How to Host Tournaments at Your Padel Club

Hosting tournaments at your padel club can be an excellent way to engage members, attract new players, and generate additional revenue.

This guide will provide you with the steps on how to organise, market, and run successful padel tournaments, as well as tips for securing sponsorship and maximising your profits.

Planning your padel tournament

Types of tournaments

• Regular Ongoing Tournaments – These can be weekly or monthly leagues that keep players engaged consistently.

• Special Event Tournaments – These are one-off events, often themed or tied to holidays or significant dates, that can attract larger crowds.

Frequency

• Regular Tournaments – Aim to host these at least once a month. This frequency keeps players engaged without overwhelming them.

• Special Events – Plan these quarterly or biannually to create excitement and anticipation.

Padel tournament format

• Singles vs Doubles – Decide whether your tournament will feature singles, doubles, or both.

• Round Robin vs Knockout – A round-robin format ensures everyone plays multiple matches, while a knockout format adds high stakes and excitement.

Organising padel tournaments

Registration

• Online Registration – Use online platforms for ease of use and better management. Ensure the registration process is straightforward.

• Fees – Set a reasonable entry fee. Consider offering early bird discounts to encourage early sign-ups.

Scheduling

• Match Times – Schedule matches to accommodate players’ schedules, ensuring there are no long waiting times between matches. Hosting on weekends makes the most sense too.

• Court Allocation – Plan court usage effectively to avoid delays and ensure smooth transitions between matches.

Rules and regulations

• Clearly define the rules of the tournament, including scoring systems, tiebreakers, and conduct expectations. Make these available to all participants before the tournament begins.

Player seedings and handicaps

• Consider what types of players sign up for your tournaments, you may want to separate groups by age, gender, skill level or a blend.

• You also may want to consider giving weaker players/duos a handicap so various skill levels can compete with one another. To find out skill level, you may want to ask the players’ level or years of experience in the sign-up forms.

Marketing your padel tournament

Online marketing

• Social Media – Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X to promote your tournament. Create engaging posts and consider using targeted ads.

• Email Newsletters – Send regular updates and reminders to your club members and mailing list.

• Website – Ensure your club’s website is updated with all tournament details, including registration information, schedules, and results.

Offline marketing

• Flyers and Posters – Distribute these within your club and local community centres.

• Local Media: Reach out to local newspapers, radio stations, and sports magazines for potential coverage.

Sponsorship opportunities

Finding sponsors

• Local Businesses – Approach businesses within your community that might benefit from exposure to your audience. Could a local restaurant provide lunch? Perhaps other sports facilities/clubs might want exposure to your audience too!

• Sporting Goods Stores – Companies selling padel equipment or sportswear are often keen to sponsor such events. These can be local or online businesses.

Sponsorship packages

• Tiered Packages – Offer different levels of sponsorship with varying benefits, such as logo placement, event naming rights, or promotional opportunities.

• Value Proposition – Clearly outline the benefits to potential sponsors, including audience demographics, expected reach, and potential ROI.

Maximising revenue

Entry fees

• Ensure entry fees are competitive yet sufficient to cover costs and generate profit.

On-site sales

• Merchandise – Sell branded merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, and padel equipment.

• Food and Beverages – Provide refreshments, either through your own facilities or by partnering with local vendors.

• Memberships – Use the tournaments as an opportunity to upsell players to higher membership tiers or spectators to join the club.

Raffles and contests

• Organise raffles or skill contests during the event to generate additional income.

Encourage social media posting

• Have posters or flyers and your website ask spectators and players to share selfies of their time at the tournament on social media, ideally tagging your business and using your hashtags. You can even provide free raffle tickets to those who share on socials.

• This will bring more hype to your future tournaments, and build brand awareness to generate more revenue down the line.

Enhancing the player and spectator experience

Player experience

• Welcome Packs – Provide players with a welcome pack that includes tournament information, branded merchandise, and sponsor products.

• Facilities – Ensure facilities are clean, well-maintained, and accessible.

Spectator experience

• Seating and Viewing Areas – Set up comfortable seating and clear viewing areas.

• Entertainment – Provide entertainment such as music or live commentary for featured games to keep spectators engaged. Perhaps keep a court open for spectators or younger kids to try out the sport themselves.

Post-Tournament Activities

Awards ceremony

• Host a ceremony to present trophies or prizes, recognising not just winners but also outstanding performances.

Feedback collection

• Gather feedback from participants to understand what worked well and what could be improved for future events.

Follow-up communication

• Send a follow-up email thanking participants and spectators, sharing highlights and photos from the tournament, and promoting upcoming events.

Conclusion

Hosting tournaments at your padel club requires meticulous planning, effective marketing, and a focus on enhancing the overall experience for players and spectators.

However, after you’ve hosted one, you’ll know what mistakes to rectify and be able to deliver consistently fun tournaments at your club in the future. So the best advice we can give is to jump in the deep end since they can generate a small fortune for your business.

With careful organisation and a bit of creativity, your tournaments can become the highlight of the local sporting calendar.