The Voice of Golf Tourism in Scotland
Commercial Booklet 2012/2013
Contact us
Golf Tourism Scotland Old Town Jail St John Street Stirling FK8 1EA Tel: 01786 459224 Fax: 01786 451037 Email: admin@golftourismscotland.com Web: www.golftourismscotland.com
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Lee Derrick, Chairman Blue Spinach Ltd. E: leed@bluespinach.co.uk T: 07949 078 827
John Drysdale, Commercial Director Golf Tourism Scotland E: john.drysdale@golftourismscotland.com T: 07962 023 683
Donna Clark Clark Consultancy E: donnaclark200@gmail.com
Kevin Keenan Macdonald Rusacks Hotel E: gm.rusacks@macdonald-hotels.co.uk
David DeSmith Nick White Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club The Inn at Lathones E: ddesmith@southworthdevelopment.com E: nick@theinn.co.uk Gordon Donaldson St Andrews Executive Travel E: gordon@saxtravel.co.uk
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Mike Woodcock St Andrews Links Trust E: mike.woodcock@standrews.org.uk
Promoting Scotland as “The Home of Golf�
Welcome Golf Tourism Scotland (GTS) was formed in 2005 with the objective of bringing together all aspects of recreational golf for the visitor to Scotland under a single unifying umbrella. Its board of directors is elected by its members to represent the many stakeholders involved not just golf resorts, courses and clubs the length and breadth of Scotland, but also the various service sectors that support and rely on the golf tourist. Travel companies, hotels & hotel chains, other accommodation providers, tour operators and golf service companies are all strongly represented among our member numbers and on the group’s board. In addition to this solid core, GTS has forged strong links with other organisations that have a vested interest in the success of the golf tourism sector in Scotland. In the public sector, the organisation liaises with the Scottish Tourism Forum and with VisitScotland to address market issues on behalf of its members, especially when the wider remit of these more generic organisations needs specialist input regarding the golf sector. GTS also counts on Scottish Enterprise for support, advice and guidance.
The profile of GTS is further enhanced by its links with a number of golfing bodies, including the Scottish Golf Union (SGU), the Scottish Golf Professionals Association (SPGA) and the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA). St Andrews is at the heart of Scottish golf tourism, with the headquarters of the R&A and the historic Old Course at St Andrews Links, known around the world as the Home of Golf. The work of GTS is acknowledged by both these renowned organisations. The role and positioning of GTS are clear, with a voice that is getting louder as the value that GTS members can collectively bring to the Scottish economy is better understood. Into the future, the aim of the GTS board is to help foster a burgeoning golf tourism sector in Scotland capitalising on unprecedented levels of interest and participation in our sport. GTS is grateful for any and all the help our friends in the business community across Scotland can give to provide a platform from which that goal can be achieved.
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About this Booklet However, funding to carry out such a vital task is limited. Public sector backing for these aims is, understandably, diminishing in the face of greater national priorities around social welfare and other critical issues. Therefore, the level of investment in tourism is, of necessity, generic and less effective as a result.
Scotland is acknowledged around the world as the ‘Home of Golf’. The country boasts the oldest golf courses on the planet, is the base of the world’s governing body for the sport, and is synonymous with all the game’s great traditions and history. Yet there is a generally held view that, as a nation, we do not collectively ‘punch our weight’ when it comes to promoting and marketing Scotland as a world class, dare it be said world-leading, venue for the recreational golfer. Other destinations appear to succeed despite having fewer courses, less variety, or virtually no heritage in the sport.
The one other traditional source of income for GTS comes from subscriptions paid by our members. Whilst this revenue stream continues on a steady course, it is not on its own enough to support the organisation’s longer term goals for developing the sector in Scotland.
Golf Tourism Scotland (GTS) seeks to make a significant difference on this score. Working on the principle that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’, GTS unifies the various players in the market and provides a visible and vocal platform to develop all aspects of the golf tourism sector in Scotland.
To make our mark more strongly and further raise our profile on behalf both of our members and more widely across multiple business sectors nationwide, GTS seeks private funding in the shape of sponsorship, promotion and advertising opportunities now being offered to businesses the length and breadth of Scotland.
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www.GolfTourismScotland.com
Most significantly, for every £1 spent on green fees, golf visitors are expected spend a further £3 elsewhere in the Scottish economy. Put another way, this means that the typical golf tourist spends three-quarters of his/her ‘holiday money’ on things other than playing golf. [Source: Scottish Golf Tourism Market Analysis Report 2009 - commissioned by Scottish Enterprise. Additionally, the National Golf Tourism Monitor Report gives a detailed review of the sector annually, with figures for 2011 due to be published in the first months of 2012. Full statistics for 2010 and earlier can be studied by visiting www.golfmonitor.co.uk]
In exchange for financial or in-kind support, commercial sponsors can work with GTS to reach their potential clients, to raise the profile of their own organisation, and to publicly show support for an ongoing project which has significant benefits for the whole country. The value of the golf industry to Scotland should not be underestimated. There are around 550 golf courses in Scotland and 7 of the 14 venues at which the Open Championship has been held are in Scotland. A recent report (2009) commissioned by Scottish Enterprise estimated the economic impact of golf tourism to be around £220 million, representing around £120m of Gross Value Added (GVA) (i.e. profit) for the Scottish economy. The report also calculated that approximately 70% of golf visitors to Scotland are from the UK and found the USA to be the largest overseas market with 14% of visitors.
The following pages explain more about what GTS does, where it is active, and how it reaches its target markets. The booklet also explains how a sponsor’s funding might help, and what that sponsor can expect to receive in return for their financial support. In stating this, it is important to emphasise GTS is very keen to work in partnership with the business community and to deliver benefit in exchange for this funding. GTS has recognised the need to tell its story better and raise its profile. This booklet is just the beginning of our commercial awareness and development programme. We hope we can look forward to a progressive future together with you, our sponsors.
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Association) and IAGTO (the International Association of Golf Tour Operators). This ‘reach’ is something we are very happy to share with our sponsors. Our presence at key events, trade and consumer shows, and exhibitions both abroad and closer to home is a critical factor in unifying the message going out to our target market. High profile stands can be used to promote our sponsors’ products and services alongside the core message we are carrying on behalf of our members, and the country’s golf tourism industry.
Sponsor Benefits The umbrella organisation that is Golf Tourism Scotland has over 130 member bodies representing all aspects of the sport in this country. Not only that, but the reach of GTS extends to just about every golf worker, golf enthusiast and golfer in the land, by virtue of our extensive communication network. And, of course, our target market is the golf tourist looking to broaden their golfing horizons from every corner of the globe.
The profile of golf tourism in Scotland, and GTS in particular, is highlighted at a range of events across the calendar. In addition to our presence at the key golf tournaments and events that take place each year in Scotland, GTS organises and hosts the annual Golf Tourism Awards Dinner. In 2011, the venue for this prestigious event was the Fairmont, St Andrews resort
We are keen for our sponsors and advertisers to share this access and to make our extensive audience more aware of their brands, their services and products through linking in with the aims and activities of GTS.
Finally, many of the best known and iconic golf courses in the country number amongst our membership. The demand for access at these courses strongly reflects the profile such venues command amongst golfing aficionados. Indeed, their prestige is recognised in far wider circles throughout society.
The release of regular newsletters and daily updating of our highprofile website ensure that this community is regularly and continuously being kept informed of developments in the sector. Our mailing list is extensive, covering all member organisations but also institutions and individuals in the golfing profession – members of the SPGA, of the SGU and, around the world, via BIGGA (the British and International Golf Greenkeepers
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Promoting Scotland as “The Home of Golf”
Events Sponsorship
(a) BUSINESS-CENTRIC EVENTS A keynote event of the Golf Tourism Scotland year is our annual ‘Gold Standard’ Awards Dinner, attended by many of the country’s leading venues and service providers. The awards presented are valued by all concerned, not just as recognition for a ‘job well done’, but also as the winners are selected by their respective peer groups and so have earned the praise of their competitors as well as their clients and customers. In 2011, the event took place at Fairmont St Andrews, and drew some notable publicity, not just in industry circles but in the wider media too. In 2012, with the growing profile of GTS and a headline sponsor helping to promote the event, it is expected that both industry-specific and general media coverage will be greater still. In addition to the national level, GTS is active regionally, with local partnerships already in place in Ayrshire, Fife, East Lothian, Angus and St, Andrews (as distinct from Fife). Others in Aberdeenshire, Perthshire, and the Highlands are in the process of becoming active. Work is progressing to engage with the remaining regions, most notably Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Borders. At these local levels, regional events are regularly scheduled to highlight the unique qualities, venues and services on offer county by county across Scotland. The prime event in each region is the local forum, where topics and issues specific to that region are debated and resolved. The sponsorship of these business days can provide strong networking potential, as well as a launch-pad for other regionally focused golf initiatives.
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Events Sponsorship
(c) EVENTS SCHEDULE
(Cont’d)
Golf Centric Jan PGA Show, Orlando USA Feb Rheingolf, Germany Mar Saldon du Golf, Paris Toronto Golf Show, Canada Apr Expo, Scottish Golf Show May Golf Live (BMW) London Wentworth, London Jun Le Golf National, Paris France Jul The Open UK Nordea Scandinavian Masters BMW PGA Championship Germany Oct Dunhill 3-venue presence Nov IGTM Race to Dubai final
(b) GOLF-CENTRIC EVENTS In essence, this type of event is in the form of a trade show or exhibition. GTS has an established presence at a range of such gatherings all year round, and all around the world. Some of these events are satellites to the larger professional tournaments, whether close to home across the UK or further afield in Europe and the Americas. We are also exploring opportunities in the emerging markets of Asia & Australasia, Africa, and Latin America. In each active geographic sector, we can be assured of strong visibility and significant footfall and interest from a ‘captive’ audience. Others are well established trade events, much like other industries may hold, in city venues where population density ensures a strong attendance also. These high profile occasions present Scotland with its best chance to promote what we have to offer to our target market, and actually are pretty exhausting experiences for the staff involved. Golf Tourism Scotland vies with other destinations by creating an impact on our exhibition stand, customisable for each event, and seeking to differentiate from our competition by conveying the uniqueness of the golfing experience in Scotland.
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Business Centric Feb 5 Regional Forums Mar (venues & details to add) Jul National Forum Dalmahoy Nov GTS Awards Dinner
Note: Other countries / venues / events can be targeted and accommodated according to sponsor preferences.
(d) EVENTS PACKAGES Of course, we would not wish to limit any potential sponsor to a single choice of event, whether business centric or golf centric, and so we would be totally open to discuss a customised package of services and benefits in exchange for a bespoke combination of any, or indeed all, events on our calendar
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Headline sponsorship of national and regional events as described is not the only option available, with second tier sponsorship offering more targeted benefits to the commercial sponsor. The Awards Dinner, for example, affords the opportunity to champion a specific award, whether with special resonance in the sponsor’s market area, or simply as a means to make a mark. At the regional and national forum events, there is a similar potential, by way of sponsoring specific elements of or extensions to the day. And at exhibition-style events, a supporting theme or activity on the stand could offer significant second-level prominence. PRIZE / AWARD / THEME SPONSORSHIP Full naming rights for specific prize / award Included in promotional/PR/publicity activities with GTS pre- and post-event Signage and branding at event venue Top table presence and award acknowledgement Two places at Annual Awards Dinner Accreditation and promotional spot on GTS website news page for limited period Preferential access, green fees and rates with selected member establishments* Hospitality places at event where available
Page Title Body text
Guideline package price for year £2,000-£5,000 (international) £500-£2,000 (national)
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In this way, our members, our business partners and contacts, and our consumer customers can all be part of our ever-expanding network. Options for sponsorship/advertising available include: Website sponsor, also including on-page descriptor, 464px x 118px on all pages: £2,000 per annum or £600 per quarter Website page sponsor, 216px x 216px on front page and sponsored page: (variable) £750 per annum or £200 per quarter Website advertiser, 216px x 108px on front page only (secondary location) £350 per annum or £100 per quarter Other sizes/combinations on application
Advertising & Promotions A variety of opportunities exist for organisations to raise their brand awareness or indeed conduct more specific campaigns to promote their products and services to their target market via the outlets available from Golf Tourism Scotland beyond its high profile international, national and regional events.
NEWSLETTER The proactive ethos of our organisation demands that we complement our website by offering our members and associate bodies a regular newsletter service, both electronically and, selectively, by post. Our circulation list is extensive, as per our ‘reach’ as described earlier.
For example, the GTS communications schedule offers a very broad audience to target for the appropriate commercial sponsor. Essentially, there are two core methods of communication employed by GTS: website and newsletter WEBSITE The GTS website at www.golftourismscotland.com is a critical component of our overall communication strategy. At the time of publication of this booklet, the site is under-going a significant re-design, so as to refresh the focus on the business-to-consumer elements of our role, as well as the business-to-business aspects.
We are keen to ensure that this service generates strong feedback and, where possible participation through member contributions. In order to achieve wider reach, and to encourage long-term loyalty, we are exploring ideas around sweepstakes, other competitions, question & answer sessions, opinion pieces and stories / experiences. All would enhance a sense of community around our network, and many would present the opportunity to showcase our ‘product’ via the offer of prizes for entries or contributions.
Greater emphasis on up-to-date news from the Scottish golf tourism sector in general, and from member facilities in particular, will drive increased traffic; and multiple of opportunities for user interaction across the whole site will enhance time each user spends on our pages. Significantly, the site will incorporate feeds relevant to our market in Scotland from social networks.
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Sponsorship of such a newsletter, or of elements within it, would therefore engender strong recognition and association with a positive experience.
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Promoting Scotland as “The Home of Golf”
Specialist Services Golf Tourism Scotland is keen to embrace the potential for unique partnerships with organisations operating in specific lines of business which can support and enhance what is on offer to the golf tourist visiting Scotland. Examples include: GTS would be keen to forge a relationship with a consultancy organisation which might help drive business change amongst the membership. Many golf courses and venues, and golf service providers, would welcome the opportunity to engage with experienced professionals who might provide the impetus required to affect a necessary improvement to their operation. As GTS embraces multiple forms of media to spread its message, specialist companies in the area of printed, photographic, or DVD-based souvenir publications would benefit from partnering with GTS in such releases There is a niche opportunity to associate with heritage locations, for example the British Golf Museum, or unique courses, for example Kingar rock in Fife or Musselburgh, both of which offer the connoisseur of golf the unique opportunity to experience the game as it was 100 years ago. Details of such ‘in-kind’ sponsorships would be tailored to individual situations and arrangements, and so are subject to discussion/negotiation. The portfolio of opportunity on offer from Golf Tourism Scotland is wide and varied enough to appeal to any commercial operation including Scotland as a target market - from iconic Scottish brands, to internationally recognised businesses, from single-location operations to multi-location networks. The complete portfolio is backed by the unwavering commitment from GTS to partner with our sponsors, advertisers and supporters to maximise the value returned for their investment.
This booklet is first evidence of the direction and leadership Golf Tourism Scotland is now providing to this vital and, yes, lucrative sector of the Scottish economy. Our group has been encouraged recently by the political will to allow the industry professionals to take pole position in their respective sectors. For golf tourism, this means we can now provide the focus that, by definition, only we can deliver, thus allowing VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Development Agency to pull on our expertise to feed in to their respective wider strategies. In turn, this means that the profile of Golf Tourism Scotland will be significantly enhanced, as the authoritative voice in the sector and as the focal point for the target market both nationally and internationally. However, to fulfil this role effectively, we need commercial partners to help us sustain growth in this sector for years to come. We hope to welcome you to become part of our success. Lee Derrick, Chairman
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Golf Tourism Scotland Old Town Jail St John Street Stirling FK8 1EA
Tel: 01786 459224 Fax: 01786 451037 Email: admin@golftourismscotland.com Web: www.golftourismscotland.com
Š Copyright 2012. Golf Tourism Scotland