Padel World Summit unveils the first big names of the Global Padel Conference

Six key figures in the global expansion of padel will star in the Global Padel Conference and the Innovation Arena, the congress and investment forum of Padel World Summit (PWS), which will take place from 26 to 28 May at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue. Bill Ullman, Mark Hewlett, Ignacio Soto Borja, Inés Álvarez, Ben Hanley and Patricio Misitrano will share their insights on how to promote the economic and business growth that is transforming this sport worldwide.

Padel World Summit is the international benchmark event for the main players in the industry: operators, investors, manufacturers and brands that converge around the great growth opportunities of padel on a global scale. Within this framework, the Global Padel Conference becomes a strategic platform to anticipate trends, exchange growth models, and lay the foundations for agreements on projects within the event’s own ecosystem.

With more than 40 experts, and under the theme “Next Padel: vision, alliances and power of transformation”, the 2026 edition of the congress will address the great challenges and opportunities of the industry through six thematic blocks that cover the entire padel ecosystem: the global and institutional expansion of the sport, sustainable business models for clubs and operators, the alliances and collaborations that drive the growth of the sector, technology and digital innovation, the training and professionalization of talent, and the emotional power of the community and lifestyle that surrounds padel.

The Global Padel Conference is complemented by the Innovation Arena, whose stage hosts more than 50 additional presentations on startups, technology and investment. In total, the event brings together over 90 voices from the global padel ecosystem.

The first 6 trailblazers of the expansion of padel
Among the hundred speakers brought together around these professional meetings, six names stand out for their paramount international relevance in the world of padel, and because they are spearheading the global expansion of this sport as an industry from the United States, Mexico, Argentina and the United Kingdom.

The financier Bill Ullman, current President of the United States Padel Association (USPA), is one of the key figures in the projection of padel, both as a player and as the Co-Founder of the Anglo-American Padel Cup, a tournament where the national teams of the United States and the United Kingdom face each other.

Mark Hewlett is CEO of Soul Padel, a British company that, founded in 2023, has specialized in the construction and management of padel centres in the United Kingdom.

The former world number one, the Argentinean Inés Álvarez will explain the situation of the College circuit in Argentina and the United States. The Englishman Ben Hanley is behind a programme to integrate padel in the British Army as a means for the integration of military and civilian life.

Likewise, American consultant Patricio Misitrano, Founder of Racket Social Club, one of the leading padel operators, and an expert in commercial strategy, will be moderating a presentation on how padel can continue to grow as an open, social and accessible sport, without sacrificing excellence, the quality of professional relationships and the strategic value of its industry.

Along these lines, the Innovation Arena will host an exclusive interview with Mexican businessman Ignacio Soto Borja, pioneer of this sport born in the 60s, and current Vice President of the International Padel Federation, and President of the Mexican Federation of this sport.

Leading companies
In addition to the congress and under the theme ‘Where passion meets business’, the Padel World Summit will bring together more than 150 exhibitors –including leading firms such as Mejorset, Babolat, Playtomic, Skechers, Mondo, Ingode, Joma, Lusotendas, Endless, Padel Galis and Padelgest– and will feature the Play Arena, ten courts hosting new product launches, exhibition matches and brand activations

Padel World Summit 2026 will be held in Hall 6 of the Gran Via venue and expects more than 6,000 professional visitors from all over the world.

Barcelona, 30 March 2026

Edu Pérez Moya / Folc Lecha
93 233 21 66 / 93 233 35 55
[email protected] / [email protected]