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Richard Browning, CEO of Riffa Views Signature Estates, has been invited to speak at the Golf Business Forum 2008 in Dublin, Ireland, this week ... and will meet the golden bear ... golfing legend, Jack Nicklaus.
Nicklaus, arguably history's greatest golfer and one of today's most recognised global ambassadors of the game, will attend the fifth annual KPMG Golf Business Forum in person to receive the Golf Business Forum Lifetime Achievement Award.
Nicklaus, a winner of a record 18 professional major championships among his 118 professional victories worldwide, and, for the past 40 years, one of the golf business' most industry-shaping and prolific golf course designers, will receive the award today in front of an expected audience of more than 300 international industry professionals at The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt Hotel.
"Jack Nicklaus is not only one of the greatest sportsmen and athletes of all time, he is a giant of the international golf business," said Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG's golf advisory services team in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMA).
"We are honoured and privileged that Mr Nicklaus will attend the Golf Business Forum to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, and lend his monumental presence to our event."
Nicklaus's size, blond hair and aggressive play earned him the nickname the Golden Bear. He has used the nickname as the name of his company, Golden Bear International, which uses the image of a golden bear as a logo.
The forum will this year focus on 'Golf Resorts and Golf Communities' and will feature a glittering array of expert speakers offering insight on a variety of compelling industry topics.
The three-day event offers a unique platform for experts from the world's golf and related industries to share best practices. This year, Browning has been asked to present a paper on the subject: 'How successful marketing and sales can add to the value of your development'.
It is the second successive year he has been invited to speak at the event. He said: "A large proportion of our marketing campaign has been directed to supporting community organisations, local clubs and associations in Bahrain, and therefore I wish to highlight the success story of Riffa Views, as part of the success story of Bahrain."
Riffa Views's community involvement has included helping to organise the first international tennis tournament to come to Bahrain for two consecutive years in the Under 14 Asian Series, support for youth club teams in soccer, rugby and volleyball and the return of the Inter-Gulf Netball Championships to Bahrain for two consecutive years.
The new Royal Golf Club course at Riffa Views, designed by Colin Montgomerie, will open in November.
