Could padel become the new golf for business, networking and hospitality?
In this episode of Sports Management Podcast, Marcus Filipsson sits down with Chris King, Founder of Crafted and former co-founder of Sports Recruitment International.
Chris is building Crafted around a different vision of modern hospitality—combining sport, wellness, nature, community, coworking and social experiences in one place.
We discuss why padel has become central to that model, why Chris believes it works particularly well as a business and networking sport, and whether padel can translate its extraordinary participation growth into a successful spectator product.
Chris also shares his thoughts on the modern wellness industry, why people may be over-optimizing their health, the loneliness created by remote work, what today's employees are really looking for from employers, and why hospitality increasingly needs to create a sense of belonging rather than simply provide accommodation.
We also explore Chris's unconventional career journey—from studying sports science and being rejected by Nike and IMG to building an international sports recruitment business and eventually launching Crafted.
In this episode:
• Is padel becoming the new golf?
• Why padel works so well for business networking
• Can padel succeed as a spectator sport?
• The future of sports hospitality
• Why community and belonging matter more than ever
• Has wellness culture become too obsessive?
• Sport, nature and the hospitality experience
• Why people increasingly choose culture over salary
• How to break into the sports industry
• Why curiosity and hustle still matter
• Chris King's unconventional career journey
• The future of Crafted
00:00 Introduction
00:11 What Is Crafted?
01:41 Disconnecting From the Digital World
02:19 Building a Sustainable Hospitality Concept
04:10 Why Padel Became Part of Crafted
05:22 Wellness, Wild Swimming & Cold Therapy
06:33 Has Wellness Culture Gone Too Far?
07:48 Why Balance Matters More Than Optimization
08:28 Designing a Different Hotel Experience
09:40 Why Chris Chose Padel
11:00 Can Padel Become a Spectator Sport?
12:26 How Guests Use Crafted
13:04 Remote Work and the Loneliness Problem
14:13 Combining Work, Travel & Hospitality
15:14 How Global Brands Use Crafted
16:31 Experiences Beyond Alcohol
17:12 Sustainability & Biodiversity
19:16 Is Padel Becoming the New Golf?
21:14 Why Padel Is More Inclusive
21:51 The Future of Crafted
23:55 Could Crafted Expand Into Scandinavia?
25:29 Chris King's Career Journey
27:26 Being Rejected by Nike and IMG
28:03 Leaving Corporate Life at 26
28:33 Building Sports Recruitment International
30:42 Building the Right Company Culture
33:15 How to Break Into the Sports Industry
35:25 Why Your LinkedIn Profile Matters
36:31 Choosing the Right Career Path
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