Save-The-Date 02-02-2027: European Greenkeeping Summit brings industry leaders to Maastricht |
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NGA and GAB organize first joint international greenkeeping congress
The Dutch Greenkeepers Association (NGA) and the Belgian Greenkeepers Association Belgium (GAB) are jointly organizing the first European Greenkeeping Summit (EGS) on February 2, 2027. A full-day program is scheduled at the Van der Valk Hotel Maastricht featuring international speakers on themes such as leadership, climate change, agronomy, and artificial intelligence.
| Dimitri Moerenhout, Secretary GAB, and Koert Donkers, Chairman NGA |
The initiative stems from the desire of both associations to bring together greenkeepers from different countries around the challenges facing the sector. According to the organizers, issues surrounding climate change, disease and pest pressure, and the further reduction of crop protection products are at play in many Northwest European countries. Therefore, participants from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Denmark are being specifically sought. Dimitri Moerenhout, Secretary of the GAB: 'It started with the idea of ??bringing one speaker to Belgium. Eventually, that grew into a joint international congress for greenkeepers. When I discussed this with Koert Donkers, he was actually immediately enthusiastic.' Koert Donkers, Chairman of the NGA: 'In greenkeeping, national borders essentially do not exist.' The problems a greenkeeper in the Netherlands faces often occur just as much in Belgium, Germany, or Denmark.'
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It started with the idea of bringing one speaker to Belgium. Eventually, that grew into a joint international congress for greenkeepers
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Knowledge
The program includes presentations by international experts in the fields of team development, agronomy, climate, AI, and technology, among others. The language of the congress will be English, with presentations made accessible to all participants through simultaneous translation. Notably, the congress is deliberately being organized without a commercial exhibition floor or sponsor presentations. According to NGA and GAB, the event should primarily revolve around knowledge sharing and professional development. The organization expresses the ambition to further develop the meeting in the future into an international knowledge platform for greenkeepers in Northwest Europe.
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Speakers
A total of seven international speakers have now been confirmed. The program is structured around three themes: team management and leadership, agronomy, and the influence of AI, disease prediction, and climate change on golf course management. In the team management and leadership block, American GCSAA Director Rhett Evans, among others, will speak about leadership, motivation, and team development. Additionally, John McLoughlin, course manager of Wallasey Golf Club, will share his experiences with building a strong team. The agronomic program consists of presentations by turfgrass scientist Micah Woods, R&A agronomist Richard Windows, and Casper Paulussen from the Dutch Dollar Spot Research Group. Their contributions cover topics including sustainable grass management and the control of fungal diseases.
The third block focuses on the future of the profession. Researcher Valentine Godin discusses the possibilities of artificial intelligence within sports turf management, while data and climate specialist Mark Hunt addresses disease prediction, data models, and the consequences of climate change for golf courses.
Industry
The conference is organized by the NGA and GAB, but enjoys broad support from the golf sector in the Netherlands and Belgium. In the Netherlands, the NGF and the NVG are involved, among others. On the Belgian side, the initiative is supported by, among others, Golf Vlaanderen and the Association Francophone Belge de Golf (AFGolf). The NGA and GAB retain control over the content of the program.
Information
More information about the program and registration will follow later this year. The cost is €85 p.p. The organization aims for two to three hundred participants.
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This article was previously published on June 27, 2026 on the website of Greenkeeper.
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