Announcing a Custom Pickleball in the Sun Paddle and Join me at the Pickleball Business Forum

Happy Friday! It's shaping up to be an exciting weekend in the world of pickleball. Major League Pickleball is in full swing throughout the weekend, and on Monday, the highly anticipated USA Pickleball National Championships will kick off a week-long series of competitions.

I'm thrilled to be heading to Dallas on Sunday, where I'll be attending another thrilling Championship Sunday at MLP. Moreover, I'm excited to witness the Pickleball Boulevard setup created by the collaborative efforts of the USA Pickleball and PPA Tour teams at the Brookhaven Country Club ahead of Tuesday's Pickleball Business Forum. I am honored to be included as a panelist among a distinguished lineup of industry leaders in the sport.

In addition to these exciting events, I'm delighted to unveil a special custom pickleball paddle collaboration with Pickleball in the Sun , Centerline Athletics , and Nettie Pickleball Co. ! Over the past four years, I've wanted to design my own paddle, and I've been fortunate to collaborate with numerous talented women in the sport.

The Pickleball in the Sun paddle represents a unique collaboration, featuring exclusive artwork by the local Ponte Vedra artist, Melissa Rinaldi. Design elements were crafted by my friend Annah O'Keefe , who originally designed the Pickleball in the Sun brand. The paddle itself was created by Nadine Nevitt , who is also one of the talented female designers behind the forthcoming Centerline Athletics premium performance pickleball apparel brand.

These paddles are available for pre-order now and make for the perfect holiday gift for friends and family who have a pickleball paddle on their holiday wish lists. Thank you to fellow female entrepreneur, Catherine Baxter of Nettie Pickleball Co., for making this collab possible!

More info shared in my video below:

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Honored to be a Panelist at the Pickleball Business Forum

I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to speak at the upcoming Pickleball Business Forum, which will be hosted at the prestigious USA Pickleball National Championships. This marks my third time attending Nationals, and I look forward to sharing insights on media and marketing strategies. Drawing from my experiences in promoting America's fastest-growing sport over the past four years, alongside an impressive lineup of industry leaders.

Below are the full details about the Pickleball Business Forum and all the events happening throughout the week at the USA Pickleball National Championships in Dallas.

By Andrew Gilman - PPA Tour

Want to hear in what direction paddle technology is headed? Interested in which demographics are playing, consuming, and investing in pickleball? Want to learn what criteria can make a social media post go ‘viral’? Enjoy hearing why companies are betting on pickleball to help amplify their brands? Interested in what kind of rule changes may be still in store for pickleball?

In the middle of the biggest pickleball event in the country, there’s a great chance for you to learn.

No, not from the pros on the courts, but from the pros in the business of pickleball.

On Tuesday, Nov. 7 at Brookhaven Country Club, the site of this year’s BIOFREEZE USA Pickleball National Championships, industry leaders, investors, sponsors, media professionals, and more will be on hand and you can take part in a day of discussion, and engagement in the world of pickleball.

The event opens at 9 a.m. with breakfast and a chance for everyone to get settled in. The business panels, which will feature topics ranging from the business of pickleball to the media and sponsorships of pickleball, kick off at 10 a.m. Lunch is also included and served at midday, and the panels conclude with a Molson Coors Happy Hour from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.?

After the Molson Coors Happy Hour ends, attendees are encouraged to buy tickets and walk over to the Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown on Championship Court, which takes place that evening at 7 p.m. and features Scottie Scheffler, Dirk Nowitzki, John Isner, Tony Romo, Tyler Seguin, and Jason Kidd.

Get your tickets here

There will be five panels and a variety of topics discussed throughout the day (see below).

THE BUSINESS OF PICKLEBALL

Panelists:

David Pillsbury , CEO of Invited

Anne Worcester , strategic advisor to Major League Pickleball

Zubin Mehta , Owner of Major League Pickleball team, the L.A. Maddrops

PICKLEBALL RULES AND EQUIPMENT

Panelists:

PPA Tour No. 1 ranked player Ben Johns

Mike Nealy , USA Pickleball CEO

Athena Trouillot, former pro and professional pickleball coach to Catherine Parenteau

THE PICKLEBALL MEDIA LANDSCAPE

Panelists:

Bob Whyley , executive producer at The Tennis Channel

Thomas Shields of the popular news outlet, The Dink Pickleball

Laura Gainor , from Vossberg Gainor , the world’s first pickleball marketing agency

THE WORLD OF PICKLEBALL SPONSORSHIPS

Panelists:

Ernie Garcia , Carvana founder and CEO

Elise Ivy , co-founder of Rokne Pickleball

Molly Brown , global brand partnerships & marketing at Holland America Line

PICKLEBALL MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Panelists:

Tyson Apostol , Survivor winner and pickleball influencer

Kaitlyn Kerr , Major League Pickleball team owner

Jared Paul , founder of “the Kitchen” Facebook group

The panels will be an excellent chance to network with some of the biggest decision-makers in the game as they discuss the business of pickleball, trends in the industry, innovative processes, the spreading of new ideas, opportunities in the future of pickleball, how media and sponsorships fuel the sport, and how to help your brand be successful through social media.?

Attendees can expect to see pickleball club owners, buyers in the business, manufacturers and distributors, coaches and instructors, agencies, and brand representatives among those speaking and in attendance – a great opportunity for socializing with others in the pickleball industry.

Purchase Tickets:

Pickleball Boulevard at the BIOFREEZE USA Pickleball National Championships powered by Invited

PICKLEBALL BOULEVARD - the entertainment hub of the sport’s largest ever tournament – will be the center of the pickleball universe from Nov. 5-12 at Brookhaven Country Clubin Farmers Branch, an inner-ring suburb of Dallas Across beer gardens, music venues, culinary immersions, tasting rooms, interactive games, kid-friendly activities, customizable merchandise, premium viewing platforms and more, Pickleball Boulevard at Nationals will elevate the experience to heights never before seen in pickleball.

Tuesday, November 7th features the Celebrity Pickleball Showdown featuring Dirk Nowitzki, John Isner, Tony Romo, Tyler Sequin, Jason Kidd and Scottie Scheffler.

Visit USA Pickleball's website for the full schedule and to purchase tickets:

Watch Major League Pickleball This Weekend!

Major League Pickleball is LIVE from Dallas all weekend long ahead of the USA Pickleball National Championships! Today kicks off the Premier League matches with the full lineup below.

Watch live on MLP's YouTube Channel.