Last July, the Italian fair Padel Trend Expo announced significant changes for its third edition: new dates, moving from mid-January to early March; a change of location, relocating from Allianz MiCo to Fiera Milano Rho; and a radical shift in concept, expanding from a padel-focused fair to one covering all racquet and paddle sports. Thus, Racquet Trend, was born the evolution of Padel Trend Expo.
From March 7 to 9, 2025, Fiera Milano Rho hosted Racquet Trend, the first European event dedicated to all racquet and paddle disciplines: tennis, padel, table tennis, badminton, squash, beach tennis, and pickleball.
In addition to broadening its sports offering, the fair introduced three new thematic areas that added extra value to the event. The first was Sports Tourism, exploring the opportunities that racquet sports offer in terms of destinations and experiences. The second, Nutrition & Wellness, focused on the link between nutrition, health, and athletic performance. Lastly, the Fitness area highlighted the importance of physical conditioning and the latest training and equipment trends for athletes.
Another major highlight of Racquet Trend was its innovative B2B networking area, which featured conferences, seminars, and workshops designed to foster valuable connections and encourage business collaborations among industry professionals. This networking environment allowed attendees to exchange knowledge, explore new business opportunities, and strengthen the international racquet and paddle sports community.
Although official attendance figures for the event have yet to be released, it is worth noting that the padel area attracted the most interest and foot traffic, also boasting the highest number of exhibitors. This success can be attributed to the fact that Padel Trend Expo, the predecessor of Racquet Trend, was exclusively focused on padel. As a result, it built a strong base of engaged followers and professionals who continue to be the core of the new fair.
Despite the strong performance of the padel section, the overall impression throughout the three-day event was that attendance fell below expectations. Several factors may have contributed to this. The new venue's size 34,000 m², significantly larger than in previous editions created the false impression of emptiness in certain areas. The move to Fiera Milano Rho, located on the outskirts of Milan, may have also affected attendance, as did the event's opening day, which was primarily targeted at industry professionals and saw significantly lower numbers compared to the final two days, which were open to the general public.
Despite these observations, the overall assessment of this first edition of Racquet Trend is highly positive. The fair has demonstrated its potential, and future editions are expected to evolve and improve, with higher attendance, more exhibitors, and an expanded program of activities and content.
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