fter a long day at the Florida 2002 Pool & Spa Show, exhibitors and attendees can look forward to spending an evening with a celebrity — a nonhuman one, that is.

This year, NSPI-Florida will host the exclusive “Party with the Big Fish at Universal Studios.” The evening’s entertainment at the Orlando theme park will include multiple opportunities to enjoy the Jaws Adventure ride and a performance of Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Revue. Dinner will be served among the animated characters and celebrity look-alikes that populate the New England village of Amity — the setting for Jaws Adventure.

This “fantastic blow-out,” as show chairman David Oxley terms the event, costs $40 for NSPI members, $50 for nonmembers, and includes transportation to Universal and a pass for Universal’s City Walk. Advanced registration is required.

The appearance of Steven Spielberg’s big fish isn’t the only splash in store for the crowd of more than 3,000 attendees expected to attend the Florida Pool & Spa Show Feb. 22-23. More than 175 manufacturers and distributors gobbled up all of the more than 21,000 square feet of display space at the host hotel, the Radisson Hotel Orlando.

That’s “much higher than last year,” said Wendy Parker, communications manager of NSPI-Florida. The 2001 show drew 1,540 attendees and 161 exhibitors. Parker said last year’s show suffered in the wake of the national pool and spa expo, which was held in Orlando just two months earlier.

“Manufacturers realize that this is a great market,” Parker said. “We’re building pools and cleaning pools every day of the year here.”

Florida’s pool builders and service technicians have an additional incentive to attend: A state building code went into effect Jan. 1, mandating that pool professionals complete a four-hour “crash course” to learn about the new regulations. That course will be led by Albert Underwood of Aqua-Blue Aquatech of Central Florida.

As usual, licensed pool professionals may attend sessions at the NSPI-Florida show that will apply toward the 14 hours of continuing education required every two years. State law now requires NSPI-Florida to submit continuing education credits within five days of the class; as a result, seminar attendees now are required to pre-register.

Advance registration for seminars taken for credit is $50 per day for NSPI members; $100 per day for nonmembers. Day-of-show registration fees are double that — and there’s no guaranteed seating. Classes are free to those not seeking credit, but pre-registration still is required.

The seminar schedule includes 27 courses grouped in basic, intermediate and advanced tracks. Among the basic offerings will be:
• “Pool and Spa Water Chemistry” led by Wayne Ivusich of Taylor Technologies Inc.

• “Vanishing Edge Pools: Getting Started,” with Dan Johnson of Swim Inc.

Intermediate courses include:
• “Swimming Pool Heat Pumps: Selling, Installing and Repairing” with Jeff Tawney of AquaCal Inc.

• “Basic Understanding of New Concrete Deck Coatings” with Dan Essig of Essig Pools, and Alex Metrovich of Innovative Concrete Technology Corp.

Advanced classes include:
• “Fountain Design: An Introduction to Waterfeature Design” with Paul L’Heureux of Crystal Fountains.

• “Use of Pool Service Teams: A New Concept in Serving Customers” led by Dominick Montanaro of M&M Pools Inc.

Certain classes fulfill state requirements in business practice, workers’ compensation and workplace safety. Complete course listings and registration forms are available online at www.FPSAonline.org.

The Radisson Hotel Orlando, site of the 2001 show, is located across the street from Universal Studios.