Relationship building

Padel Relations has organised its first global networking event for padel in Amsterdam, attracting more than 40 businesses from 25 countries. The success of the event has led founder Victoria Pahlett to begin planning next year’s event

The first Padel Relations event – held in Amsterdam, Netherlands in early autumn – delivered above expectations, with more than 90 attendees representing in excess of 40 businesses from 25 countries. Entrepreneurs and innovators from the US, Africa, the Middle East and Europe came to the Dutch capital representing various sectors of the padel industry. Delegates included club owners and operators, technology providers, travel operators, clothing and equipment manufacturers and suppliers, women’s padel, court construction, and public relations.

Unlike the hurly burly of large scale expos, the two-day event was a more intimate gathering, with attendees given the chance to talk without the rush and the usual sales push.

Across the two days, attendees got an insight into the padel industry in Amsterdam with events at three locations – Peakz Padel Zuidoost, XNRGY and Padel NEXT. Delegates participated in structured networking sessions and built business connections on and off the court. The event concluded with a gala finale held in the city’s Royal Tropical Institute, including the first ever padel fashion show.

One of the key pillars of Padel Relations’ launch strategy was to have an in-person focus, bringing together industry professionals for an informal and productive networking event.

Padel Relations – a membership-based initiative – was founded by Victoria Pahlett, who previously worked for Playtomic, MATCHi, and Matchable. She is now overseeing Padel Relations full-time having founded the company at the end of 2024.

“The goal is to make personal connections and build business relationships across padel globally and this event was already part of the plan when I launched Padel Relations,” she said.

“Amsterdam was an obvious choice for the first location as it’s an international hub and I knew some of the clubs here were really excited about the idea.

“The schedule saw two fantastic days. We held a global tournament, pairing people up in group competitions, and adding downtime for everyone to mingle and talk with their new connections.

“The second day was all about networking on and off the court. We also provided the opportunity for companies to showcase new products.

“We finished with a gala event featuring a padel fashion show. This was totally unique as it’s the first one ever. Brands had the opportunity to show new collections and existing collections in an amazing location.

“Organising something like this does have its challenges but everyone attending has been great and brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm.”

Club operator Mark Lyons, from Salt Lake City, was full of praise for the event He said: “I’ve met a lot of different people that have different aspects of the padel ecosystem that I am able to connect with. Seeing what’s available and having these conversations is important to me as a club owner.

“It’s a lot more intimate than a trade fair and I got to meet more industry leaders in a more social environment. You do meet different people but you meet a lot of people and those contacts can get lost or you are simply a number. Here, you have played padel with these people, they understand more about you, so the value is greater.”

Padelpalooza founder, Antonio Goes, travelled to Amsterdam from New York and demonstrated his technology platform on the opening day ahead of going out to pre-seed for investors. “It’s great to be here with the top minds of padel who are trying to shape the future of the sport,” he said. “I heard about Padel Relations in Barcelona and fell in love with the project. It’s a great mix of padel with businesses, so it made sense to be here.”

Looking ahead to the growth of Padel Relations in its second year, Pahlett is aiming to increase its worldwide presence.

She said: “I think there are so many countries living a little bit in a bubble, I want to expose those countries to the world a little bit more.

“One example is South Africa. I think it is really underestimated. It has so many amazing clubs, great people and culture. It’s one of those countries where I want to see Padel Relations grow. Many countries are at different stages of development and I’d like to bring them all together to try and level up.”