Another great year for industry’s premier event

by Sally Bouorm | February 1, 2014 2:45 pm

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By Jason Cramp

The Canadian Pool & Spa Conference & Expo continues to put up some big numbers, and the 2013 expo, the third show held at the Scotiabank Convention Centre (SCC) in Niagara Falls, Ont., was another resounding success.

In each of the last three years, the show, which is organized by the Pool & Hot Tub Council of Canada, has seen the number of registered attendees increase. After a 1.5 per cent increase between 2011 (1,894) and 2012 (1,924), this year’s attendance grew by 2.6 per cent, with a total of 1,974 delegates registering for the event. The show welcomed people from all 10 provinces and 19 U.S. states.

“From a manufacturer’s perspective, the Canadian Pool & Spa Conference & Expo is extremely beneficial for our company,” said David Simek, sales and marketing manager for Lawrason’s Inc., in Oakville, Ont. “The event not only provides a chance for us to showcase our products, but also allows us to see many of our clients face-to-face under one roof, thereby easing our annual travel budget. Additionally, we meet many new prospective customers who visit the booth.”

Traditionally, one of the main attractions of the convention is the exhibition, which this year saw 142 companies display their wares, of which 26 were first-time exhibitors.

School of thought

Another big draw was the enhanced education and conference program. Once again, the two-day Certified Pool/Spa Operator® Certification course was offered, in addition to short courses on ‘Pool Installation 101 and 201,’ and ‘Best Management Practices for Water Discharge.’

Various business- and technical-themed seminars were also presented during the conference. Some of the business-related seminars included topics on customer defections, pricing for profits, specialty pool retail, and business organization, while some of the technical sessions discussed solving common pool problems, alternative sanitizers, spa pack troubleshooting, and energy-efficient pumps and hydraulic design.

“I make a point of attending as many technical and business sessions as I can each and every year,” said Rodney Taylor, manager of Sunshine Pool and Mechanical Contractors Ltd., in Edmonton, Alta. “As a business owner and manager, you can never stop learning and interacting with others within the industry. I always seem to learn new tricks of the trade when attending the seminars and courses.”

The ‘Hot Topics—Hot Breakfast’ activity, a successful program introduced at last year’s conference, was once again part of this year’s agenda. The roundtable discussion format provides an excellent opportunity for attendees to network and learn from their peers. Four topics were tabled for discussion, including creating more profit opportunities in the retail store and service department, technical issues for builders and service personnel, commercial/public pool issues, and how to compete in an Internet world. Each discussion was led by an assigned moderator, including Dave Warren (Total Tech Pools & Leisure); Brent Winnitoy (Aquafun Family Pools & Spas Ltd.); James W. (Bill) Carroll (Canada Pool Ltd.); and Doug Gillespie (Hydropool Inc.).

Industry recognition

According to the PHTCC, it was a record-breaking year with respect to participation in its 2013 Design & Construction Awards competition with 327 entries, representing an increase of approximately 31 per cent over 2012. The industry awards evening, the social highlight of the year for the Canadian pool and spa industry—sponsored by BioLab Canada Inc., Latham Pool Products Inc., Northeastern Swimming Pool Distributors Inc., Rheem Canada Ltd., and SCP Distributors LLC—was held in front of an impressive crowd in the convention centre’s Peller Estates ballroom.

During the plated dinner, guests were entertained by the Steve Burnside Band before the awards ceremony commenced.

The first presentation of the evening was the Industry Achievement Award, which was presented posthumously to Art Methot, who founded Mermaid Pools in Ottawa almost 50 years ago and had been at its helm for decades.

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The Design & Construction Awards, sponsored by Pool & Spa Marketing and Pools, Spas & Patios, saw 39 companies receive gold, silver, and bronze accreditation for their outstanding workmanship in 40 different categories. Photos of the gold-award winning projects can be found starting on page 42.

“Although our company may be relatively small on a national scale, we have fared well in the Design & Construction Awards competition over the years,” said Brad Cross, project manager for Waterworks Pools & Spas in Moncton, N.B. “The award we received this year goes a long way to promoting our company within the region.”

A return to Toronto

Looking ahead to 2014, the PHTCC and its board of directors announced the next Canadian Pool & Spa Conference & Expo will be held at the Toronto Congress Centre from Dec. 1-4.

“The past three national conferences held in Niagara Falls have definitely proved the viability of the Scotiabank Convention Centre (SCC),” said Robert Wood, the PHTCC’s executive director. “In an effort to keep the annual event fresh we decided to move the show as Toronto has also drawn extremely well in the past.

“The big change from previous PHTCC conventions held at this location is we will be using halls A, B, and C (rather than D and E), which will make accessibility much more convenient for delegates.”

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/another-great-year-for-industrys-premier-event/

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