Pickleball has come a long way from backyard games and rec courts. In this episode, Mark sits down with two of the people who've watched — and helped build — that transformation from the ground up: George Domicetti, founder of the World Pickleball Convention, and Carl Foster, of the World Pickleball Conference.
George and Carl break down what it actually takes to run a show with over 100 vendors and major sponsors like Humana, and why the business side of pickleball — franchises, capital investment, rating systems, media rights — has exploded right alongside the sport itself. They get into the real numbers behind a $35 billion industry, the strategic partnerships forming between competing facility owners, and the ongoing (and complicated) push to get pickleball into the Olympics.
But this episode isn't just about the money. Mark, George, and Carl also talk about what keeps the sport growing the right way — the culture, the community, and programs bringing pickleball to veterans, kids, and underserved communities around the world. Because at the end of the day, even a billion-dollar industry still comes back to one thing: the people playing the game.
If you've ever wondered what's really happening behind the scenes of the sport you love, this one's for you.