Friday October 7th, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Session Details
The reputation of your club is essential to its long-term business sustainability.
In this presentation, Public Relations expert and former journalist Gary Firkins will show you how to develop and manage your club’s reputation, proactively and positively communicating to members, customers and communities.
Using case studies and the real life experiences of club managers, he will explain how to tell your brand story via the media, creating influential, reputation-building coverage that advertising money simply can’t buy. He will also reveal how to manage the media in a crisis situation.
In this presentation you will learn:
- Why your club’s reputation matters
- How to develop a brand story and key messages
- Strategies to create and mange a positive reputation
- How to work with the media to forge your club’s reputation
- Planning for – and managing – crisis situations.
- Core Competency Areas:
- Leadership
- Membership and Marketing
- Inter-Personal Skills
Gary Firkins
Gary Firkins is the Managing Director of Landmark Golf Marketing & Communications.
Landmark has more than 10 years’ agency experience in strategic PR and media work, creating and managing the reputations of some of the biggest names in golf, including The Ryder Cup and The European Tour.
Landmark has worked extensively with clubs and resorts including PGA Catalunya Resort, Barcelona, Yas Links, Abu Dhabi and The Emirates Golf Club, Dubai.
Landmark’s clients regularly feature in the international golf media, and have appeared in global consumer news, sports and business media including CNN, BBC Television, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, TIME Magazine, as well as numerous national newspapers in countries around the world.
Gary began his career in journalism working as a newspaper reporter and presenting on BBC regional radio. Moving into specialist consumer publishing, Gary was a Senior Editor at Golf World magazine, interviewing some of the biggest names in golf, and Business Editor of Golf Weekly.
Gary has hands-on experience of working in golf club operations. He has also played to a high standard, representing the Loughborough University and English Universities golf teams.
Lily Hymes
Lily Hymes is an Account Manager at Landmark Golf Marketing & Communications, which works with a portfolio of world class golf venues, including The Grove, venue of the 2016 British Masters, PGA Catalunya Resort, Spain’s number one golf course, and The European Tour Properties network.
Lily has hands-on experience at club level and was previously responsible all marketing and communications at one of the Middle East’s leading golf resorts, Al Badia Golf Club in Dubai, UAE. She has also worked at The Celtic Manor Resort, venue of The 2010 Ryder Cup.
Prior to joining Landmark, Lily was part of the marketing team at UK golf retailer American Golf
Lily studied International Sports Management at the State University of New York at Cortland, USA. She also has a BA Business Management with Marketing Degree from the University of Sheffield.
