Piscine 2010 brings international pool industry together

by MODE, ignore | May 9, 2012 3:42 pm

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With more than 100 new pool and spa equipment and amenity concepts on display, and a total of 90 nationalities represented in the various aisles, the 2010 edition of The Piscine World Swimming Pool Show, held in Lyon, France, proved why it is considered one of the world’s premier pool and spa shows.

The conference, which combined three specialized trade shows—Piscine, Aqualie and Wellgreen—had a total of 600 exhibitors participate in the conference with many of the industry’s big names showing their support, bringing the numbers back up to 2008 levels.

Fifty per cent of exhibitors and 35 per cent of attendees were from international markets. European nations most represented included Italy, Belgium, Spain and Germany.

However, American and Canadian companies could also be found exhibiting their wares, with an eye to expanding their European business interests.

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“It’s a global market,” said Troy Labelle, founder of Oakville, Ont.-based Canadian Spa Company, noting the show gives him the opportunity to reach out to more than 10 different countries.

Tom Tesselaar, president of Niagara Falls, Ont.-based Fix A Leak, said the Piscine show gives him the chance to reach out to his company’s burgeoning Spanish market—one known for its concrete pools, which is ideal for his product.

For first-time attendee Lorette Kalender, owner of Montreal-based PharmaSpa International, Lyon proved to be the perfect opportunity to showcase her products. “Canadian goods are synonymous with quality in the European market,” she said, adding the show lived up to expectations as a good place to do business, a sentiment echoed by its organizers.

“Swimming pools vary from country to country and attendees get answers to their unique questions,” said exhibitions manager Noemi Petit.

Attendees also responded positively to the show’s ‘Pool eco attitude’ program, which allowed visitors to quickly identify exhibitors offering sustainable development solutions.

Each trade show featured relevant and timely demonstration areas, including Piscines’ ‘Pool Vision,’ which provided a look into future trends in pool design, and the ‘Pool Vision Showroom,’ where students from the Créapole interior design school showed off their swimming pool retail showroom designs for retailers looking to revamp their stores. Aqualie’s concept spa area allowed visitors from the commercial aquatic sector to seek advice from experts, while the ‘Living Pool’ display, part of the Wellgreen show, presented and promoted outdoor landscaping solutions for all seasons.

According to organizers, the most popular demonstration area was the ‘Pool Vision Showroom,’ which included the unveiling of the 2012 trend study by Dezinéo design agency, as well as prize-winning projects from students of the ‘Pool Vision’ contest.

Each show also offered various educational seminars and training sessions, as well as information exchange forums for commercial and residential pool and spa professionals to discuss current issues affecting the industry.

—Blair Adams

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/piscine-2010-brings-international-pool-industry-together/

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