Racquet industry leaders will take to the main stage of the 2020 Racquet & Paddle Sports Show on Jan. 22-24 in Orlando, Fla. Industry leaders representing organizations such as the USTA, US Squash, USA Pickleball, World TeamTennis, National Club Association, PTRAmerican Sports Builders Association and more will share industry trends, insights and expertise to help racquet industry professionals drive the business of the sport forward in 2020.

Jon Levey, a respected author and journalist in the racquet and tennis industry will be the event host of the main stage. Levey has handled Grand Slam coverage, features, instruction and gear reviews for Tennis Magazine since 2000 and also contributes to “Pro Shop” equipment features on tennis.com.

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The industry gathering will begin with hands-on product testing at Demo Day: Lake Nona Experience, at the USTA National Campus, on Jan. 21. The Show Floor, open Jan. 22-24 and co-located with the PGA Merchandise Show at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), will feature more than 100 comprehensive exhibits, a multi-use court demonstrations, table tennis tournament, complimentary industry presentations and an extensive educational programming, including the Tennis Owners & Managers (TOM) Conference and the Complimentary Regional Education Day (Jan. 22) presented by USTA Florida, USPTA Florida and RacquetFit.

Schedule:

Wednesday, January 22

9:15-9:45 a.m. — Impulse Purchases: Using Accessories to Increase Sales
Karen Giberson, President, Accessories Council

10-10:30 a.m. — Cost-Effective Indoor Tennis Facilities
Geoffrey Ching, Director of Sales, ClearSpan; Berhe Serekeberhan, Owner Blakeney Racquet Club (Charlotte, NC)

11 a.m.-12 p.m. — The Future of Pickleball (panel discussion/Q&A)
Dan Santorum, CEO of PTR and PPR; George Bauernfeind, Managing Director, Marketing & Communications USA Pickleball Association; Fred Stringfellow, Executive Director, American Sports Builders Association

12:15-1 p.m. — Update on USTA Programming & Pathways
Craig Morris, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA National Campus

1:15-2 p.m. — In Full Swing: Racquet Sports Growing Popularity at Private Clubs
Henry Wallmeyer, President & CEO, National Club Association

2:15-3 p.m. — Leading With Change & Innovation
Scott Steinberg, CEO, TechSavvy Global

3:30-4:30 p.m. — 2020 Vision for World TeamTennis: Innovation, Expansion and Technology
Carlos Silva, President & CEO, World TeamTennis (WTT)

Thursday, January 23

9:15-9:45 a.m. — Pioneering True Private Pickleball at the Tennis Club at Newport
Sean Bollettieri-Abdali, High-Performance Coach and Multi-Private Tennis Club Owner

10-10:45 a.m. — Growing Your Community While Growing Your Business
Delaine Mast, National Director, Community Tennis, World TeamTennis

11-11:45 a.m. — Play is the Heart of Experience Design
Erin Alley, Studio Director & Licensed Architect, RMW architecture and interiors

12:15-1 p.m. — What’s New in Racquet Venue Development?
Virgil Christian, Senior Director Section Infrastructure, Tennis Venue & Design Group

1:15-1:45 p.m. — Real Virtual Tennis and the Future of Sport
Victor Bond, Founder & CEO, Virtual Sports Association

2-2:30 p.m. — How Technology Drives Engagement
Dent Wilkens, SVP Operations, U.S. Squash

2:30-3 p.m. — Life after the Pros
Nick Matthew, 3X World Squash Champion; Dent Wilkins, SVP Operations, U.S. Squash

3:15-4:15 p.m. — Bridging the Gap between the Course & the Court
Dr. Sean Drake, Vice President RacquetFit; Mike Malaska, PGA, Teacher of the Year, 2018 Southwest Section & 2011 National

4:30-5:30 p.m. — TIA Tennis Industry Innovation Challenge
Racquet innovators present five-minute pitches about their new product or service to a panel of industry judges in a shark-tank-like competition to determine a winner.

Friday, January 24

10-10:30 a.m. — Productive Use of Tennis Technology
Alex Johanssen/Director New England Tennis Academy (MultiBall)

The Racquet & Paddle Sports Show is organized by Reed Exhibitions, with support of the Tennis Industry Association, and co-located with the PGA Merchandise Show. For more information, visit RacquetPaddleSportsShow.com.

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