Golf Business Conference 2026
11-13 November • Vilamoura • Portugal
Hosted by the Golf Course Association Europe (GCAE)
WHERE EXPERIENCE BECOMES BUSINESS
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 and new ideas for their beloved golffacility!
This year, we meet in sunny Vilamoura for three days of golf, great conversations, new perspectives and fun time together.
Under the theme Creating the Golf Experience, we will explore what makes people choose your facility, spend more, return and recommend it. And what that means for the way we lead and invest in our golf properties.
Hosted by GCAE together with CNIG, this is where experience meets business and where conversations often turn into collaborations.
Come for the ideas. Leave with new ones, new connections and probably a few good stories too.
Programme at a glance
Tuesday 10 november
Arrival day
- 13:00 – 17:00 Registration desk open
- 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
- 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 great opportunity to reconnect with your industry friends and make new ones! Settle into the atmosphere before the conference begins.
Wednesday starts with what we love most: golf! During the Yamaha Golf Outing you will experience thoughtful details, genuine hospitality and memorable moments to shape your golf experience. For those interested we have a membersmeeting to tell what we do for you followed by the sparkling Opening Reception in the Pinhal clubhouse.
Day One | Rethinking Leadership
We do not want to offer you just a set of speakers…No! We want every session to build on the previous one, creating one connected story. 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 a workshop to get you involved and activated from the very first start. From there we explore leadership, how do guest rate you, how do they find you, how do you create a destination? Always asking the same question: how do we create golf businesses that are ready for tomorrow?
Day Two | Turning Ideas into Action
Speaking about tomorrow, we will look at land, how you can use it and how we can keep it healthy and future ready. But also how to use sustainabililty as a unique selling point! We will have more practical ideas and real-life examples from both inside and outside golf.
Every session is designed to leave you with ideas to take home and apply at your facility!
The Speakers
Meet the people taking the stage in Vilamoura
Different businesses, different perspectives and plenty to talk about. Here are some of the people joining us:
- Nuno Sepúlveda — Co-CEO, Details – How do you turn a golf destination into a reason to travel?
Nuno takes us behind the strategy that is putting Vilamoura firmly among Europe’s leading golf destinations. - Stephanie Holland — Global Director Spa & Wellness, David Lloyd Clubs – What makes customers feel they belong and keeps them coming back?
Lessons from one of Europe’s leading health, leisure and hospitality businesses. - Melanie Arendorff — Owner, Hørsholm Golf – Can sustainability actually help sell the golf experience?
Melanie shares what happens when sustainability moves from obligation to part of the customer proposition. - Tony Adams – Founder Hospitality in Golf – Is your F&B an extra or part of the reason people come back?
A fresh look at food and beverage as an essential part of the golf experience. - Ed Ronan — COO Bretton Woods – Your biggest underused asset might be the land you already own.
Ed shows what can happen when you start thinking beyond golf and create new reasons for people to visit. - Eric Morello & John Mahoney-Phillips — Predict Partnership – Are you running a golf course or leading a hospitality business?
A provocative look at what that shift means for leadership, culture and the people you need around you. - Simon Wordsworth — Founder 59Club – You think you know what your customers think. But do you?
Simon puts the customer view on the table: how are they actually rating the experience you provide?
And we’re not done yet. More speakers and perspectives will be added as we build the story towards Vilamoura!
Registration Fee
Includes welcome receptions, conference programme, coffee breaks, lunches, dinner and farewell brunch.
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Member Fee 675,-
Members of National Associations and employees of Corporate Members
-
Non member 975,-
Full conference programme for attendees from across the industry
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New member + GCAE membership 2027 1025,-
Single facility owner - Conference + Membership until december 2027
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Additional - Golf Outing 75,-
Includes transport and lunch
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.
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!
The Destination
