Property+Padel launched last week at Padium in London’s Canary Wharf to set the stage for future collaborations between two sectors that are becoming increasingly intertwined.
The ground-breaking event, co-founded by Chartered Surveyor Rohit Grewal and Padel 22’s Ben Nichols, was designed to bridge the gap between the property and padel industries.
The debut event, attended by professionals from real estate, investment and the rapidly expanding world of padel, focused on fostering connections, exploring the opportunities that exist for both sectors, and addressing the pressing challenges that padel operators face, particularly in relation to planning regulations and land acquisition – the UK’s ‘planning issue’.
The event opened with an engaging session led by Houman Ashrafzadeh, CEO of Padium (pictured above, centre), and Shobi Khan, CEO of Canary Wharf Group (above, right), who shared their story of finding solutions for integrating padel into urban landscapes. Their presentation highlighted new opportunities in UK real estate and how padel can play a crucial role in post-pandemic property development.
Recognising the growing interest in emerging padel markets like the UK and US, Nichols and Grewal secured a standout panellist, Alan Flatt, CEO of EEP Capital and Investtrek Capital. Flatt, who is widely considered the United States’ foremost padel investment expert, explored cross-continental opportunities in the sport and the growth trends emerging in the US market. His insights energised the audience, underscoring how early the US is in its padel journey and the immense opportunities on the horizon for the world’s largest sports market.
After a lively networking lunch, the day continued with presentations from WSB Sport’s Pierfrancesco Iazeolla and Padel Ventures’ Gareth Evans, who discussed their recently-announced joint venture “Plan, Build & Profit,” a strategic collaboration aimed at growing padel across the UK. Their session explored the benefits of expert consultancy with building padel clubs, and focussed on how real estate and padel operators can work together to create profitable facilities.
One of the most eagerly awaited moments of the event came when Searchland’s Strategic Account Executive, Harry Wright, took to the stage to showcase how Proptech is revolutionising site acquisition for padel. Wright demonstrated how Searchland’s technology is transforming the way operators work, identifying off-market development sites, dramatically simplifying the process for padel developers. This breakthrough is set to be a game-changer, allowing operators to secure suitable locations in a fraction of the usual time.
Property+Padel Co-Founders, Grewal and Nichols, said: “We are delighted with the response to the very first Property+Padel, which was hosted at London’s top venue, Padium, last week. To bring together Britain’s leading real estate and padel business professionals at this time felt like a significant moment in the sport’s journey.
“It’s clear from the discussions and debates that we heard on stage, and the reaction since the event, that this is an event of its time, a much-needed addition if the property sector is to continue to evolve, and if padel’s potential is to be realised. We are hugely thankful to Houman and the Padium team for hosting this successful debut event, to the speakers that made the day what it was, and to our sponsors, without whom Property+Padel wouldn’t have even been ‘a thing’. We look forward to providing some exciting announcements regarding our 2025 plans very soon.”
Property+Padel’s first US event will take place on Wednesday 22 January at Padel United Sports Club in New Jersey.
Attendees then had the opportunity to get on court with former UK No.1 Jorge Martinez, making the most of a high-energy padel mix-in, with many real estate professionals experiencing the benefits of padel for the first time.
