Sports Facility Management in Tough Times program.

Sports Facility Management in Tough Times is the 2009 Australian event for sports and fitness facility managers to gain insight from the best in the industry.

Lead by the Victorian State Sports Centres Trust, this event is not to be missed. Australia's leading sports facility professionals will gather from across the country to share latest trends and information.

Sports Facility Management in Tough Times will be officially opened by the Hon James Merlino MP, Victorian Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs.  The program is fully catered, features a tradeshow of industry contractors and suppliers and boasts an impressive line up of presenters, including Australia's leading Social Forecaster Phil Ruthven and Australia's ‘Super Coach' Brian Goorjian. 

A unique opportunity exists to gain a wealth of powerful and comprehensive industry information for your business as Australia's best known economic and social forecaster Phil Ruthven takes a look into the future.  Phil Ruthven is the founder and Executive Chairman of the IBIS Group, Australia's best known business information, forecasting and strategic services corporation. He is also a director of other companies, advisory boards and charitable organisations.  IBIS' main business is the provision of information and forecasting, covering industries, enterprises and the business environment. It also provides Strategic Planning, Top Level Management Consulting and advice on takeover and merger projects.

IBIS' has earned the reputation as an astute forecasting and advisory corporation, based on its unique and comprehensive databases. Its foresight and insight of business trends is outstanding, with the most envious record of accuracy amongst its peers in the nation. Their clients include one-third of the nations top 500 corporations and government authorities. IBIS has become the premier provider of information to the Australian business community.

Phil contributes regularly to radio, TV, newspapers, magazines and documentaries on business, economic and social issues. He continues to be one of the nation's most frequent and prolific commentators in demand by the media, and is arguably Australia's most respected futurist

Australia's Super Coach Brian Goorjian will talk of his success on and off the basketball court as he applies sporting principles to the business world.  Brian Goorjian is the most successful coach in Australian basketball, commencing his NBL coaching career in 1988.  He has coached nearly 700 games with a remarkable 70% winning percentage.  Brian has won five NBL championships and five "Coach of the Year" awards, something no other coach has accomplished.  He was voted by his peers the greatest coach in the NBL's first 25 seasons.

More recently, Goorjian's Sydney Kings created history by winning three consecutive NBL Grand Finals between 2002 and 2005. Teams coached by Brian Goorjian have reached the semi finals or better for 20 consecutive seasons, which is quite remarkable and virtually unchallenged in any code.  In 2007/2008, Goorjian coached the Sydney Kings team to a record-breaking 27 wins and just 3 losses in the regular season and last season, Brian amazingly took the South Dragons from the bottom of the ladder to league champions.

Also presenting and sharing ideas will be Ross Coggan from Sydney Olympic Park and Aquatic Centre, Robert Verboon from Challenge Stadium in Perth, Bryan Pryde from the Sleeman Centre in Brisbane and myself, Simon Weatherill, CEO of the Victorian State Sport Centres Trust.

Be apart of this collaborative event that will gather industry leaders from all over Australia to network, share ideas and interact with industry colleagues.  Sports Facility Management in Tough Times is a one day investment to make informed decisions for the future management of your facility.  Can you afford to miss this opportunity?