INTERNATIONAL POOL I SPA I PATIO EXPO BY KRISTINE ARCHER TO VEGAS AND BACK POOL AND SPA PROFESSIONALS CELEBRATE AT ANNUAL SHOW Oceanic Pools & Spas of British Columbia took home an APSP award for this installation in the Residential Fibreglass Pool category. Photo courtesy Oceanic Pools & Spas Photo courtesy Hanley Wood A THE SHOW FLOOR PLAYED HOST TO 433 EXHIBITORS, INCLUDING 100 NEW COMPANIES. fter a tough year fraught with challenges, the pool and spa industry gathered in Las Vegas for the 2009 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo to share ideas, make connections and plan for the future. Representatives from around the world took in the three-day event, which was held in the Bayside Halls at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center from November 16 -18. In addition to attendees from all 50 U.S. states and Canada, the show welcomed visitors from more than a dozen countries, including France, Israel, Brazil and Australia. A POSITIVE TURNOUT Despite drawing 825 fewer verified attendees than the 2008 show, the 2009 edition of the event was still busy and productive, according to director, Donna Bellantone. “The show floor was busy with buying and selling activity, while the conference seminars and special events were at capacity or standingroom only,” she says, adding her thanks to the various pool/spa builders, installers, retailers, service companies, landscape architects and manufacturers who attended the annual event. The show floor played host to 433 exhibitors, including 100 new companies, while representatives could also partake in more than 60 seminars on important industry topics. A series of three one-hour ‘Powel Panel’ discussions were also held, bringing together top industry thinkers to discuss issues related to building, retail operations and empowerment. EVENTS AND AWARDS Many attendees visited one of the show’s newest features, the VGB Education & Product Pavilion, which focused on products and issues relating to enforcement and education about the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. Other pavilions were devoted to new products and backyard living, while the Genesis 3 pavilion housed products and services for builders, designers and the watershape industry. The show also coincided with the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals’ (APSP) annual International Awards of Excellence, which recognized two Canadian companies this year. Tumber & Associates, based in Orangeville, Ont., won the gold award in the Residential Water Features category, while Oceanic Pools & Spas, based in South Surrey, B.C., took home a silver medal in the Residential Fibreglass Pools category. MARK YOUR CALENDAR Show organizers also announced a scheduling change for the 2010 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo, which will now be held November 3 - 5, two weeks earlier than it was slated to run. Housing for the event, which will once again be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, will open in March, with online registration starting in June. 48 ■ Pool & Spa Marketing ■ January 2010 PSM_JAN10.indd 48 12/30/09 8:40:14 AM Pentair W