AGIF Expo’s Celebration Night to Honour Industry Trail-Blazers

Bangkok, Thailand: Pioneering Asian-based general managers and greenkeepers will take centre stage at a Celebration Night during next year’s inaugural AGIF Expo.

To be staged at Thailand’s National Stadium in the Pathum Wan District of Bangkok on November 19-20, 2020, the AGIF Expo will bring together golf/sports turf and club managers from across Asia for education and networking in tandem with supplier access via exhibition and sponsorship.

It will also take the opportunity to honour individuals who have excelled in AGIF-managed and sanctioned education streams in club management, greenkeeping and groundskeeping and become role models for their industry colleagues in the region.

“We would like to recognise those individuals from across the region in both turf and club management for their achievements,” said Eric Lynge, Chief Executive Officer of the Federation, owners of the AGIF Expo.

“In many respects they are trail-blazers as they are the first graduates in what we know will be a robust stream of professionals who are improving their work skills and their facilities through education,” he added, referring specifically to the AGIF Certificate in Greenkeeping and Certified Club Manager (CCM) degree programme.

Backed by The R&A, the AGIF Certificate in Greenkeeping was launched in 2018 with a view to driving education of turf managers across Asia. Implemented with Education Partner New Zealand Sport Turf Institute (NZSTI), the workplace-based programme has been well received in the marketplace.

Several intakes will have been completed by next November with certificate holders from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, India and China attending the AGIF Expo, where they will receive due recognition for their efforts.

Richard Walne, President of the AGIF, said: “The Certificate in Greenkeeping has proved to be an overwhelming success. It’s been especially pleasing to see such a positive response from turf managers around the region, who have never previously had the opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills – and then pass it on to colleagues at their respective clubs.

“We also would like to acknowledge the support from The R&A, the NZSTI and the dozens of clubs who have embraced the Certificate in Greenkeeping and encouraged their staff to participate in the programme.

“The AGIF Expo will be the perfect place to celebrate these milestones in practical education which builds the industry.”

The AGIF has also been running the CCM degree programme in Asia since 2016 as an affiliate of the Club Management Association of America. Widely regarded as the gold standard in club management qualification through the United States and Europe, the profile of the CCM programme in Asia is rising rapidly.

To date, three individuals have graduated in Asia as Certified Club Managers, while a further 30 club professionals from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Hong Kong and India are on the pathway to the CCM. Many of them will be feted at the AGIF Expo.

Lynge said: “While there are many global awards programmes for the industry, we feel it important also to recognise and celebrate individuals who either have been supported by their club or funded independently are seeking to improve their skill set for their own improvement as well as the facility in which they work.”

As well as golf turfgrass management and club management, the AGIF Expo will serve sports field and parkland turfgrass management.

The targetted audience includes golf course greenkeepers, sports stadium groundskeepers, golf course owners and developers, industry suppliers, club management and regional and international golf and football associations.

They’ll be an outdoor area with space to demonstrate products, tentage areas to conduct turf and club management education as well as a special area for commercial presentations.

“The idea is for the attendees, exhibitors and educators to have several areas within the stadium. We feel that a stadium has many advantages as a venue as compared to an indoor exhibition hall,” said Lynge, adding that a series of keynote interviews will be conducted with leading influencers in golf, sports and facility management.

With its excellent infrastructure (transport, hotel and amenities) nearby the Stadium, Bangkok is the ideal location to hold the inaugural AGIF Expo, said Lynge, adding that it is the intention to create a carnival-like atmosphere through a variety of entertaining and engaging activities within the stadium.

Founded in 1937 with the construction of Supachalasai Stadium, its main venue, the National Stadium of Thailand has since expanded and now consists of multiple stadia and sporting facilities.

It acted as the main stadium for the Asian Games in 1966, 1970 and 1978 and staged a group game at the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup.

The stadium is easily accessible, served by the BTS Skytrain which stops at the ‘National Stadium BTS Station’, right next to the stadium.

*Check out the AGIF Expo Mini Site at www.agifexpo.com