First you need a little sand

Geoffrey Rowe is a major driving force behind the stunning success of the action-packed Phuket Thailand Open, part of the Swatch FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, now in its fourth year.

The top-notch competition on Karon Beach this past week - just ending today and offering US$190,000 in prize money - has become the country's biggest beach-volleyball tournament and draws a massive international television audience.

Four years ago it was the Phuket Challenger, on Patong Beach, and already drawing tremendous attention from top players, both local and foreign.

The FIVB - global volleyball's governing body - gave it a close look and approved Phuket as a battleground on the World Tour, and the name was changed to the Phuket Thailand Open.

"It's crucial for Thai players, because at least two home teams will make it into the main draw," says tournament director Rowe, a 58-year-old Englishman who's also managing director of Pentangle Promotions, a sports-event booster.

"That means they automatically gain valuable world-ranking points. This year three of the host sides are eligible for the main draw after the third team's win in the recent pre-qualifying match in Bangkok.

"We now have more opportunity to discuss matters with the FIVB," Rowe notes. "If they accept our proposals, we can keep the Phuket Thailand Open moving in the right direction."

Thailand has plenty of famous beach paradises, so why Phuket?

"Before making a decision whether the World Tour event should be staged at Cha-am, Hua Hin or Pattaya," says Rowe, "we surveyed those beaches and found that, to organise such a big competition, you badly need unique locations that mark it as a truly innovative model of sports entertainment.

"The beach must be 50 metres wide and 200m long. Additionally, the province must have tourist attractions and an airport. Thinking about this, Phuket was the first name that came to my mind. The province has spectacular venues and all the elements needed to stage the World Tour event."

The past three years have tossed up several obstacles, topped by unreliable weather. Gusty winds and giant waves have ruined the man-made courts.

"Things have changed since then," Rowe says. "Players no longer need to worry about court conditions. We've meanwhile increased seating capacity to 3,000 on centre court and set up two electronic scoreboards.

"But this big event is being held in southern Thailand, so the grandstands and other necessary equipment must be transported from Bangkok. That costs a lot."

The global financial crisis hasn't dampened the tournament's excitement, though. The planet's top players always arrive to set off sparks and amaze the crowds.

Beach volleyball's rise is a compelling story. There were only three events in 1989, contested by a handful of countries. Now it's a truly globe-spanning sport, with a kinetic tour that dips into Phuket and not only provides the pros with a stepping stone to upcoming major competitions, like the Olympics, but also promotes local tourism.

It brings a lot of fans to the sea-kissed province and traditionally kicks off high season for the island's travel industry.

Rowe, a former managing director of Swedish Motors Plc, played a significant role in bringing to Thailand licensed Women's Tennis Association events - the Volvo Pattaya Open and PTT Pattaya Open.

His Pentangle Promotions has organised the WTA tournaments for 18 years, and for eight years has staged the Mercedes Trophy Golf Tournament, which gives six young golfers a chance to compete in the US.

Still, Rowe is genuinely delighted to see the volleyball event take off.

"Aside from the surprising 40-per-cent increase in participating teams over last year, the Phuket Thailand Open has continued to grow in leaps and bounds. The live broadcast of the six-day event reaches 2.3 million to five million households worldwide.

"We've also initiated various interesting activities that spectators from all walks of life can join. They include a beach-volleyball clinic for kids, a beer garden, fun games at the sponsors' booths and the Federbrau Beach Volleyball Hotel Challenge - the amateur competition for hotel staff.

"The Phuket Thailand Open is not only pure sport, it mixes well with entertainment," he says.

"I'm satisfied with everything we've done to make the 2009 edition another huge success. We increased the seating capacity and facilities. We added two more courts, making it seven in total, including the 3,000-seat Centre Court.

"With the extensive coverage before and during the event, the Phuket Thailand Open will act as a magnet to attract more local tourists and foreign visitors to Phuket and Thailand."

Swatch has now renewed its contract as title sponsor of the World Tour until 2012. That means Phuket will have its big splash in the sand for at least another three vibrant years.