Adrien Westermann: "Padel is becoming a real territory for brand expression"

Two days before the launch of theFIP Bronze Marnes-la-Coquette 2026The organizers are continuing to structure a project that aims to gradually establish itself within the French padel scene. Beyond the sporting organization, another issue is gaining increasing importance: that of partnerships and the experience offered to brands.

Alongside Victor, Adrien Westermann is working on this strategic dimension surrounding the tournament: activation, partner experience, consistency of initiatives, and development of the event's image. Having worked in sports marketing agencies, startups, and then at the LFP (French Professional Football League), he sees padel as a particularly interesting arena for companies seeking closer relationships and engagement.

"Creating more than just an event"

How did you get involved in the FIP project in Marnes-la-Coquette?

Victor told me about the project with a very clear vision: to create a high-quality, human-scale event capable of growing gradually.

That's what appealed to me. I've always worked in environments where the aim is to create more than just an event: a coherent experience, with partners who have something to say.

I first experienced this in a sports marketing agency, then in the startup world, and then especially at the LFP (French Professional Football League) working on sponsorship and activation. Even today with Trajectoire Studio, the idea remains the same: to build solutions that bring value to brands, audiences, and participants.

Padel is exciting for that reason today.

"We didn't just want to add up logos."

What exactly is your role in the organization?

Victor is largely in charge of the operational and organizational aspects of the tournament. For my part, I work more on structuring partnerships, activations, and the overall experience surrounding the event.

Very early on, we decided that we didn't want to simply add logos around the fields. Even for a first, rather confidential edition, still "artisanal" at times, we wanted to create something coherent.

The question for us is: how can a brand truly find its place in this environment? How can it bring something useful or memorable to players and visitors?

HEAD and CUPRA as the first strong signals

You managed to convince important partners right from this first edition…

Yes, and honestly, it's a real satisfaction because we're talking about a first edition. We had to convince people that the project was credible, serious, and above all that it had a medium-term vision.

The inclusion of iconic padel players like HEAD is undoubtedly a strong signal. The same goes for CUPRA, given its regional roots. These are brands that understand the sport's standards and carefully select their activations.

But what is also interesting are all the discussions we have had with brands that do not necessarily come historically from padel, but who see in this sport an extremely dynamic territory of expression.

"Padel has become much more than just a sport."

Why are brands paying so much attention to padel today?

Because padel has become much more than just a sport.

There is obviously the growth of the sport, but above all everything around it: the communities, the networking/padel networks, the corporate events, the company seminars, the social content… Brands see that it is an extremely lively and relational environment.

And what's interesting is that it remains a fairly accessible space. You can create simple, natural exchanges with players, practitioners, guests, or decision-makers.

Even at a FIP Bronze, we're still talking about 150 to 200 players present over a week, with a lot of traffic, time spent on site and a real sense of closeness.

For some brands, this is much more engaging than a very massive but impersonal activation.

Well-being, skincare, recovery: new territories to explore

What type of partners would you like to attract in the future?

We want to continue exploring quite varied territories.

For example, we would have loved to integrate more partners related to skincare, wellness or cosmetics, for both men and women, to transform certain areas — such as the changing rooms or recovery areas — into real comfort experiences for the players.

This is exactly the kind of activation we're interested in: something useful, natural, and consistent with the context.

Padel allows for this because people truly experience the event. They stay on site, interact, consume content, and spend time together. For a brand, it's a very rich platform for expression.

"Growing the project intelligently"

So this FIP Bronze is a first step?

Yes, completely.

We remain very humble about the current size of the project. A FIP Bronze is still a relatively niche event in the world of sports, and this first edition requires a huge amount of energy.

But that's precisely what's so stimulating about this still very handcrafted aspect. We learn, we adjust, we exchange a lot with partners and players.

The main objective today is to demonstrate that we can produce a high-quality, coherent and enjoyable event.

Next, the FIP Silver in September will allow us to take another step forward, with greater visibility and a very interesting context just before the Paris Major Premier Padel.

And obviously, we are already thinking about what comes next for 2027, with the desire to continue to grow the project intelligently, without skipping steps.

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