The International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) has one more accomplishment to celebrate during its 10th Anniversary Season of presenting high-goal polo in the Palm Beaches. The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, one of South Florida’s largest business organizations, awarded IPC with their annual Business of the Year award in the $2 million plus revenue category. John Wash, president of the International Polo Club, accepted the award on behalf of the club at the luncheon banquet hosted at the Wellington Community Center.
“All of this years’ finalists exemplified the spirit of innovation, commitment to the success of their companies, and also to our area’s communities and economy,” said Jaene Miranda, chief executive officer of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce. “The International Polo Club sets an outstanding example of leadership and excellence in our business community, and we are proud to acknowledge their efforts with this year’s highest award,” added Miranda.
Upon accepting the award, John Wash praised his executive team for their high performance in delivering the best polo experience in the world. “IPC has recruited and maintained the highest caliber of professionals in their field, who strongly believe in setting the highest standards of operation at our facility,” said Wash.
Wash shared his future vision for the club with the audience. “Our goal is to grow the popularity of the sport along with us. We will continue to attract the world’s best polo players and teams.”
Indeed, 2013 has been a banner year for the polo club. At the close of the 16-week winter polo season, all previous years’ goals were surpassed for the business. New memberships at the private club tripled, food and beverage revenue reported all-time high numbers, and ticket sales and attendance saw an impressive 63.9% increase year over year. Additionally, in 2013, IPC was awarded Palm Beach County’s highest tourism award, the Providencia Award, and John Wash received the prestigious President’s Award from the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The economic impact of IPC to the Palm Beach area is conservatively estimated at close to $30 million annually.