Experiential marketing agency Pickleball in the Sun set to expand

Published by Matt Denis - Jacksonville Business Journal - October 21, 2024

Laura Vossberg Gainor found pickleball five years ago. Soon, she was leading all marketing and media relations for USA Pickleball. 

When she moved to Nocatee, she brought Good Morning America and NBC Nightly News to the community’s courts to cover the growth of pickleball.

By 2021, Gainor was ready to connect the pickleball lifestyle with the business world. Hence, Pickleball in the Sun was born to connect business teams with an ardent and expanding pickleball community.

Now with new Chief Revenue Officer Nancy Reynolds on board, Gainor is ready to beef up the lifestyle brand and experiential marketing agency’s reach and impact.

“I've watched the pro landscape grow up, so I have a full understanding of the opportunities within the pro leagues, who the up-and-coming pro players are, and of course, that key recreational, casual audience. That's a huge piece as to what we focus on at Pickleball in the Sun,” Gainor told the Business Journal.

Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in America for the past three years, according to the Association of Pickleball Players.

A still nascent and growing audience that APP estimates at already about 48.4 million pickleball players in the United States as of 2023 means a huge market to tap. And the First Coast is the place to be.

In 2024, the South Atlantic region sported the highest total number of pickleball participants with almost 21% of all U.S. players spread across Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, according to the Sport and Fitness Industry Association.

This provides an enormous opportunity for Pickleball in the Sun to drive brand consulting, corporate team building and venue partnerships in Northeast Florida. 

That's where Reynolds can make an impact. 

The seasoned executive has extensive experience in sales leadership, channel transformation and “a stellar record of driving growth at some of the world’s top tech firms,” according to Pickleball in the Sun.

“A lot of the corporations want to do something innovative and engaging with their employees and their clients, and this is a very easy way to do that,” Reynolds told the Business Journal. “Pickleball is fairly low cost, and everyone with different types of athleticism can participate and really enjoy it.”

“It's a marketer's dream to connect with pickleball because it spans all ages and skill levels,” Gainor said. “From my kids that are 11 and 12 to our parents that are in their 60s and 70s, everybody can go out there and have a great time.”

Pickleball in the Sun has already worked with several regional brands at local settings. The team was a sponsor for a Jaguars social pickleball event at The Yards in Ponte Vedra Beach where each participant received a Jags pickleball paddle. 

In her role as a pickleball ambassador, Gainor not only wants to help connect organizations via Pickleball in the Sun, but to create opportunities for the many pro pickleball players who call the area home.

“I've been fortunate to be a part of this for five years, so I'm passionate about helping pro players trying to make a living, to travel to pro tournaments,” Gainor said. “They're invested and passionate, so I have a passion for helping up-and-coming pro players, to use my connections to help support tournaments and events as they grow their personal brands.”

There's a lot of investment flowing in for Pickleball in the Sun to help access. Market.us valued the pickleball market at $1.5 billion in 2023 and expects this number to reach $4.4 billion by 2033.

The market research firm estimated the pickleball paddle market alone at $152.8 million in 2022 and expects it to grow at a 7.7% compound annual rate through 2028.

With such growth and so many companies and resort and recreational settings for pickleball to grow in Northeast Florida, the only challenge that Reynolds sees for elevating Pickleball in the Sun’s impact is resource allocation.

“The only challenge is time,” Reynolds said. “Pickleball is growing so fast and so many people want to engage and to connect that we're going to have to be selective with what experiences our brand recommends. Whether it's a corporate retreat or a clinic or guidance needed, I need to manage my time so that each client gets the experience that we're used to bringing.”