Golf Business Conference 2026
11-13 November • Vilamoura • Portugal

Hosted by the Golf Course Association Europe (GCAE)

WHERE EXPERIENCE BECOMES BUSINESS

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Welcome to Europe’s leading conference for golf facility owners & operators

The people behind Europe’s golf businesses. Together in one place.

Every November, golf facility owners, operators and industry leaders from across Europe come together to exchange ideas, challenge each other, laugh, reconnect and leave with fresh energy for the year ahead.

Hosted by the Golf Course Association Europe (GCAE), this is where experience meets business, and where conversations often become collaborations.

Programme at a glance

Tuesday 10 november 

Arrival day

  • Registration desk open 13:00–17:00
  • 18:00 – 19:00 Arrival drinks & bites

Wednesday 11 November

Official Opening Day

  • 09:30   Yamaha Golf Outing at Millenium Golf Course – Shotgun
    • Including transport 8:15 & lunch
  • 13:00 – 17:00     Registration Desk Open
  • 16:00 – 16:45     Members meeting
  • 17:00 – 18:30     Opening reception with drinks & fingerfood
  • 19:00                 Corporate member & partner diner – invite only

Thursday 12 November

Conference Day

  • 09:30 – 17:30     Full-day program with keynotes and sessions l Coffeebreaks & lunch included
  • 19:30                   Gala Fun Dinner

Friday 13 November

Conference Day

  • 09:30 – 13:30     Half-day program with keynotes and sessions l Coffeebreaks included
  • 13:30                   Farewell cocktail lunch
  • 15:00                   End of program – free to stay and enjoy Vilamoura!

What to expect in Vilamoura!

For those arriving early, Tuesday evening starts with a relaxed Welcome Drink. An informal opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces, meet new people and settle into the atmosphere before the conference begins.

Wednesday starts with what we love most: golf. During the Yamaha Golf Outing you will experience how thoughtful details, genuine hospitality and memorable moments shape the way people experience a golf facility. Throughout the day, the conference theme comes to life on and around the course.

The Members Meeting and Opening Reception bring everyone together before the conference programme unfolds over the following two days. Rather than a collection of individual presentations, every session has been designed to build on the previous one, creating one connected story.

Day One | Rethinking Leadership

How do you move from managing a golf facility to leading a hospitality and experience business? What changes in mindset, leadership and decision-making does that require?

Leadership today is about far more than running a golf facility. It is about creating places where people want to work, play and return to.

We begin with an interactive session that gets everyone involved from the very start. From there we explore leadership, customer experience, technology, data and destination development, always asking the same question: how do we create golf businesses that are ready for tomorrow?

Day Two | Turning Ideas into Action

The second day focuses on practical ideas and real-life examples from both inside and outside golf.

Together we explore hospitality, sustainability, food & beverage and innovative ways to strengthen the customer experience. Every session is designed to leave delegates with ideas they can take home and apply within their own organisation.

Meet our first confirmed speakers

We are delighted to welcome the first confirmed speakers to Vilamoura.

  • Nuno Sepúlveda – Co CEO Details – sharing how Vilamoura has strategically positioned itself as one of Europe’s leading golf destinations.
  • Stephanie Holland – Director David Lloyd Clubs) – bringing valuable insights from one of Europe’s leading leisure and hospitality businesses.
  • Melanie Arendorff – owner Horsholm Golfclub – sharing practical experiences from operating a modern golf business with sustainability as a selling point.
  • Tony Adams – exploring how food and beverage is an essential part of the overall guest experience.

More speakers will be announced over the coming weeks, each adding another perspective to the story we want to tell.

The Destination

Millennium golfcourse
Millennium golfcourse
Hilton Vilamoura
Hilton Vilamoura
Millennium golfcourse
Millennium golfcourse
Hilton Vilamoura
Hilton Vilamoura

Registration Fee

Includes welcome receptions, conference programme, coffee breaks, lunches, dinner and farewell brunch.

All fees are ex Portuguese VAT.

For board members of national associations special rates apply
A fee applies to no-shows or late cancellations, as arrangements and commitments are made in advance

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.
Book your room

Stay at the Official Conference Hotel

Stay at the Official Conference Hotel Some of the best conversations happen before the first session begins and continue long after the last one ends.
Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa is the official conference hotel, keeping you at the heart of the conference throughout your stay.

Special conference rates are available for stays between 6–16 November 2026, with a minimum stay of three nights.
We have secured a dedicated room allocation for conference delegates, but availability is limited.
To stay at the conference hotel and benefit from the special rate, we encourage you to book your room as early as possible.

Uniting Golf owners & operators

Why attend?

Meet golf facility owners, operators and industry leaders from across Europe who face many of the same opportunities and challenges as you do.

Share ideas, ask questions, discover practical solutions and learn from people inside and outside golf. Every session is designed to leave you with something you can take home and put into practice.

The conversations continue over coffee, during dinner and often long after the programme ends. Many delegates tell us that these informal moments become just as valuable as the sessions themselves.

Whether you manage one facility or an international portfolio, you will leave with new ideas, new contacts and a broader perspective on where our industry is heading.

An investment in your business, your network and yourself.

Let’s Play Together!