EVENTS ROUNDUP

With a number of events being affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and with uncertainty still remaining over some regarding their going ahead, in this issue we take a closer look at what’s on and where over the coming months

By Jon Wadeson

The global Coronavirus pandemic has badly affected a number of businesses around the world and none more so than those operating within the exhibitions and events sectors.

With uncertainty still hanging over the sector and with organisers adjusting short-term plans for a post-COVID operating environment, for a number of events, plans to go ahead were not safe or even logistically possible and a number of exhibitions around the world had no other choice than to postpone until either later in the year or into 2021.

With the quickly evolving situation now seeing a number of restrictions being lifted, events in the latter part of the year have been largely unaffected in terms of rescheduling, however expect them to be somewhat different than usual.

In this issue, we round up the last on wet leisure events taking place around the world in 2020 and 2021.

STUTTGART SHOW TO GO AHEAD AND IS “PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT INTERBAD EVER!”

interbad, the international trade fair for swimming pools, saunas and spas, is one of the world’s most important platforms for the public pools sector and one of the top three trade fairs covering all interests of private wet leisure owners. In an area covering 35,000 square metres, more than 400 exhibitors present their products and services in the field of public pool and spa construction, swimming pool technology, pools, saunas, spas and wellness.

According to the organisers, globally, it is the trade fair with the largest product range in the field of saunas too. So it’s fitting that at this year’s event, a ‘Sauna from Finland’ network will be staging a special show together with Messe Stuttgart on an area of 300 square metres. Experience rooms, products and consulting services are intended to give visitors an understanding of Finland’s unique sauna culture.

Around 15,000 visitors from more than 60 countries normally attend every two years to learn about the latest products, trends and pioneering ideas. Numerous presentations, workshops and discussion sessions in two congress formats round off the bienniel events offering.

When interviewed in May and asked about the importance of this years event, Dr. Christian Ochsenbauer, Managing Director of the German Association for the Recreational and Medicinal Bath Industry said: “This will be the most important

interbad for many years, and perhaps the most important interbad ever! Society and industry are being reorganised in new ways at present. It is already being said that the corona crisis will signal the turn of a new era. This means that the participants in the pool and bath industry will also have to fundamentally adopt a new position at times.”

LAS VEGAS SHOW CONFIRMS ITS GO-AHEAD BUT WITH A NUMBER OF CHANGES

If it pertains to outdoor living, you’ll find it at the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo, co-located with DeckExpo. While maintaining its position as the largest exhibit of pool and spa products, the PSP Expo/DeckExpo has expanded to include products like BBQs, outdoor structures, casual furniture, lighting and more.

The good news is the team behind the event – one of the industry’s premier market places for education, networking and business – has confirmed that the 2020 edition will continue as planned. The event will be hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center and will follow a newly developed set of strict health and safety measures developed by Informa, which produces the event.

The PSP Expo/DeckExpo will appear a bit different than usual as organiers will be employing Informa AllSecure – a set of standards developed by organiser Informa – which produces more than 500 large-scale branded and transaction-oriented events in addition to PSP Expo/DeckExpo.

Informa AllSecure employs the highest standards of safety, hygiene, cleanliness and quality for operating events. These recently published measures are in addition to advice from government and local authorities.

“We would not hold an event that we felt would risk the health or safety of our attendees,” explained Ray Giovine, Group Director at Informa. “We do expect a more subdued event, but still one of high quality. We’re hearing from our exhibitors that they are having a banner year and want to carry through the momentum to 2021. And with the addition of DeckExpo, our attendees

will have a more comprehensive selection of products and technology for outdoor living.”

Commitments remain firm for several key manufacturers who use the event to meet builders, retailers and service technicians.

“The response to AllSecure from our customers has been largely positive, instilling confidence we are making the right decision,” said Giovine. “We look forward to being the first event to bring the industry back together, close out an impressive year in 2020, and to kick off the 2021 outdoor living season.”

HOT TUBS AND MORE AT HOLIDAY PARK & RESORT INNOVATION SHOW

Despite the Coronavirus situation, British holiday resorts have seen a huge surge in interest since the relaxing of guidance as many families who would normally book an overseas holiday now look to spend time in the UK.

In order to offer the best possible experience and maximise on the interest from the UK public, many destinations will need to find new ways to separate themselves from the increasing competition.

Enter Holiday Park & Resort Innovation – Europe’s leading market place for owners,

managers and entrepreneurs to source the very best advice, services, information and products needed to transform their business into the perfect holiday getaway for both UK residents and tourists from further afield.

Taking place in November, the industry’s leading experts and most innovative suppliers will come under one roof at Birmingham’s NEC to provide forward-thinking holiday businesses with everything needed to enthrall and entertain their guests all year round… and keep them coming back for more.

This year, the show is laying on a Business Growth Hub which is designed to assist leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses with the products and services they need in order to be ready for the resurgence and growth of the industry after COVID-19. Organisers aim to provide visitors with everything that’s needed to provide a holiday park with the boost it needs to be ready for when these uncertain times have passed.

In addition to the Business Growth Hub, a comprehensive schedule of industry speakers offers unrivalled insight into every aspect of the holiday business sector – helping owners and operators to put, and keep, their holiday parks or resorts firmly on the map. A number of speakers from the wet leisure sector have already confirmed their attendance at this year’s show and they will cover a number of

subjects based primarily around owning and running hot tubs within the holiday sector.

As in previous years, unsurprisingly, many of the wet leisure exhibitors also come from the hot tub and spa sector, but water play companies are also present too.

DATES OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED FOR PISCINE GLOBAL IN LYON

Exhibition organisers GL Events have confirmed that Piscine Global Europe will go ahead as planned in Lyon this coming November. Florence Mompo, Divisional Director at GL Events said: “Piscine Global Europe has been the leading event on the international pool market for many years. It has become a major gathering for all players in the pool and spa sector that they cannot afford to miss. Our duties as a fellow player on this market include helping it get back to business, and showcasing the innovations that will shape the future. Our expertise in event organisation and the changing economic conditions strengthened our conviction that the exhibition had to go ahead. It will continue serving all the players in the swimming pool world – that is the very reason why it exists, and the primary motivation behind what we are doing today!”

Piscine Global Europe is adapting to exceptional circumstances and this year’s exhibition will obviously be very different from previous ones.

As arguably the world’s leading exhibition for the wet leisure sector, the team behind Piscine Global Europe are keen to ensure the event will remain a forum for doing business, building relationships and showcasing innovation.

They accept that the world has changed and the onus is on them to adapt, be flexible and break new ground, but they are committed to that, and the vision is shared by the entire GL Events team.

The staff behind the exhibition have been hard at work for several weeks, rethinking solutions and coming up with new ideas geared more closely to the current context.

As of mid June, more than 440 companies had registered to exhibit at the biennial event and prior to many governments announcing the relaxing of border restrictions, more than 90% of international visitors from 2018 had confirmed that they intended to return to this year’s event and over the coming months, GL Events plan to step up and strengthen their communications with visitors.

SOMETHING FOR THE INDUSTRY TO LOOK FORWARD TO

With current events escalating shortly after the conclusion of this year’s SPATEX, the timing of the annual show, which returns to Coventry’s Ricoh Arena in February next year, could not be more perfect.

Organisers of the event have been working hard throughout the lockdown and SPATEX 2021 is set to score a hat trick! Firstly, it will be an opportunity for the industry to come together and celebrate the Exhibition’s 25th anniversary in what promises to be a very special edition. Secondly, SPATA will be celebrating its 60th anniversary (including its time as the Association of Swimming Pool Contractors) and thirdly, BISHTA will be celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The launch in June of a new website heralded the start of the SPATEX 2021 campaign. Featuring exciting new images and graphics, it is stuffed full of interesting information, including an up to date listing of exhibiting companies. The details of seminar and ISPE Workshop topics will be added later in the year.

It would seem nothing will deter the loyal followers of SPATEX either and the organising team is delighted to report that sales for exhibition space for the 2021 Show are currently on a par with previous years’ figures.

Show Organiser, Michele Bridle said: “At the time of going to press, over 70% of space for the 2021 exhibition has already been sold. It is heartening to see how our loyal exhibitors have kept faith with the Show. It furthermore reveals the fabulous level of optimism in the industry that things will shortly get back to a new normal.

“SPATEX 2021 will be the first opportunity for the industry to come together as one. We intend to make the 2021 Show a bumper event and a celebration for all in the wet leisure industry and beyond and make it as inclusive as possible. To that end, we are planning some extra special events to set this next edition apart from all that has gone before. We hope you will join us in this celebration.”

WHAT’S ON AND WHERE 2020-21 – AT A GLANCE

AUGUST 3 – 5 August ASIA POOL & SPA EXPO

Pazhou, Guangzhou, China Tel: +86 20 22074185 Email: sales7@grandeurhk.com Web: www.poolspabathchina.com

OCTOBER 14 – 16 October WORLD AQUATIC HEALTH CONFERENCE

Houston Texas, USA Tel: +1 719 540 9119 Email: conference@nspf.org Web: www.nspf.org/wahc

27 – 30 October INTERBAD

Messe Stuttgart, Germany Tel: +44 (0)1732 525950 Email: info@lincolnwest.co.uk Web: www.interbad.de

11 – 12 November HOLIDAY PARK & RESORT INNOVATION

NEC, Birmingham, UK Tel: 0117 929 6087 Email: william.mansfield@prysmgroup.co.uk Web: www.holidayparkshow.co.uk

17 - 20 November PISCINE GLOBAL

Eurexpo, Lyon, France Tel: +33 (0)4 78 176 50 Email: visitorpiscine@gl-events.com Web: www.piscine-expo.com

DECEMBER 5 – 13 December SALON PISCINE & SPA

Paris, France Tel: +33 (0)1 4756 6466 Email: piscine@reedexpo.fr Web: www.salonpiscineparis.com

FEBRUARY 2021 2 – 4 February SPATEX 2021

Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK Tel: +44 (0)1264 358558 Email: info@spatex.co.uk Web: www.spatex.co.uk

8 – 11 February CANADIAN POOL & SPA EXPO

Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, Canada Tel: +1 800 879 7066 Email: mette@rogers.com Web: www.poolandspaexpo.ca

17 – 19 February FORUM PISCINE

Bologna Exhibition Centre, Bologna, Italy Tel: +39 051 272 523 Email: ufficiostampa@absolutgroup.it Web: www.forumpiscine.it

NOVEMBER 11 – 13 November INTERNATIONAL POOL, SPA, PATIO EXPO

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Tel: +1 972 536 6350 Email: info@poolspapatio.com Web: www.poolspapatio.com

JANUARY 2021 26 – 28 January THE POOL & SPA SHOW

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA Tel: +1 609 689 9111 Email: pmccormick@nespapool.org Web: www.thepoolspashow.com

MAY 2021 31 May – 2 June THE LEISURE SHOW

Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai Tel: +971 2444 4909 Email: tinaquraishi@dmgeventsme.com Web: www.theleisureshow.com