Padel is the sport that is conquering the whole of Italy, with an ever-increasing number of enthusiasts (1.2 million players in 2023, including amateurs and professionals). For those who manage a sports center, including this sport in their offer, along with more traditional disciplines such as soccer and tennis, can be a strategic choice to diversify services, increase the number of clients and retain those already acquired. Suffice it to say that from 2019 to date, the increase in revenue for this sport has been 80%. In this guide, we will look at the benefits of diversifying a sports center’s offerings through the opportunities of the padel business.
Why integrate padel into a sports center?
The benefits of incorporating padel courts into a sports center are numerous:
- Expand choice: offering a wider range of sport activities makes it possible to meet the needs of a more diverse audience and build the loyalty of regular customers, who will have the opportunity to try a fun and challenging new discipline.
- Increase engagement: Being a social and engaging sport, padel lends itself to being played in pairs or with friends. This can help create a positive and lively atmosphere within the sports center, promoting interaction among customers.
- Attract new customers: Padel is a very trendy discipline that attracts a diverse audience of men and women of all ages. Having new, modern padel courts can attract the attention of a new audience that does not normally visit the sports center.
Positive implications for business
Most of the turnover of sports centers currently comes precisely from the rental of padel courts (a 90-minute slot has an average cost of 35-40 euros). By investing in this field we will therefore be going to:
- Intercept a growing demand: The popularity of padel is steadily rising, and this represents an unmissable opportunity for sports centers wishing to have more members.
- Increase turnover: Padel courts are in high demand and can generate high turnover. In addition, you can offer courses, tournaments and special packages to further increase revenue.
- Improve center image: Padel is a trendy sport and associating it with your brand allows you to strengthen your image and stand out from the competition.
You should keep in mind that you can recoup the investment of building a padel court in about 2 years and that, in the same space occupied by a single tennis court, as many as 3 padel courts fit.
Success stories
Numerous sports centers throughout Italy have already successfully included padel in their offerings, achieving great results and recording a considerable increase in the number of members. Here are some examples:
Collalbrigo Sports Center
This is a club that has been active for several years with fields for padel and five-a-side soccer, nestled among the beautiful hills of Treviso. In 2023, the management decided to improve its offerings with an additional 3 scenic padel courts covered by a marquee structure customized in every detail.
Smash Vicenza
After the construction of the 3 padel courts in 2021, they decided to invest in covering the courts to give their customers the opportunity to train 365 days a year. The solution was to create an insulated and fully equipped structure so that customers could train without any problems even on days of bad weather or harsh climate.
Spark Vicenza
This is a multisport club on the shores of Marola Pond (near Torri di Quartesolo). Thanks to a partnership with Favaretti Padel, they were able to upgrade their offerings regarding their historic business, beach volleyball, with the construction of a double membrane pressostatic ball. They then assigned us the construction of padel courts: for them we built 4 panoramic padel tracks, fitting them within the existing masonry structure.
FVG Padel (Udine + Trieste + Gorizia).
With more than 2.5 M of investment in the Padel world in the last 3 years, the FVG group is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most structured and relevant realities in the Triveneto region. And not only that. With 5 tensostructures (+5,500sqm covered) and 15 padel rinks they have become one of the most important players at the national level as well.
Other diversification strategies for sports centers
In addition to implementing padel courts, there are several strategies for diversifying a sports center’s offerings:
- Organizing padel tournaments: this allows to involve an even wider audience and to retain customers who are passionate about this discipline.
- Offer courses: allowing its members to take advantage of lessons with qualified instructors allows further differentiation of the offer.
- Offer special packages: to boost attendance, it is advisable to offer packages with discounts for repeated rental of padel courts.
- Create a relaxation and refreshment area : organizing a cozy area where customers can relax after the game and enjoy a drink or snack is an added value for any sports center.
Integrating padel into one’s sports center is a strategic choice to diversify the offer, increase the number of customers and retain those already acquired. For those who want to open a sports center or own one and are thinking of modernizing it by adding padel courts, this is an excellent opportunity.
At Favaretti Padel, we have more than 40 years of experience in the sports roofing and marquee industry. We handle the construction of padel courts in its entirety, from design to production, including consulting on obtaining the necessary permits.