The Assizes of the Padel Pierre-Emmanuel Gillaizeau reveals the behind-the-scenes of an event in full structuring

Organized at Renard Theatre in Paris , the second edition of Assizes of the Padel confirms the ambition of Paddiction Business Club : to structure a rapidly expanding ecosystem. At the origin of this initiative, Pierre-Emmanuel Gillaizeau Founder Paddiction, looks back at the genesis of the project, its objectives and the prospects for the evolution of an event that is gradually establishing itself as a highlight of French padel .

An idea born from a simple observation: the players do not meet

The origins of the Assises du PadelThere is a field observation. By launching his magazine Paddiction in 2024 distributed to 28,000 copies at the Paris Major Pierre-Emmanuel Gillaizeau travels across France to meet the people involved in padel.

Very quickly, one observation becomes clear:

"The actors know each other by name, but they can't put a face to a name."

In a rapidly growing sport, communication remains limited. The idea of the Assises (National Conference) therefore naturally emerged: to create a space for meeting, discussion and sharing .

"Everyone told me: it would be good if we could meet, if we could exchange ideas."

The objective is clear: to foster a truly structured ecosystem capable of creating value.

"Alone, you can do it. But when there are several of you, you can go even further."

Structuring a rapidly exploding sport

Padel is currently experiencing a rapid growth in France with a proliferation of practice venues and the constant arrival of new players. But this expansion also poses challenges.

"It's a sport that's exploding... but it lacks that very entrepreneurial and structured market aspect."

For Pierre-Emmanuel Gillaizeau, structuring begins first and foremost with exchange and transmission .

"New players arrive every day, but with ideas that already exist."

Hence the importance of drawing on the experience of pioneers, such as Claude Baigts as mentioned during the event:

"You have to know where you come from to know where you're going."

A key principle to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and to support sustainable growth.

A roundtable discussion built with and for the stakeholders

A central moment of the conference, the round table is part of an evolving process. The event, still young, adapts with each edition.

"We learn lessons every time. In Bordeaux, there are things I've already corrected in Paris."

The content is not decided in isolation. It is directly influenced by the needs on the ground.

"The actors themselves came to me saying: we want to participate, we want to exchange ideas."

The evolution between the two editions is significant: from a desire for visibility, the participants are now moving towards a seeking exchanges and collaboration .

"Today, we're reaching a point where we need to create an event that gives everyone a voice."

The issue is also economic: to offer a real added value to those who are travelling.

"Attending the Assizes is an investment, at the very least of time. It has to bring something about it."

Clubs, at the heart of development… but still too often absent

If the event takes on a national dimension, with stages at Bordeaux and Paris, soon to be in Lyon or Marseille Pierre-Emmanuel Gillaizeau identifies a major area for improvement: the presence of clubs.

"The key players are the padel clubs. But they are not present enough."

This is paradoxical, given that they are at the center of the ecosystem.

"Today, the heart of the ecosystem is the clubs."

The objective is therefore clear for future editions: to better integrate them and demonstrate the concrete benefits of these meetings .

"They need to see what it can bring them, what it can generate for them."

Through the Paddiction Business Club The ambition is also to create a trust label for industry players.

"You can work with them, you can trust them."
The Assizes of the Padel The meeting of French padel stakeholders makes a stop in Paris

A successful Paris edition, on to the next one!

After a first edition in Bordeaux, this move to Paris represented a real test .

"It was a big challenge to go to the Paris region... and the event went extremely well."

The overall assessment is largely positive, driven by feedback from participants:

"When I left, I only received extremely positive feedback. I am very satisfied."

But the organizer remains realistic: there are areas for improvement, particularly in terms of interaction with the public and participation of padel centers .

"The goal is to bring back even more centers and give the public an even greater voice."

This edition marks a key milestone:

"You needed to have a reputation, legitimacy... today, that's been achieved."

From now on, the Assizes of Padel are entering a new phase of development, with prospects already identified:

"Next step, Lyon or Marseille. It might be Marseille before Lyon."

A territorial deployment that confirms the desire to establish this event permanently in the French padel landscape.

Maceo ZERHAT

Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 in Savigny-sur-Clairis, Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!