CPG Pickleball Classic
The CPG Dept Pickleball Classic May 28, 2026 · Pickle Jar Pickleball · Toronto
We're doing something a little different this spring.
The CPG Dept Pickleball Classic is an invite-only afternoon of pickleball, learning, and genuine connection - built for the people who are actually in the Canadian CPG arena. Founders, retail buyers, operators, and the people who support them.
No agenda. No panels. Just a great afternoon with people you want to know.
Here's how the day goes
We kick things off at noon with a Finance session hosted by MNP — a relaxed, practical conversation on financial fundamentals that actually apply to running a CPG brand. Think of it as the kind of session you wish you'd had earlier. Come ready to ask any questions.
From there we'll run a quick pickleball clinic to get everyone warmed up (seriously, no experience needed — we've got you), and then the tournament begins.
18 teams of 2 compete across three sponsor brackets in a full round-robin format. Every team plays 2 matches. The top teams advance to a Championship semi-final and final. And at 3:00 PM, someone walks away with the inaugural CPG Dept Cup 🏆
Beverages, pizza and snacks will be provided throughout the afternoon, so even when you're not on the court, you're having a good time.
Who's coming
This is a curated group — attendance requires approval and we're keeping it to 50 people. The mix tends to look something like this:
→ 70% CPG founders and brand operators → 20% retail buyers and category managers → 10% service providers, brokers, and industry folks
It's the kind of room where you bump into someone between matches and end up having the conversation you've been trying to schedule for six months.
Everything's filmed
We'll be filming with a crew on-site for the afternoon matches, moments, and everything in between. Content gets cut for Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok, with a longer recap going to YouTube. If you want to be part of the story, this is a good place to start.
Presented by MNP · Instacart · Mindful Snacks
This event requires approval to attend. We'll review requests and confirm spots on a rolling basis. If you've got questions, reach out through The CPG Dept community.
See you on the court — The CPG Dept