Aimee Lawson, co-founder of Déité and founder of the Eutopia Agency, gives The Padel Paper some thoughts on her return from the Padel World Summit in Barcelona…
The Padel World Summit was a great few days catching up with people across the industry and getting a feel for where things are heading.
What struck me most was just how broad the padel ecosystem is becoming now, from technology and retail through to grassroots participation and sustainability initiatives.
One of the more interesting businesses we came across was Padel Repair Lab. Bournemouth-based founders Marco and James are helping reduce the number of padel rackets ending up in landfill by repairing damaged rackets rather than replacing them. Interestingly, they mentioned some of the larger racket brands aren’t always as supportive of repair initiatives as you might expect.
My co-founder at Déité, Paul Clarke, spent some time with Dave Sumner from Padel Speed, the Cardiff-based online retailer and pop-up shop operator, discussing all things Déité Padel Footwear and the continued growth of the UK retail market.
I also caught up with Alvaro from Varlion, who discussed some of the brand’s challenges in recent years as well as plans to rebuild its presence and push forward with ambitious international growth.
The PadelPlay team were busy introducing their latest product — a smart sensor that attaches to a racket and connects to an app to track shots, analyse performance and provide AI-driven feedback. It certainly generated plenty of interest throughout the event.
The brilliant team behind Swedish platform Courtbrain, Leo and Marcus, were back for a second year. Their app consolidates clubs, courts and availability into one place, making it easier for players to find and book courts across different venues.
Another standout was RCC Padel with their eye-catching stand (pictured above). Arina talked us through their concept, which combines a premium venue in Russia with a professional league featuring players largely from Spain and Russia. There hasn’t yet been a British player involved, so perhaps that’s something that changes in the future.
The team at Playground announced the first dedicated racket sports exhibition in France, Salon des Sports de Raquettes, scheduled for April 16–18, 2027.
At The Padel Directory event we met Gareth from Mission Padel, a fantastic initiative that brings military and civilian communities together through the sport, with a strong focus on wellbeing, teamwork and personal development.
We also spotted Enrique, the blue Padel Tots bear, making quite the entrance at The Padel Directory event. Padel Tots, founded by Jo Patterson, is introducing children aged 18 months and above to the sport through structured early-years sessions.
There was also a good conversation with Dublin-based Frenchman, Merrill, founder of Padel Boost and Love Padel, who shared some of his plans for growing his online retail business.
Finally, Padel Travel X announced a series of UK training experiences featuring former Spanish National Coach Manu Martín, giving players access to world-class coaching without having to travel overseas.
Overall, the event reinforced just how quickly padel continues to evolve. There is a huge amount of innovation happening around the sport, and it’s encouraging to see so many businesses looking at new ways to support players, operators and the wider community.
