Assoc. Prof. Dr Bülent GÜRBÜZ
REKÇAD (Recreation Studies and Research Association) Group Founder
Dr. Gurbuz received the B.Sc. degree and M.Sc degree in Physical Education and Sports from Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey and the Ph.D. degree in Recreation from the Gazi University Ankara, Turkey, in 2006. He worked as a visiting scholar at Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, USA.
He teached courses in the area of recreation at Baskent University, Hacettepe University, Ahi Evran University and Gazi Univertsity. He presented many scientific studies about recreation at international conferences, won best presentations awards many times and served in congress scientific committees. He has co-authored two books including Urbanization and Recreation and Total Quality Management in Sport Services.
He is a founding member and current president of Recreation Studies and Research Association which has members from different disciplines (sport sciences faculty, tourism faculties, faculty of forestry). He is currently working as an Associated Professor, Vice Dean and Head of the Recreation Department.
Cem TUNAVialand- Assistant General Manager responsible for Theme Park Operation
Cem Tuna has worked as the Responsible Manager at theme parks such as Dreamworld, White Water World, and Sky Point in Australia for 25 years. Holding a Venue Risk Management license, Tuna has specialized in construction projects and the operation and management of theme parks, and has also managed the operation of the Big Brother Australia TV show filmed at Dreamworld Theme park and the operations of Ayers Rock Resort, which is located in the largest desert of the world.
Having worked as Theme Park Operation Director of Vialand since 2013, Tuna was promoted to the Assistant General Manager responsible for Theme Park Operation in 2016.
Prof. Dr. Erdal ZORBA
President of Balkan Sport For All Federation
Executive Board Member of International Sport For All Federation
Dean of Sport and Science Faculty of Gazi University
Prof. Dr. Erdal Zorba was born in Hatay on July 05, 1957. He studied and graduated Primary School, Secondary School and High School in Ankara. He graduated Manisa Sport Academy in 1981. He started to work as a Research Assistant in Physical Education and Sport Department of Facult of Education of ODTÜ in 1984. He took master degree in Gazi University between 1984-1986 and second master degree in ODTÜ in 1986-1989. He studied and graduated Docdorate in the field of Physical Education and Sport in Marmara University and bacame doctor. He was the Head of Departmen between September 1990-1995, He was Deputy Dean of Fatih Faculty of Education in 1995-1996. He became associate professor in1995 and professor in 2001. He was School Manager of Physical Education and Sport Department of Muğla University between 1996-2007. He was the first founder of recreation department in Turkey. He was School Manager of Physical Education and Sport Department of Gazi University between 2007-2010.
He researched in the fied of life time sport, sport for all and recreation various countries. He has more than 150 articles, notices and projects in Turkey and in abroad. He wited following books; Body Composition and Measurement 1995, Sport For All and Physical Fitness 1999-2001, Life Time Sport 2004, Physical Activity and Physical Fitness 2008, Life Time Sport For All 2009.
He organized 9th International Sport Science Congressin 2006, International Legal Science Congress in 2008, International Sport For All and Sport Turizm Congress in 2009 and International Sport For All Federation (TAFISA) Congress in 2011 in Turkey. He was also President of Organizing Committe.
He has been elected President of Turkish Sport For All Federation and Balkan Sport For All Federation in 2008. Prof. Dr. Erdal ZORBA has been working in Physical Education of Sport Department of Gazi University. He was appointed as a School Manager on August 2015 in Physical Education and Sport Department of Gazi University and on 7 April 2016 he has been appointed as a Dean of Sport and Science Faculty of Gazi University.
Prof. Dr. Erdal ZORBA gives lectures in the field of quality of life, exercises, recreation, welness and sport turizm in national and international congress and conferences. Prof. Dr. Erdal ZORBA is married and has two children.
Hüseyin İŞLERTAŞ
Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Spor A.Ş. General Manager
Born in Kayseri in 1977, İşlertaş completed his primary education and high school education in Kayseri. Having started snow skiing at the age of 7, Islertas later became a National Ski Athlete and represented our country at the international level. Islertas completed the department of Physical Education of Vocational School of Physical Education and Sports at Nigde University.
Hüseyin İşlertaş started his professional career in the pharmaceutical industry and worked as a Biotechnology Product Specialist and was honored with numerous project awards. After 2009, he started working in specific areas of the pharmaceutical industry such as HIV, Oncology, Hepatology, and Hematology and won awards at the national and international levels.
Having served as Assistant General Manager at Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Spor A.Ş. in 2015, Islertas started working as the General Manager of the same company on 1 April 2016.
Islertas provides consultancy services in the areas of effective communication, addressing and body language training and is an expert in the field of Sales and Marketing Strategies. Hüseyin İşlertaş is married and has 3 children.
Kemal BAŞTÜRK
Aqua Florya AVM Manager
After graduating Marmara University International Relations Department in 1999, he started his business life in financial sector. After 2005 he took senior managerial positions in readymade retail business and gained experience also in international trade. As of 2013 Kemal Baştürk started to work for ECE, active in developing, leasing and managing big scale shopping center projects. He worked in management of Ankamall and Marmara Park Shopping Centers. Recently he was in charge as center manager of Park Afyon Shopping Center opened in 2015. Since August 2016, Kemal Baştürk is the manager of Aqua Florya Shopping Center.
Mehmet KELEŞ
Mayor of Düzce
Mehmet Keleş was born in Duzce in 1963. He graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Istanbul University in 1988. After graduating, he started working as civil servant at General Directorate of Civil Defense of Ministry of Internal Affairs.
He served as Civil Defense Director of Cumayeri and Uzunköprü. He served as Head of Personnel Department Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Head of Fire Authority of Istanbul and as Head of Information Resources Department. He served as board member in İDO, HALK EKMEK and BELBİM A.Ş..
He entered politics for the first time in 2004 as Mayor of Duzce and served as Mayor of Duzce for 5 years. In addition to being appointed as the Head of Subscriber Affairs Department of IETT in 2009, he also served as board member of UGETAM A.Ş. He also served as Consultant in Local Governments Directorate of Prime Ministry. From 2009 until 2014, he served as the Deputy General Secretary of Union of Municipalities of Turkey.
Elected as Mayor of Duzce in 2014, Mehmet Keles was honored with “Mayor of the Year” award at the award ceremony organized by Siyaset Magazine in 2015.
Mr. Keles still serves as the President of Union of Municipalities of Turkey where he was re-elected as the president at the board meeting held in 2015. Mehmet Keles has a graduate degree in Real Estate Development from the Institute of Science of Ankara University and is married and has three children.
Mehmet SEKMEN
Mayor of Erzurum
Born in Erzurum in 1958, Mehmet Sekmen completed his graduate degree in Banking in Ankara after graduating from the School of Business Administration of Istanbul University.
He started his professional career as a manager in a state bank. After 1985, he worked as a Certified Public Accountant and as Finance Director of a private holding. He started his active political life as the Kartal District Head of Milli Genclik Foundation. After that, he was appointed as Head of Kartal District of Refah Party. He was elected as Mayor of Samandira at the municipal elections of 1992. He became Mayor of Kartal at the municipal elections of 27 March 1994. He won again in municipal elections of 1999 and served as mayor of Kartal for two terms in total. Having served as President of Kartal Sports Club for 10 years, Sekmen Kartal completed the youth setup of Kartal Spor and also served as Union of 2nd League Clubs. He founded Kartal Spor Wrestling Club and continued to serve the sports industry. In 2002 general elections, he was selected as 22nd term Istanbul Representative. He served in Planning and Budget Commission, Environment Commission and Public works Commission in TBMM.
Between 2003-2005, he served as the member of Advisory Board for the Directorate of Local Governments of Party Head Office. In the elections of 27 July 2007, he was selected as 23rd term Istanbul Representative. During this period, he served as Coordinator of South Anatolian Region, and Coordinator of Eastern Anatolia Region, which also includes Erzurum. After that he served as Deputy President of Ak Party Directorate of Local Governments of Party Head Office and as Coordinator of Black Sea Region. Mr. Sekmen also served as Deputy President of Ak Party Directorate of Local Governments of Party Head Office and as Coordinator of Aegean Region. Mr. Sekmen continues his graduate studies, is married and has 4 children.
Prof. Dr. Metin ARGAN
Anadolu University Faculty of Sports Sciences, Head of Sports Management and Recreation Department
His research interests are marketing, entertainment marketing, sports marketing, ambush marketing, sports sponsorship management, sponsorship effectiveness, and leisure studies. He has published books titled sports marketing, sports sponsorship management, and entertainment marketing. Dr. Argan also edited a book named Sport Management, Recreation Management, and Sport Sponsorship. He have chapters in books titled as Sports Marketing, Consumer Relationship Management, and Consumer Behavior. He had many articles in peer reviewed international journals about marketing, consumer behavior, sports marketing, leisure and recreation, and sport sponsorship.
In addition, Dr. Argan has over 75 international, national, and regional presentations in the USA, Canada, Australia, Russia, South Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Argentina, Slovenia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Greece, Spain, Austria, Germany, France, Turkey etc. He currently heads the departments of sports management in sport sciences faculty and sport management and recreation in graduate school of social sciences. He has advised many companies, institutions and individuals on subject of marketing, image, service business, fitness service quality etc.
Şöhret PAKİŞ
Polin Waterparks Director Of Marketing And Communications
Şöhret Pakiş studied Economics at Bogazici University in Istanbul, and went on to receive her master’s degree in Economic History at the same university.
Her first work experience was at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.
In 2003, after working at Pfizer for 3 years, She joined the Polin Waterparks team. She worked as a Marketing Manager from 2003 until 2013. Şöhret is now the Director of Marketing and Communications at Polin Waterparks.
Şöhret Pakiş has been working as a proud member of IAAPA Europe Committee in 2014 and 2015 and IAAPA EMEA ( Europe, Middle East and Africa) M&S Committee in 2016.