Mail Metro Media’s second annual Padelfest raises £100k for British Heart Foundation

Mail Metro Media’s second annual Padelfest raised £100,000 for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), as Calm Media Investments won the 32-team padel tournament hosted in Earl’s Court’s Padel Social Club yesterday.

The figure is more than double the amount raised at last year’s inaugural tournament.

Padelfest is spearheaded by Mail Metro Media chief revenue officer Dominic Williams, a padel enthusiast who founded the event last year to give back to the BHF, a charity he credits with helping his recovery from a heart attack four years ago.

This year’s round-robin tournament hosted over 150 players and spectators from around the UK media industry for a day of sport, music, food and refreshments, with a silent auction held on site in a BHF-branded pop-up area.

The event was supported by headline partner PHD and sponsors Infinitum, Publicis, Wickes and Hertings.

Padelfest takes place in Earl’s Court’s Padel Social Club.

Matches were played in seven-minute increments across five courts, with a group stage followed by a round-of-16 knock-out.

The competition was fierce, with Williams telling The Media Leader the level of play was likely to be elevated from the year prior. One player, overheard after a tough group stage match, remarked: “I am having fun, but I hate losing so I am pissed off.”

The 32 teams comprised a mix of agencies, tech companies and media owners. They included Bicycle, DCM, Dentsu, OMD, Ozone, PHD, the7stars, The Telegraph, Walk-In Media, WPP and more. Media Mind, the industry quiz presented in partnership with The Media Leader and its parent Adwanted UK, was represented by founder Simon Redican and UKOM CEO Ian Dowds.

Williams was teamed up with Daily Mail executive chairman and heir Vere Harmsworth. In prior interviews with The Media Leader, Williams has repeatedly stressed the importance of strong client service, but as he warmed up for the tournament, he indicated his competitive spirit meant he would not be holding back against his clientele while on the padel court.

Williams and Harmsworth square off in the knock-out round.

Ultimately, however, Calm Media Investments’ Qais Hammad and Alessandro Aquilina prevailed in a closely contested final against Alive Communications’ Chad Simpson and Rob Henderson.

“I can’t thank everyone involved in Padelfest enough for their incredible efforts,” Williams said as he presented the winners’ trophy. “It’s an emotional day that makes me very proud, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of all our generous sponsors, passionate teammates, and of course competitive players.”

He continued: “The British Heart Foundation is a tremendous charity that has supported my family and me through tough times in recent years, and I’m beyond proud to now give something back to fund their vital work. Congratulations to our deserving winners, Calm. The standard of padel this year was unbelievably high, and they totally deserved it!”

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