How Boston Pickle Club Turned Tournaments Into a Growth Engine

In this episode of the Pickleball Innovators Podcast, Michael Wilmot — Chief Growth Officer at Boston Pickle Club — breaks down how BPC built the New England Tournament Series into a six-event, year-long competitive circuit that's growing 25 to 30 percent with every leg. Wilmot shares why they walked away from paid marketing in favor of a grassroots approach built on player influencers and early registration momentum, how DUPR has become one of their most powerful recruiting tools for developing players, and why the off-court experience is just as important as anything happening on the courts. He also gets into what surprised them most about repeat participation — and why that turned out to be an opportunity rather than a problem. For operators who want to turn tournaments into more than a one-time event — and build something players keep coming back for — this one is worth your time. To stay in the loop on the latest trends in the pickleball club space, subscribe to the Pickleball Innovators newsletter: pickleballinnovators.com/subscribe