News

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Former top professional tennis players Gigi Fernandez and Emilio Sanchez will be among the presenters at the 2016 Tennis Owners & Managers Conference in Miami March 23-25.

Fernandez, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010, holds 17 Grand Slam doubles titles and is considered one of the sport’s best doubles players of all time. In addition to two Olympic gold medals in doubles, she also has 52 pro tour doubles titles and two singles titles. As a coach, Fernandez works with adults at a club in Connecticut and conducts “Master Doubles With Gigi” clinic throughout the country. At the Tennis Owners & Managers (T.O.M.) Conference, she’ll talk about how doubles can grow tennis businesses.

Emilio Sanchez was a former world No. 1-ranked doubles and No. 7-ranked singles player, who won doubles titles at the French and US Opens. After his pro career, he remained involved in tennis in Spain, including as a TV tennis commentator and as an organizer and director for a number of tennis events. He currently owns and operates Academia Sanchez-Casal, with locations in Barcelona and Naples, Fla., where he is dedicated to the development of young tennis players. He’ll discuss how a high-performance junior tennis program may benefit tennis facilities.

The third annual T.O.M. Conference, which is presented by the Tennis Industry Association (TIA), will bring together leading experts in facility management, programming and other key areas to provide vital information to grow tennis businesses and bring in more tennis players. The event will take place at the Hilton Miami Downtown, during the 2016 Miami Open pro tennis tournament. To register, visit TheTOMConference.com.

Other T.O.M. Conference speakers will include internationally recognized performance expert Dr. Jack Groppel, the co-founder of the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute; former top-ranked pro and current TV tennis announcer Cliff Drysdale, founder of Cliff Drysdale Tennis management company and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame; tennis industry veteran and former TIA President Jim Baugh, the founder of PHIT America; and internationally known management consultant Dr. Gerald Faust, among other management and business consultants.

The T.O.M. Conference also will provide an opportunity for attendees to learn about the latest products and trends and to experience interactive resources and ideas, as the event will feature a unique Tennis Tech Fair & Resource Center and an “Idea Fair” workshop.

On the morning of Wednesday, March 23, a State of the Tennis Industry Forum will be held, prior to the start of the T.O.M. Conference. The Forum is a free event, open to all in the tennis industry, however space is limited, so registration for the Forum is required at TheTOMConference.com website.

Sponsorship opportunities for the Tennis Owners & Managers Conference are still available. Visit TheTOMConference.com/sponsorship-opportunities/ for details.

For more information or to register to attend the T.O.M. Conference and/or the State of the Industry Forum, visit TheTomConference.com or call the TIA at 843-686-3036.

About the TIA

The Tennis Industry Association, the not-for-profit trade association for tennis, is THE unifying force in the tennis industry whose mission is to promote the growth and economic vitality of tennis by working closely with the U.S. Tennis Association and industry partners to develop and implement initiatives to increase tennis participation and improve the health of industry businesses. Core TIA activities include producing more than 70 research reports annually on participation and consumer/trade research, in addition to Grow the Game Initiatives such as PlayTennis.com, 10 and Under Tennis, the GrowingTennis System™, Tennis Welcome Centers, Cardio Tennis, Careers in Tennis and Tennis Tune-Up Campaign. Visit TennisIndustry.org or call 866-686-3036.