Padel World Summit 2026 visitor numbers up 20%

Organisers of the 2026 Padel World Summit, held on 26th to 28th May in Barcelona, have announced that this year’s edition attracted 7,208 attendees, 20% more than last year, of which more than half were international.

New trends and products from across the padel industry were showcased by 140 exhibitors from more than 30 countries at the third edition of the event, its largest to date, which was jointly organised by Fira de Barcelona and the International Padel Cluster in Hall 6 of the Gran Via venue.

The Investor & Business Forum hosted 1,175 business meetings, of which 293 were part of the Hosted Buyers programme, designed to gather international buyers and investors with high decision-making capacity.

The exhibition space was 34% larger than in 2025, with the most prominent companies including Padel Nuestro, Skechers Padel, Playtomic, HIT-X by Padelgest and Realturf, alongside major brands such as Adidas, Joma, Head, Babolat, Lusotendas, Endless, TenCate Grass, Mondo, LED Projects, Matchi and Okatent.

Padel World Summit director Àlex Ponseti said the 2026 edition “has broken all previous records, highlighting the need of the padel sector to have a first-class international trade fair that drives the significant business opportunities presented by this sport, fosters alliances between professionals and promotes innovation across all fields”.

Padel Galis rewards leading startups

Innovation played a central role at the event through the Innovation Arena, sponsored by Padel Galis, which brought together 20 startups. The space showcased solutions ranging from the first-ever padel videogame to pressurisers designed to extend the lifespan of balls.

A jury comprised of investors and representatives of Padel World Summit and Padel Galis selected the three best startups. First prize went to VAM-OS, a finance and operations platform for clubs that offers real-time visibility of profitability and cash flow.

Second place went to CourtBrain, a neutral shot detection system that integrates multiple tracking solutions into a single tool.

Third place was awarded to Bopa, a ball re-pressurisation solution designed for club rental use, combining sustainability with operational efficiency.

The Innovation Stage also hosted leading international investors, including Alan Flatt (InvestTrek Capital), Ali Al Arif (SPADREC Investment Group), Hale Yildiz (Lumia Partners) and Oriol Cortada (Tripelsum Investments), who discussed the key factors in financing the next generation of padel clubs worldwide.

Meanwhile, Diego Campos (Sunrise Capital), Koen Bosma (APEX Capital), Anton Brams (Mindspring Padel) and Álvaro Ruiz Cotorro (AO Ventures) addressed investment opportunities in emerging padel-related technology companies.

Conference addresses key industry topics

The Padel Global Conference addressed key industry topics through a diverse range of speakers. Pedro Claveria, co-founder and CSO of Playtomic, explained how open APIs are transforming clubs into connected businesses. Astrid Thams, commercial managing director of Hexagon, presented the evolution of the Hexagon Cup into a global team-based padel competition.

Australian actor Darren McMullen, founder of Racquet Club, shared his commitment to bringing padel to Australia through innovative and effective commercial initiatives.

Abigail McCulloch, included in Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30 Sports’ list and founder of Alma Padel in Chicago, provided the perspective of a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Ben Hanley, responsible for the development of padel within the British Armed Forces, introduced a unique model of social and sporting integration between service members and their families.

In addition, the venue was transformed into a large indoor padel club, with ten courts installed by Padelgest, Euronix, Padel Alba, AFP Courts, Padel Galis, GreenSet, Pòrtico Sport, Padel Tech, Cent pour Cent Padel and Padel Lab.

Renowned figures such as Argentine player Fernando Belasteguín – considered the greatest player in the history of padel – and Spanish player Carolina Navarro, who held the world number one spot on the World Padel Tour for nine years, took part in activities on court.

The fourth edition of Padel World Summit will take place from 4th to 6th May 2027 at Fira de Barcelona.

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