Case Study: NTIA Annual Meeting and Golf Tournament

Mike Sorem

Organizer: Mike Sorem

Affiliation: National Technical

Investigators Association

Meeting: Annual Meeting

What was the plan?

The association, which works with law enforcement agencies, wanted to add a golf tournament to its annual meeting.“We thought it would provide another way for members to interact with exhibitors in a social setting,” says Sorem, a retired law enforcement officer from Minnesota.

The first outing was such a success that it has become an annual event, and Sorem has been chairing the outing since 1999.

Have you made any changes?

The group has tinkered with the format over the years, but purposely keeps the event laid back. The association even dropped the word tournament, calling the activity a golf outing. “A guy who’s a real duffer golfer who still wants to play, he’s not going to feel like a fool,” Sorem says, “and he can still have fun.”

What advice do you have for other planners?

“It helps to see a course before arranging a tournament,” advises Sorem. “Anything can look beautiful on the Internet, but it’s only by visiting you realize that the after-golf luncheon you’re planning will be held in a tent in the parking lot and not an actual clubhouse. If you can’t make an inspection trip before the meeting, ask a local member for recommendations.”

Mike Sorem

Organizer: Mike Sorem

Affiliation: National Technical Investigators Association (NTIA)

Event: Annual Meeting

What was the plan?

NTIA, an association that works with law enforcement agencies, wanted to add a golf tournament to its annual meeting.“We thought it would provide another way for members to interact with exhibitors in a social setting,” says Sorem, a retired law enforcement officer from Minnesota. The first outing was such a success that it has become an annual event, and Sorem has been chairing the outing since 1999.

Have you made any changes?

What advice do you have for other planners organizing a golf event?