heavy rain threatens to flood the streets of Beijing, but water is the reason businessmen like Huaiping Wang have come to town. “We want to get some information on the domestic pool market,” says the general manager of Ningbo Splash Pool Appliance Co. Ltd., located in Ningbo, south of Shanghai.
“Domestic” to Wang means within China’s borders. The information he seeks may be found in the nation’s first International Exhibition for Swimming Pools, Pool & Bath Technology, Saunas & Fitness Equipment.
The autumn rain doesn’t stop curious people such as Wang from attending the China International Exhibition Center to meet other manufacturers, suppliers and builders of pools and related products. Hoping to make connections early in the game, attendees anxiously exchange business cards.
The international pool industry now recognizes China’s myriad opportunities. With its growing middle class and increase in disposable income, the country’s rising wealth is turning leisure activities such as water recreation into status symbols. The expo, which was held in September, marks the emergence of a pool industry that the world is racing to join.
Crossing over the great wall
China’s first pool trade show spanned 3,000 square meters and featured 69 exhibitors, mostly international companies. An impressive 49 percent of the 3,575 visitors came from within Beijing itself. Another 30 percent hailed from other parts of China, while 21 percent called another country home. The international attendees traveled from all over the world, including the United States, Mexico, Hungary, France, Spain, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
Though this is one of the smaller pool shows worldwide, the buzz surrounding it has been among the loudest. It is not the young wet-haired women in sporty swimsuits that are catching the eyes of visitors, but the investment possibilities ahead.
“Today, it’s only a small number of people who can enjoy a personal swimming pool, but in one or 10 years, who knows?” says Dallas Yang, sales representative for the Shanghai Sanxin Exhibition Co. Ltd.
Marshall Richardson packed up his vinyl liners and flew halfway across the world to attend the show. “We have heard about the growth in China for a long time and it’s phenomenal,” says the president of Tara Liners in Owens Crossroads, Ala. “We’re just here on a mission to see if we can do some business.”
Armed with a Chinese interpreter, Richardson says many agents stopped by the booth asking to represent his company in China. In addition, several Chinese pool builders have taken interest. “Most of them haven’t seen vinyl at all,” he says. They ask Richardson and his partner a lot of questions about how vinyl works and how they can get involved in the material.
Dominique Gosnet also came to explore new partners in China. “We are here mainly to find distributors,” says the general manager of Zodiac Marine Segment in Shanghai. Behind him sits a large aboveground pool with curious onlookers peering over the water’s edge. Aboveground pools are rare in China, Gosnet says, but they could turn into a major market.
“Maybe there’s a market for expatriates,” he suggests, “and [ones] for the public, schools, and big cities and buildings.” Those are other areas where a stowaway pool would function best, he adds.
Gosnet recently relocated to Shanghai from France to help expand his market base. He explains: “We have been buying from China for many years and now we want to sell our products to China.” This was Zodiac Marine Segment’s first opportunity to showcase its products at an expo in this country.
A healthy start
While the industry is exploring the health of the Chinese pool market, the country itself is examining the condition of its pools. Several consultants and pool builders traveled to Beijing from all over China to attend a seminar dealing with new pool regulations.
“China’s swimming pool standards are relatively low,” says Keju Lee, president of Pool Management Consulting in Harbin, China. “The Chinese government wants to meet the international standard, [so] they will discuss this during the three days here.” His goal, along with the other seminar attendees, is to have set standards by next summer.
Winson Lee is an outspoken advocate for strengthening government regulations. As China’s only Certified Pool Operator course instructor, he makes the rounds through Taipei, Hong Kong and China teaching approximately 50 students each year how to maintain swimming pools by using U.S. standards.
“It’s all government,” Lee says. “The government decides [the regulations] themselves.” So until better regulations are enforced, he tries to recruit new students during the show to teach them about pool health.
Lasting impressions
While most thought the show was smaller than expected, attendees and exhibitors agreed it cut the ribbon to bigger things ahead. “[Since] the swimming pool industry is still emerging, this show is a start,” says Charles Gao, director of sales for Pentair Water-Asia, based in Shanghai.
Others were disappointed not to meet more exhibiting Chinese companies. “We thought there would be hundreds of [Chinese] companies showing products, but there were very few,” says Ferenc Polgar, head of the Purchase Department at Kerex Pools and Spas in Budapest, Hungary.
Show organizers are aware of the low participation rate. “A lot of [Chinese builders] would rather come later,” Yang says. “Next time we’ll attract more because we know there is a domestic manufacturing swimming pool industry.”
The organizers remain optimistic and expect a better turnout at the next show, which is scheduled for 2007 in Shanghai. “We think our expo will become stronger and bigger next time,” Yang says. “I have talked to exhibitors who are satisfied with our show because they met the people they expected to meet.”
