Hybrid swapped the boardroom for padel courts. Here’s what happened.
In July, we did something that felt a bit unconventional at the time. Instead of attending another generic networking event, we booked padel courts at The Padel Club in Trafford City.
Clients, partners, new faces – everyone armed with rackets instead of business cards.
So, why padel? Well, that’s all down to Kyle Jones and his obsession with the sport. But also because the team believes traditional “networking” often feels like a performance, between awkward small talk over lukewarm coffee, handing out cards they’ll forget about by next Tuesday. That’s not how real relationships get built.
The construction and engineering world is incredibly busy. Everyone’s rushing between sites and chasing deadlines. But we’ve learned that the partnerships that actually work happen when you stop trying so hard to “network.”
So we tried something new, what if everyone just… played? No presentations or sales pitches, just people being people.
Watching a seasoned client who’d never picked up a padel racket getting coached by someone they’d just met? That’s where the magic happened. Accompanied by the backdrop of a live DJ pumping out tunes, the speed-networking set up where people rotated partners every few games allowed the ‘healthy’ competition do the rest.
Suddenly they weren’t “Asset Manager” and “Electrical Contractor” they were just two people laughing about a missed shot.
Most importantly, the conversations that started during games continued long after everyone had put the rackets down. Real conversations about challenges, ideas, opportunities that would never come up in a formal meeting. One conversation between two people who’d never met before has already turned into something concrete. Not because it was forced, but because they actually connected as humans first.
Here’s the truth about the industry. Everyone’s dealing with the same pressures, the same evolving challenges, the same need to innovate. But spending so much time in separate silos means missing the chance to learn from each other.
Was it perfect? Of course not. There were some questionable backhands and Kyle Jones was predictably competitive. But did it work? Absolutely.
To everyone who came along and brought their energy, you made it what it was. To the winners, David Waine and Simon Gallanders, congratulations for taking home the first honorary title of the Padel by Hybrid tournament. And if you missed it, don’t worry, we’re already planning the next one.
Want to see the highlights? Check our LinkedIn and Instagram wrap up – and make sure to follow us to keep an eye out for what we’re planning next.