf courses.

There will be a lot of business and investment matchmaking, deal-making and networking at the conference. And for those who wish to speak face-to-face with high-level government officials such as tourism or development ministers, this is a unique venue to do some lobbying as well.

We really believe this conference is a must for investors and professionals involved in real estate-driven golf development, golf resorts, golf hotels, golf courses and mixed-use development in Europe. What is also important is conference delegates will receive the exclusive INV Golf Industry Intelligence Report.

The English-language report will be written by key executives, consultants, planners, designers and industry leaders, who will share their opinion and vision about how golf should further develop real estate driven development throughout Europe in a sustainable, profitable way until 2010 - especially in view of an enlarged European Union.

Heilmann added: We are talking golf and property development. What
should be done in the next seven years and where should we be ideally in 2010?

A united European strategy is badly needed and we call upon all the
leaders of the golf, leisure, real estate and investment worlds to contribute to the INV Golf Industry Intelligence Report - and of course to participate in our pan-European conference.

Sponsor

When invited to lend his support to the inaugural event, Michael Lenihan, publisher of Golf Management Europe, was keen to become the event's communication sponsor.

Commenting on the collaboration, he said: It seemed reasonable that if
Golf Management Europe was to maintain its position as the market leader for the golf trade industry, we should be out there with all the other arms of our trade looking to promote and expand the golf
industry as a whole.

INV appears to have done an excellent job in getting so many major players under one roof and we feel that for this particular branch of the industry, this conference and exhibit is a thoroughly worthwhile exercise.

The organisers have quite sensibly concentrated on one particular area and have so-far gathered together a lot of respected industry experts.

Indeed, this event should act as a pointer to the rest of the industry in showing how one exhibition can cover the whole range of a subject as opposed to two or three doing roughly the same thing and merely fragmenting still further a whole section of the industry.

We are delighted to be involved with the European Golf Investment and Real Estate Conference and Exhibit and hope that it will be the first of many successful events.



Further information about the two-day conference and exhibition can be obtained from
www.invgolf.com

Click
here
to view this special report in PDF format (2-page document)

Source:
Golf Management Europe, August 2003 (pages 20-21). Republished with
the kind permission of Portman
Publishing and Communications Ltd.

Further information

For
further information about the 1st European Golf Investment & Real Estate Conference & Exhibit,
scheduled to take place at the Athenaeum InterContinental Athens,
November 28th-29th, 2003, please contact Mr. Peter
Michel Heilmann, Conference Director.