In the latest issue of Tradesport magazine, we can find an interview with Alex Ponseti, Managing Director of the Padel World Summit. Where he talks about how the PWS came about, the choice of Malaga as the city where the event will be held, the three main axes, key points and much more information that you can find in full in the interview.
Tradesport interview with Alex Ponseti, Managing Director of PWS.
- First of all, tell us when and why the PWS project came about.
The Padel World Summit was born at the end of 2022, although the idea comes from much earlier. It was born out of several needs. The first is to organise the rapid growth of padel not only as a sport, but also as a business. Another is to connect professionals from all over the world, both from countries where padel growth has already matured, such as Spain or Sweden, others in full expansion, such as Chile or the United Kingdom, and those that are still to come, such as the United States and China. It will also be an opportunity to learn from the best and create, together, a professional and sustainable future for padel.
- Why has Malaga been chosen?
There have been many options and making the decision has not been easy, and we have chosen Malaga thinking about the international audience, which we expect to be at least 50% of the attendees. Malaga is the best option due to its climate and location (sun and beach), it has an airport with a large number of direct international flights, as well as being a city with a great tourist attraction due to its climate and gastronomy. In addition, the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga (FYCMA) is a unique venue that offers everything we need to make the Padel World Summit a success.
- The meeting has been structured around three main themes: Congress, fair and parallel activities. Why has this segmentation been chosen?
We have chosen these axes in response to the needs of the sector, because of all the conversations we have had – and will have – with Cluster partners and other padel companies.
- What will be the key points in each of these three axes?
The Padel World Congress will be the first major congress focused on padel, where we will learn from the most prominent leaders in their fields and create debates to focus the sport in the right direction. We will talk about current affairs and trends, innovation and technology, investment and business opportunities, regulations, logistics, tourism, sustainability, inclusive sport, training, health and competitions. More than 40 presentations over 2 days in 3 simultaneous rooms will make this congress a world reference for padel. It will be a bilingual congress Spanish – English, with simultaneous translation in the presentations.
On the other hand, we will have the Padel Business Expo, the first exclusive B2B padel fair. A space dedicated to the different professionals in the sector. A perfect place to generate, during 3 days, synergies and strategic alliances, as well as to make brands visible and promote new projects. We are creating an APP so that all exhibitors and attendees can “match” with other companies and professionals, schedule meetings during the Summit in an area set up for this purpose and thus create the largest meeting point in the history of padel. The Padel Business Expo will have 3 central padel courts with bleachers and a VIP area, an environment full of glamour, atmosphere and good padel. There will also be areas for commercial talks for exhibitors who request them.
Last but not least, we will have parallel activities, which we call B2B2C ACTIVITIES. A set of events/activities/actions that will take place throughout the week in the city. Among them, we will have amateur padel tournaments for congress participants and exhibitors, Tennis Beach exhibitions on the beach of Malaga, and as icing on the cake there will be a tournament of the professional circuit.
In addition, the Padel World Summit will host the first Padel Awards, a series of awards dedicated to the best in each area, such as best player of the year, best sustainable company, best startup, best innovative company, etc. The awards ceremony will take place during the gala dinner.
- Today’s trade fairs are torn between three formulas: professional, mixed and end-consumer… Which of these formulas will the PWS opt for?
As I mentioned before, we are going to focus on an exclusively B2B fair, given that the aim is to bring together professionals from the sector. The International Padel Cluster, as the organiser of the event, has a duty to support the padel industry and there is no better way to demonstrate this than with this event.
- What are the main added values of this meeting to make it an unmissable event for the world of padel?
It is a must for any professional who works in padel or wants to work in the future, as the business opportunities during these days are unimaginable, as well as being part of the present and future of padel by being present at the congress. It will undoubtedly be “the week of padel”.
- What profile of companies will be present in Malaga?
Thanks to the good relationship between the Cluster and the padel industry, we will be able to count on the presence of the most renowned companies. Manufacturers will attend: paddle, court, ball, textile, footwear or lighting, brands, distributors, clubs, coaches, physiotherapists, professional players, press, communication and marketing companies, retailers, federations and associations, tournament promoters, as well as investors.
- What targets have you set in terms of visitors and exhibitors?
We plan to host up to 120 exhibitors and a minimum of 3,000 visitors, all of them padel professionals. This is a conservative figure that we are sure to exceed, and even more so in future editions when the Padel World Summit consolidates itself as the biggest padel event in the world.
For more information, please contact or visit www.padelsummit.com