Padel tournaments: member discounts under debate

Reduced entry fees for club members have long been standard practice at many padel tournaments in France. What initially seems like a fair gesture toward loyal players raises a broader question for some decision-makers: Should competitions primarily attract new players as well? That is precisely the idea put forward by Frédéric Richème, who has worked as a JAP2 padel referee for around ten years and knows the French club scene from close quarters.

As padel has grown strongly in France, numerous facilities have significantly expanded their tournament schedules. Demand is rising, starting spots are often snapped up quickly, and at the same time many clubs grant their licensed members discounted registration fees. For Richème, this practice is understandable but not necessarily without alternatives. He does not want to fundamentally challenge benefits for regulars, but he urges clubs to define more clearly what role their tournaments should play in their own development strategy.

A tournament as the club's showcase

From the experienced referee's perspective, a tournament is far more than a sporting event on a single weekend. It acts as a calling card for the entire structure. Outside players experience the courts, feel the atmosphere in the venue, judge reception and organisation, and notice services such as the bar or catering along the way. Each event therefore offers a chance to present the facility to a wider audience and reach potential new customers or future members.

Richème puts it succinctly: a tournament is a genuine tool for winning new customers. Anyone who takes this view seriously sees entry fees and framework conditions not only as internal club policy, but as part of a visible external image. Especially in regions with growing competition among venues, the first impression at a guest tournament can be decisive in whether someone returns or looks elsewhere.

The outside player between effort and price

In his analysis, Richème describes a noticeable paradox. Many external participants sometimes travel dozens of kilometres, pay travel costs, consume on site and discover the club at their first entry. Despite this commitment, in some cases they may pay higher registration fees than members who use the hall all year round. For the author, this is not a theoretical detail but a strategic signal.

The guest player could be the club's most promising commercial contact, yet indirectly helps finance cheaper starts for regular customers. Richème therefore does not argue for abandoning member privileges, but for a more deliberate balance between loyalty programmes and openness to outsiders. A tournament that only rewards existing structures, in his view, wastes opportunities for long-term growth.

Retaining members or winning new players?

The referee emphasises explicitly that the aim is not to pit two opposing camps against each other. Members contribute to club life over many months, keep training groups running and stabilise court occupancy. That their loyalty is rewarded seems legitimate to him and, in many cases, necessary to secure the base.

At the same time, according to Richème, a tournament can also be used as a development tool if clubs create targeted incentives for first-time participants. He mentions discounts on first registration, vouchers for future court bookings, free drinks, concessions for players with long journeys, or loyalty programmes open to all competitors. Such models are not meant to replace member benefits, but to complement them and make entry easier for newcomers.

The economic perspective behind entry fees

Beyond the sporting aspect, Richème reminds readers that club development is also a financial calculation. Every external player can generate additional revenue through consumption, later court bookings or recommendations within their circle of friends. A one-off discount for guests would then be less a pure cost item and more an investment in the facility's attractiveness.

Especially for younger or still little-known centres, an inviting tournament concept can make the difference in whether halls remain well occupied over time. Anyone who only looks at short-term entry fees, under this logic, overlooks possible follow-on revenue that builds over weeks and months. Tournaments thus become a building block in the marketing mix, not merely a calendar date for the core community.

No one-size-fits-all solution for every club

Richème acknowledges that there is no universal answer. An established club whose draws fill up weeks in advance pursues different goals from a young facility still building its profile. The difference between a non-profit club structure and a privately run operation also shapes pricing policy. What works in one region does not necessarily transfer to another.

The debate therefore goes well beyond the specific amount of the registration fee. It concerns the question of whether competitions are mainly intended as a privilege for members or as a lever to spread the padel boom more widely in France. For many decision-makers, this discussion is likely to resonate as the sport continues to gain momentum in the country and competition among providers increases.