Building The Most Iconic Senior Tourney Ever

"Pickleball on the Mall" is the biggest annual event and tour for senior pickleball, wholly developed and operated by GMR. Over three consecutive years, GMR has preserved the program’s open‑to‑all ethos, while managing 150+ VIPS and 25+ programmed events.

Wide angle view of pickleball courts on the National Mall.
Group shot of picklers in front of Tournament branding.
Pickler stretching to return a strike from the opposing team.

Humana asked us to turn senior health advocacy into a community tradition. What better way than pickleball?

the story we made

Ongoing pickleball game from behind as a strike is returned.

We transformed the National Mall into a large-scale pickleball experience in just 48 hours, running three days of engaging events, and fully breaking down within 12 hours—all while minimizing environmental impact and upholding ambitious sustainability goals.

Group shot of picklers on the court in front of the Washington Monument.

11 courts were built on-site, totaling 50,000 square feet of pickleballing. Court reservations booked out within minutes.

Adult coaching child on how to play pickleball.

Any guest was able to get tips and tricks from the local professional team, DC Pickleball Team pros, and local senior pickleball ambassadors.

THE RESULTS

1,900

Games Played

3,000+

Picklers

650+

Hours of Pickling

55+

Media Interviews

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