Q&A: Tom Lovering
Ahead of the first Elevate Golf B2B event this October, we sat down with Elevate Golf founder Tom Lovering to find out a little more about golf’s newest B2B event.
You’ve worked in a range of roles across the golf tourism industry. Why was now the right time to launch Elevate Golf and what makes it different from other international events?
Having spent 30 years in golf tourism, it became clear to me that there was a need for an event connecting like-minded businesses at the higher end of the market. Golf tourism in the UK and Ireland is worth over half a billion annually, sustaining thousands of jobs. At the top end, international golf tourism offers the best return on investment per person.
The golf industry of courses and hotels offer a multitude of levels and budget, but we felt there was a gap for a network and an event for the higher end of the industry.
Many of your golf courses attending are already very busy. So why do they attend?
Golf tourism is a relationship business. Many attend to forge new relationships and strengthen existing ones. While ROI is important, relationship building is the primary reason for attendance. People support those they are friends with. Additionally, golf courses and hotels often send behind-the-scenes team members who directly interact with tour operators.
High-end courses also attend to support their local regions, ensuring that other local businesses benefit from the tourism they generate.
Why do you only have 50 tour operators attending?
We use a selection process, inviting tour operators with a strong history in golf tourism or a compelling reason to attend. We don’t claim large numbers; instead, we invite the best 50 operators available, ensuring meaningful appointments for golf courses and hotels.
What does the future look like for Elevate Golf?
It looks very positive. Due to the overwhelming interest from both tour operators and suppliers alike, we’re already planning next year’s event, while sourcing new products and destinations to further fine-tune and improve what we will deliver this year.
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