The Architect of Opportunity
By Carl Foster
July 8, 2026 • 8 min read
THIS WEEK’S PEOPLE Shaping Pickleball feature is about a longtime friend and business associate whose relationship with me began several decades ago, when George Domaceti and I worked together at the forefront of the internet business.
I was hosting and producing the first Internet radio and television show called Today’s Internet while George was developing the first Internat Expo in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
George is an expert in developing websites and marketing and has built and sold several businesses over the past 30 years. We started to work together again when we both connected and found out we had both had the pickleball bug right out of COVID.
We have worked together building George’s Expos with me adding the World Pickleball Conference to Palm Beach and Las Vegas. I also had our Inside WORLD Pickleball TV Show to magnify the reach of the shows featuring top exhibitors, sponsors and speakers.
We will be working together in a few weeks again in Vegas at our fourth WPC event featuring the Paddle Battle of the Branches that George will also be competing for the Navy.
Here’s our recent conversation on how George is helping shape the sport and business side of pickleball.
A Conversation with George Domaceti
CARL: George, you started the first business Internet Expo decades ago and we connected through pickleball again over six years ago with the first National Pickleball Expo in Palm Beach. When did you realize pickleball had the potential to become a viable business?
GEORGE: As soon as I started playing back in 2019 and witnessed the pickleball craze firsthand, I knew that eventually there would be an industry expo, and since I had experience in producing expositions, I didn’t hesitate to get the first one underway.
CARL: How have you seen the pickleball business evolve at your World Pickleball Conventions with companies outside of the standard pickleball sports products?
GEORGE: From 2019 through the early pandemic years, pickleball experienced a classic boom cycle. Interest exploded, participation skyrocketed, and suddenly everyone wanted to launch a pickleball business — courts, paddles, apparel lines, coaching apps, tournaments, you name it.
Many of these ventures were built on hype rather than fundamentals. They were chasing a hot trend, hoping for quick returns, and often lacked operational depth, financial planning, or a real understanding of the sport’s culture.
By 2022 to 2023, the market began to improve. As participation continued to grow, the industry itself matured. Many companies have quietly disappeared. They couldn’t survive rising competition, higher customer expectations, or the need for real infrastructure. The companies that entered pickleball with long-term intent are the ones expanding, securing partnerships and shaping the future of the sport.
CARL: We’ve partnered by adding the World Pickleball Conference as part of your three-day conventions, bringing together industry leaders to tackle the biggest business challenges facing the industry. You speak regularly and what have you seen as the most challenging issues to keep growing the sport?
GEORGE: The most challenging issue in the industry seems to be the infrastructure to support it. I do believe that the demand is still exploding faster than the infrastructure needed to support it.
CARL: You’ve added fashion shows, demo courts, veterans’ charity exhibitions and corporate challenges at your expos. What are some of the new features for October’s 6th Humana World Pickleball Convention and Conference?
GEORGE: Humana, one of the largest companies in the world, is sending their senior executive to provide the opening keynote for the October 2026 Palm Beach convention, which has signaled to investors, companies, and all those watching the importance of pickleball. Humana’s presence supports the business ecosystem to invest more seriously in the sport.
CARL: With this billion-dollar industry growing globally, how have you seen the influx of other countries exhibiting at your expos with new products, technology, courts, paddles, apparel, etc.?
GEORGE: As we have grown, so have the number of countries who are exhibiting. This year we have exhibitors coming from nine different countries.
CARL: We’ve had panel sessions and leaders from the Global and World Pickleball Federations discussing the road to getting the Olympics to add pickleball by 2028 or 2032. What are your thoughts if and when it could happen and how it will impact the industry?
GEORGE: What I know about the pickleball Olympic initiative is small. What I do know is that there needs to be one unified global federation that can unite the required number of nations in order to get our foot in the door, so to speak with the IOC. If that doesn’t happen, it’s going to be a challenge. As soon as it does happen, we can bet on the Pickleball Explosion 2.0, and not just in the U.S., but around the world.
CARL: How have you started incorporating AI and other software in your marketing, advertising and operations of growing the World Pickleball Conventions outside the U.S.?
GEORGE: AI has surely assisted in many areas of public relations, marketing, and administration. While there haven’t been any official AI systems adopted to use on a daily basis, it has certainly been responsible for a significant increase in streamlining the entire production.
CARL: There’s been outside financial capital firms investing heavily now into growing companies like DUPR, CourtReserve, Pickleball Central, and Pickleball.com. Franchises and indoor facilities are growing at a rapid pace, but we are seeing some fallout with all the competition. “If they build will they still keep coming” scenario has slowed down. Where do you see growth opportunities in next three to five years?
GEORGE: Indoor clubs with integrated food and beverages, data-driven court scheduling, club management software, AI coaching and performance tracking, wearable tech are just a few areas where I see that growth will continue.
CARL: As a former Navy SEAL and Purple Heart veteran, we thank you for your service, and you have helped support our Veterans Pickleball Association (VPA) in bringing veterans to your events for free clinics and wheelchair and adaptive exhibitions. How have you seen pickleball change your life as a veteran and how do you see the sport helping vets physically and mentally on and off the courts?
GEORGE: As a disabled veteran, I can say that pickleball has completely changed my life both physically, mentally, and socially. In fact, if we can get more vets on the courts, you will most likely see lower health care costs, longer life expectancies, and more fulfilling lives.
CARL: Finally, what are your plans to add padel, TYPTI, and possible other new racquet sports to your Pickleball Expos in 2026? Why do you feel pickleball will continue to grow despite other new sport entries?
GEORGE: This October 16-18, at the Palm Beach Convention Center, we are adding padel for the first time for the many people who have not yet seen the sport.
We are also open to adding additional racquet sports and have just in the past week agreed with RSPA (Racquet Sports Professionals Association) to partner with them for the first time at this year’s convention, which will familiarize us with the growth of all racquet sports.
Building What’s Next
George Domaceti spent much of his career recognizing emerging opportunities before they became mainstream. He helped introduce businesses to the internet during its earliest days, and today he is helping shape the business side of pickleball.
As participation continues to grow worldwide, Domaceti believes the sport’s future extends well beyond paddles and courts. Technology, AI, club management, and international collaboration will all play important roles in pickleball’s continued evolution. Through the World Pickleball Convention and the CourtReserve World Pickleball Conference, he continues bringing together the entrepreneurs, innovators, and industry leaders helping move the sport forward.
For more info about exhibiting, speaking, sponsoring, or participating, visit WorldPickleballConvention.com. ●
About Carl Foster
Carl Foster is the Chairman of the World Pickleball Conference and the CEO of Foster Events Group, LLC, where he specializes in the production and management of high-profile sports and entertainment events. With over 50 years of experience in broadcasting, fundraising, and event leadership, he produces Inside WORLD Pickleball and serves as a lead moderator for industry summits. He is a central figure in the professionalization of pickleball, connecting technology experts, organizational leadership, and the player community to elevate the sport’s presence on a global scale.
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