European Golf Business Conference 2025
Connecting Golffacility Owners & Operators from across Europe
Europe’s leading event for golf facility owners & operators!
Driving change. Sharing insight. Making connections. From single-course operators & multi-site leaders alike. This is your conference...
Program:
Sunday 9 November – Optional Activities:
Golf – Palheiro OR Santo de Serra & Madeira wine Tasting (optional & extra fee = 135,- for transport – buggy – golf – 3 course lunch inc drinks / Madeira wine tasting + 30,- Arranged by Golf in Madeira)
Levada hike (optional & extra fee)
Sunday 9 november – Arrival day
- Registration desk open 13:00–17:00
Monday 10 November – Official Opening Day
- 08:00 Golf Outing at Offical Conference Course Santo de Serra (Optional & additional fee)
- Departure at 08:00 – golf at 09:30 l Including transport, lunch, drink & snacks
- 13:00 – 17:00 Registration Desk Open
- 16:00 – 16:45 National members meeting
- 17:00 Opening & Keynote Speaker – Steven Smith
- 18:00 Welcome Cocktail Reception
- 20:00 MCO & sponsor diner – invite only
Tuesday 11 November – Conference Day
- 09:00 – 18:00 Full-day program with keynotes and sessions l Coffeebreaks & lunch included
- 20:00 Roof top Dinner
Wednesday 12 November – Site Visit & Target groups
- 08:30 Presentation & Visit to Ponta do Pargo Golf Course
- A Nick Faldo design. A unique look behind the scenes of a new course construction
- 12:30 Lunch at Saccharum – Q&A on Ponta de Pargo – Transport back to Savoy
- 15:00 – 16:30 Afternoon breakout – sessions on various subjects
- 18:00 Farewell Cocktail
Thursday 13 November – Extra option to extend your stay:
- organized by World Golf Awards: Golf Palheiro & Gala Night 100,- ex VAT
Registration Fee
Includes: Welcome cocktail – Conference – coffee/lunch/dinner – transport – site-visit – lunch – sessions – farewell cocktail
Additional fee Monday Golfouting – 65,-
Regular fees are for members & GCAE partners only. For board members of national associations, special rates apply
All fees are ex VAT.
Sponsors & Partners
This conference is made possible in collaboration with the brands driving progress in golf!
Want to connect with Europe’s golf facility leaders — and have your brand present at the annual GCAE Conference?
Email office@gcae.eu to get information to discover our partnership packages.
Speakers
Speakers will be announced the coming weeks.
We can assure you we we offer a wide array of interesting speakers talking about PEOPLE / PLANET / FUTURE
The 14th Principle: how your venue makes people feel.”
We are thrilled to announce that Stephen Smith will open the GCAE Conference 2025 with a keynote you will not forget.
Stephen is one of the world’s few experts qualified as both a Sport & Business Psychologist, and has worked with F1 teams, Olympic athletes, Premier League clubs and major golf venues — including a Royal one 😉.
He brings a radically fresh perspective: How does your venue shape what people feel, remember and decide?
In his latest study, he explores how emotional design can turn a golf course into a place people talk about — and return to. His insights are rooted in neuroscience, but his questions are very real:
Are your greens unforgettable… or just fine?
Do your guests feel welcome… or evaluated?
Do your members feel part of something… or just another booking?
Get ready to rewire how you think about experience, memory and loyalty.
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Hotel Savoy Palace
If you are going all the way to Madeira, you might as well stay somewhere spectacular!
That is why we partnered with Savoy Palace — the official conference hotel of the European Golf Business Conference 2025.
Savoy Palace is a five-star The Leading Hotels of the World resort that brings boutique-style charm to a grand hotel experience. Inspired by the lush landscapes and rich traditions of Madeira, it offers comfort, refinement and authentic hospitality — all in the heart of Funchal.
Prefer something a little more urban? Next door you’ll find Hotel NEXT, the vibrant and contemporary sibling of Savoy Palace.
Book either hotel with our special conference rate, use code : Golftogether25
Valid for both Savoy Palace and Hotel NEXT
Applies to the two official conference nights: 10–12 November 2025
PLUS: Enjoy up to three extra nights before or after — at the same reduced rate
Includes local taks & service charge, breakfast, acces to gym & indoor swimming pool / excludes tourist tax 2,- pppn
Please note:
Savoy Palace is the official conference hotel, but you are welcome to stay wherever you prefer.
Uniting Golf owners & operators
GCAE
Why attend?
Connect with peers from across Europe & beyond
Discuss solutions to your daily business challenges
Get inspired by bold strategies and proven success stories
Enjoy optional golf and warm island hospitality
This is not just another event — it is where golf operators meet to exchange ideas, build strategic partnerships and invest in the future of their facilities. From 9-hole clubs to multi-course venues, if you own and run a golf facility, this is where you belong.
About the GCAE Conference
The conference focuses on the business side of golf: operations, staffing, customer experience, pricing, sustainability & technology. It is about practical insight and future-proof ideas, designed for those who lead the golf experience.
This is an investment in you and in your team. In your network and your strategy.
Let’s Play Together!