he International Pool & Spa Expo in Dallas last month showed a 9 percent increase in attendance over last year.
The convention, which ran Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, saw a total attendance of 11,257, compared with last year’s total 10,311, according to Rick McConnell, show director at Hanley-Wood, LLC, the company that owns the trade show as well as Pool & Spa News.
More than 192,000 net square feet of exhibit space was occupied by 574 exhibiting companies, reported McConnell. Approximately 23,500 net square feet featured outdoor and backyard products related to the pool and spa business, up 27 percent from the 18,500 net square feet at the 2001 expo in Phoenix.
Attendees noticed this change. “I enjoy seeing how it all ties together with the patio furniture and outdoor grills,” said John Jacobs, construction manager at Vaughan Pools Inc., a retailer/builder in Jefferson City, Mo. “It gives you a chance to expand your business in other areas.”
McConnell sees this trend continuing. “I think the show will continue to grow as we continue to grow the backyard lifestyle segments of the event,” he said. “We really do believe in that.”
New to the show in 2002 was a major keynote speaker, Terry Bradshaw, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, NFL Hall of Fame and current Fox Sports broadcaster. Bradshaw’s views on business and life drew more than 1,800 attendees. Other crowd favorites were the Texas-sized welcome party, attended by 2,200, at Dallas Alley in the city’s historic West End, and the Ultimate Backyard display on the show floor, which was a showcase of products in an authentic-style backyard setting.
International participation was strong again this year, with 9 percent of attendees and exhibitors hailing from outside the United States. American exhibitors appreciated the opportunity to interact with visitors from other nations. “The international contacts are always good,” said John Kelley, president of Kelley Technical Coatings Inc. in Louisville, Ky.
Participation in the conference program, held Oct. 29, increased from last year. More than 5,050 people attended Tuesday courses or tours, compared with approximately 3,800 in 2001, said McConnell.
And, once again, the educational programs and seminars held throughout the week were highly touted by attendees.
“[The seminars] were very good,” said Edward Camina, owner of EC Pools in Laredo, Texas. “You think you know everything on pool chemistry until you go to a class. You learn a lot of stuff you
didn’t know was out there.”
“We’re having fun,” said Casey Luke Short, with Backyard Solutions in Oklahoma City. “We took some of the classes, and they were educational and very entertaining.”
Charles Budd, manager at Budd’s Pools Co., Deptford, N.J., thought there was room for improvement regarding seminars. “A lot of stuff is repetitious,” he said. “A lot of these seminars are not for people who have been going to this for years.”
McConnell said next year’s show will put more emphasis on intermediate-level classes, as well as an increased backyard-concept display and live floor demonstrations.
On the show floor, exhibitors reported better traffic than last year. “I had fair expectations for the show. I thought it would be relatively busy for us,” said Joe Stone vice president of marketing Balboa Instruments Inc., based in Tustin, Calif. “To my surprise, it’s been enormously busy.”
Still, other exhibitors would have liked to see more. “Our booth is busy, but I think the foot traffic is a little off, maybe because the show is being held during Halloween this year,” said Mike Tacconi, director of customer advocacy at Pentair Pool Products Inc., based in Moorpark, Calif.
McConnell said early November seems to serve the most exhibitors and attendees.
The 2003 Pool & Spa Expo will take place Nov. 5-7 at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Las Vegas will host the 2004 expo, while the 2005 show will visit Orlando, Fla. McConnell said the show likely will alternate between those three cities, and possibly Dallas.
AmyJo Brown, Bob Dumas, Shannon Harman and Rhonda J. Wilson also contributed to this story.
