Registration is still open for the 2026 Pool Spa Patio Expo (PSP Expo), which will take place November 17-19 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, with pre-show education running November 14-16. The show, co-located with Deck Expo, returns to the city for the first time in seven years and adds new networking formats and show-floor programming, organizers said.
More than 350 exhibitors are expected to fill the show floor across more than 30 product categories. Early confirmed exhibitors include AquaStar, BioLab, Heritage Pool Supply Group, Lyon Financial, and Superior Wellness.
“PSP Expo is where 2027 starts,” says Megan Magaña, show manager, Pool Spa Patio Expo. “It’s the launchpad for manufacturers to debut their latest innovations: attendees get hands-on access to demo products, experience new technology firsthand, and make purchasing decisions.
“On the education side, we’re seeing strong demand for hands-on demos and business fundamentals—keeping good records, knowing your numbers, and managing teams effectively,” she adds. “If you want to stock the right products and stay ahead of market trends next season, this is where those decisions happen. PSP Expo isn’t just about seeing what’s new; it’s about being ready to buy what’s next.”
PSP Expo partners with the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) as the official show sponsor to deliver the event’s educational and networking programming. “One of the greatest strengths of our industry is the willingness to learn from one another,” says Sabeena Hickman, CAE, president and CEO of PHTA. “PSP Expo brings together professionals from every corner of the industry to share ideas, discover new innovations, and strengthen the relationships that help our businesses and our industry thrive. We cannot wait to see everyone in New Orleans.”
A southern move
“New Orleans was a top choice when we surveyed attendees about preferred destinations, and it brings PSP Expo where the industry’s momentum is strongest,” says Magaña. “The location brings us closer to major pool markets in the southern states—Texas, Georgia, and Florida—making it more accessible for a significant portion of our audience. New Orleans brings the show closer to where the work happens, which means less travel time and more opportunity to connect with regional peers who understand your market.”
New on the show floor
Exhibitor searches in the show’s online directory are already pointing to where attendees’ attention is headed this year. “We can track what attendees are searching for in the online exhibitor directory, and those searches tell us exactly where the industry’s focus is right now,” says Magaña.
“Service-related products and wellness solutions are consistently at the top of those searches, which makes sense given how much the industry has evolved in recent years,” she says. “Salt systems are also popular, clearly a priority for professionals looking to meet customer demand. And all-in-one software solutions are a major draw.”
New for 2026, the First Look Pavilion gives startups and emerging brands a dedicated, turnkey space on the floor. “We’re seeing incredible innovation from startups and emerging companies in the industry, and the First Look Pavilion is designed specifically to support them,” says Magaña. “It’s a turnkey solution that makes it easy for these manufacturers to participate. From an attendee perspective, the Pavilion is your one-stop destination for discovering products and technologies that haven’t been shown before.”
Networking, by segment
Also new this year are the Connect Series Networking Hours, dedicated blocks of time built around the distinct needs of builders, service technicians, and retailers. “What we consistently hear from attendees, and see reflected in the data, is that networking is one of the most valued aspects of PSP Expo,” says Magaña. “That this is their family reunion—where they finally get to see face-to-face the people they’re usually just texting or calling throughout the year.
“Builders can talk shop with other builders about project management, labor challenges, and design trends,” she adds. “Service techs can dive into route efficiency, customer retention, and technical troubleshooting with peers who truly get it. And retailers can discuss inventory management, seasonal strategies, and customer experience with others facing the same realities.”
Krissy Adams, conference manager at Pool Spa Patio Expo, says the combination of education, networking, and show-floor demonstrations is designed to pay off well beyond the show’s three days.
“This is just a few days out of your year, but the value compounds when you return home and apply what you’ve learned,” says Adams. “The targeted networking gives you a trusted circle of peers you can call when you’re facing a tough decision or need advice on hiring, expansion, or navigating seasonal challenges. The manufacturers in the Expo Hall let you see products in action before you invest, so you can make informed purchasing decisions.”
Choosing a pass
The 2026 pass structure is built to match where an attendee’s business is, says Adams.
“The pass structure meets you where you are,” she explains. “The Conference Pass prioritizes education, classroom sessions, leadership training, and continuing education units (CEUs) that help you refine operations while positioning yourself as a leader in the industry. The Expo Hall Pass prioritizes products and connections—explore the latest innovations, demo cutting-edge equipment, connect with manufacturers, and network with industry experts in a more relaxed, hands-on environment. It really depends on what your business needs right now.”
Expo Hall Pass holders get access to the full expo hall and two keynote sessions. Conference Pass holders receive everything in the Expo Hall Pass, plus guaranteed access to more than 50 additional specialized conference sessions.
A million-dollar backyard in the delta
PSP Expo’s eighth annual Million Dollar Pool Design Challenge invites designers to create a mock outdoor living space on a minimum $1 million budget. Five finalists selected from this year’s entries will present their designs to peers during an on-floor education session in the conference program and compete for a top prize of $10,000 out of a total prize pool of $15,500 ($10,000 for first place, $3,000 for second, $1,250 for third, $750 for fourth, and $500 for fifth). Winners are determined by live voting at the conclusion of the session. Finalists also receive a complimentary Conference Pass, a travel stipend, and a two-night stay in New Orleans.
The competition is now in its eighth year with co-founders Reid Schindler and Mike Farley, who together have more than 50 years of award-winning pool design experience. “This challenge provides an invaluable opportunity for designers, whether emerging or established, to gain the industry visibility they’ve earned,” says Schindler. “We’re looking for work that elegantly merges creative design with functional excellence, with the homeowner’s goals and practical needs driving every choice.”
“We invite designers to push the boundaries and create something truly memorable,” adds Farley. “Show us your most imaginative ideas backed by solid, practical execution strategies that prove these visions can become reality.”
Adams called the competition one of her favorite parts of the show. “Every designer gets the same brief: a minimum million-dollar budget and a dream backyard. But the solutions are completely different,” she said. “Some focus on entertainment, others on wellness or sustainability. For up-and-coming designers, this is their shot to present on one of the industry’s biggest stages.”
Adams says the live, in-person judging format is central to the challenge’s appeal. “The live format creates energy you can’t replicate,” she said. “Finalists present in front of their peers, and the audience votes in real-time. For designers, it’s about explaining their process and connecting with the audience. For everyone watching, you’re a spectator and a part of the decision. You see five different approaches, hear the thinking behind each one, and walk away with ideas for your own projects.”
This year’s brief centers on the fictional Siltstone Estate, a historic inland delta property whose owners want to preserve its Southern character while adding modern outdoor living spaces, including a courtyard wellness suite, a fire pit, a greenhouse with a vegetable garden and an orchard, a large family spa, and a pickleball/basketball court. “The Siltstone Estate brief gives designers a rich backdrop, a Southern setting with history and character,” says Magaña. “Designers will need to blend traditional elegance with modern outdoor living.”
Parties and programs
Beyond the show floor, PSP Expo’s slate of special events returns and expands for 2026, including the Welcome Party, held Tuesday, November 17 at Generations Hall, within walking distance of the convention center and sponsored by HFS; the PHTA Awards of Excellence Reception, recognizing individual achievement across multiple industry categories; the IHTA Lunch & Learn, hosted by the International Hot Tub Association on hot tub retail trends; and the Pool Nation Awards, honoring outstanding companies, products, and professionals.
“It’s hard to pick a favorite; they’re all wonderful in their own way, and each serves a different purpose in bringing our industry together,” says Magaña. “What ties all these events together is community. The Expo Hall is where you see products and attend sessions, but these special events are where relationships deepen.”
Registration for the 2026 Pool Spa Patio Expo is open now at poolspapatio.com. Pool and Spa News readers can also receive a complimentary Expo Hall Pass using the promo code PSNEWSEXPO at checkout.
Pool Spa Patio Expo — Conference Schedule
November 14–19, 2026
* Room locations are accurate at presstime but are subject to change. Please visit poolspapatio.com for the latest information.
Saturday–Sunday,
November 14–15
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
GENESIS® D180: Drawing for Professionals (2 Day Course)
Room 211
GENESIS® D211: Elements of Design (2 Day Course)
Room 221
Saturday–Monday,
November 14–16
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
GENESIS® C201: Construction School: Concrete Pools
(3 Day Course)
Room 206
Certified Pool & Spa Maintenance Specialist (CMS®) (3 Day Course)
Room 208
Sunday–Monday,
November 15–16
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Certified Pool & Spa Operator (CPO®) (2 Day Course)
Room 217
OSHA 10 in General Industry for Pool Pros (2 Day Course)
Room R04
Monday, November 16
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
GENESIS® D330: Comprehensive Aquatic Design: Where Water, Wellness & Architecture Meet
Room 211
The Pool and Hot Tub Business Playbook
Room 221
Quality Shotcrete for Pools—Know It, Demand It: Presented by the American Shotcrete Association
Room R05
National Plasterers Council Start-Up Technician Certification Course
Room R06
NPC: Clase de Certificación de Puesta en Marcha
Room R07
12–4 p.m.
Women of Water (WOW)—Reading the Room: The Intelligence That Elevates Every Interaction
Room Rivergate
5–7 p.m.
PHTA Awards of Excellence
Room The Great Hall A-B
Tuesday, November 17
8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
National Plasterers Council Start-Up Technician Recertification Course
Room R06
8–9 a.m.
Seconds to Win: The Science of High-Performing Teams
Room 231
The Next Generation of the Pool Industry: How to Attract, Train, and Retain Young Talent
Room 206
GENESIS® C243: Cracking the Code: What Builders Need to Know About Compliance, Inspections, and Avoidable Jobsite Mistakes
Room 217
GENESIS® D253: Hardscape
That Supports the Pool:
Materials, Transitions, Drainage,
and Detailing That Improve Performance and Aesthetics
Room 211
360 Store Check-Up: Fix What’s Broken, Elevate What Works and Wow Every Customer!
Room 208
GENESIS® S165: Leak Detection: The Hidden Profit Center in
Your Business
Room 221
9:15–10:20 a.m.
Day One Keynote: Dive Into PHTA’s National Consumer Awareness Campaign
Room The Great Hall A-B
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
GENESIS® B122: The Exit Is the Strategy: Succession Planning
for Pool, Spa, and Outdoor
Living Businesses
Room 206
What a Real Marketing System Looks Like (And What You Actually Need in Place)
Room 231
GENESIS® D214: Signature Mind-reading Method for Understanding Ultra High-End Clients
Room 217
Designing with Elevation:
A Complete Guide to Grading
and Site Design
Room 211
PHTA: Inspect with Confidence: Better Equipment, Safety, and Condition Assessments on Every Service Visit
Room 221
11–11:45 a.m.
GENESIS® D331: Designing for Buildability: Turning Great Concepts into Permittable, Profitable Projects
Room GENESIS® Solution Center – Booth #1307
Investor Summit: State of the Union: Capital, Consolidation & the M&A Landscape (Day 1)
Room PSP Expo Stage – Booth #339
12–12:45 p.m.
PHTA: Marketing That Converts—Building Smarter Customer Journeys with Automation, Follow-Up, and Better Data
Room GENESIS® Solution Center – Booth #1307
1–2 p.m.
Equipping Your Team with AI: Building the Team That Gets It Right the First Time
Room 206
Building a Better than Great Design Career: Lessons from My Journey
Room 211
GENESIS® D277: Architecture Meets Landscape: Coordinating Structures, Planting, and Shapes for More Cohesive Outdoor Rooms
Room 217
How to Fill Your Schedule With High-Value, High-Profit Outdoor Living Projects
Room 231
Beyond the Bubbles: The Critical Role of Chemistry in Hot Water Spas
Room 221
1–1:45 p.m.
PHTA: Hiring to Keep—Onboarding, Training, and Retention Systems That Actually Work
Room GENESIS® Solution Center – Booth #1307
2–2:45 p.m.
GENESIS® D317: Why is Quiet Luxury the Latest Design Trend for Wealthy Clients?
Room GENESIS® Solution Center – Booth #1307
2:15–3:15 p.m.
Building a Rock Star Pool Service Team: Lessons from a 40% Margin, Low-Turnover Operation
Room 206
Landscaping Around Swimming Pools: Designing Beauty Without Creating Problems
Room 211
4 Words that Doubled My Sales
Room 231
PHTA: The Service-to-Retail Handoff: How Stores Create Lifelong Customers After Installation
Room 208
Boosting Efficiency & Profitability: Advanced Techniques for Modern Pool Care
Room 221
Shotcrete – The Good, the Bad,
and Ugly
Room 217
3–3:45 p.m.
Winning Online: SEO And
AI Search Strategies For Pool And
Spa Businesses
Room PSP Expo Stage – Booth #339
6–8 p.m.
Welcome Party
Room Generations Hall
Wednesday, November 18
8–9 a.m.
AI 101 for Deck Builders: Practical Tools to Design, Sell, and Run a Smarter Deck Business
Room 231
GENESIS® C234: Plaster and Start-Up Chemistry: Protecting Surface Quality from Day One
Room 217
GENESIS® C416: Lessons from the Field: Project Profiles in High-End Residential Pool Construction
Room 211
PHTA: Showroom to Sold: Display and Design Choices That Increase Buyer Confidence and Close Rates
Room 208
Solving the Top Four Pool Problems: Practical Strategies for Clear, Clean, and Trouble-Free Water
Room 221
The Right Video for the Right Job: What Pool Builders, Service Companies, and Hot Tub Retailers Should Be Creating Now
Room 206
9:15–10:15 a.m.
Day Two Keynote: Unlocking Collaboration Through Improv
Room The Great Hall A-B
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Automate & Dominate: Utilizing
AI to Build High-Converting
Sales Funnels
Room 206
GENESIS® C314: Deck, Coping, and Tile: Coordinating Critical Details That Elevate the Entire Project
Room 211
GENESIS® D346: Lighting the Masterpiece: Designing Illumination for Safety, Mood, and Visual Impact
Room 217
How to Build a Scalable Outdoor Living Business Without Working 100 Hours a Week
Room 231
The 90-Day Dealer Growth Playbook: What to Do (and When) to Drive Showroom Traffic
Room 208
PHTA: Labor Management in Service Operations: Hiring, Training, and Retaining Reliable Field Teams
Room 221
11–11:45 a.m.
PHTA: Risk, Readiness, and
Revenue: Turning Insurance into
a Business Advantage
Room GENESIS® Solution Center – Booth #1307
Step-by-Step: How to Convert Pools from Range Chemistry to LSI
Room PSP Expo Stage – Booth #339
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
IHTA Lunch & Learn: Power Up Your Business, Strengthen the Industry
Room Rivergate
12–12:45 p.m.
GENESIS® D238: Quick and
Practical Pool Design: Better Design in Less Time
Room GENESIS® Solution Center – Booth #1307
1–2 p.m.
GENESIS® C296: Remodels
Without Regret: How to Scope, Sequence, and Sell High-Value Renovation Projects
Room 217
How to Price Outdoor Living Projects for Profit Without Guesswork
Room 231
How Pool Service Companies Compete, Grow, and Protect Value in a Changing Market
Room 206
AI as Your Field Resource: Sharper Diagnostics on Every Service Call
Room 221
1–1:45 p.m.
GENESIS® D329: Backyard Master Planning: Designing Outdoor
Spaces That Work as One
Cohesive Environment
Room GENESIS® Solution Center – Booth #1307
Investor Summit: Building a Business Buyers Love (Even if You Never Sell) (Day 2)
Room PSP Expo Stage – Booth #339
2–2:45 p.m.
IHTA: Sales Conversations That Close—Turning Walk-Ins, Web Leads, and Repeat Clients into
Better Revenue
Room GENESIS® Solution Center – Booth #1307
2:15–3:15 p.m.
PHTA: Beyond the Hiring Crisis: Practical Solutions to Labor Challenges in Pool and Hot Tub Businesses
Room 217
The Revenue You’re Leaving Behind: How to Grow Service, Maintenance, and Repeat Sales
Room 206
Specified, Installed, and Actually Working: A Practical Field Guide to Architectural Water Features
Room 211
The End of Endless Estimates: How Outdoor Living Contractors Can Break the Cycle of Working for Free
Room 231
Route Smarter, Lead Better:
Building an Efficient and Motivated Service Team
Room 221
3–5 p.m.
PHTA WAVE Young Professionals Education Session and Happy Hour
Room Rivergate
3–3:45 p.m.
WAVE: Launching Your Leadership: Real Talk + Rapid Connections in the Pool & Hot Tub Industry
Room GENESIS® Solution Center – Booth #1307
3–4 p.m.
Million Dollar Pool Design Challenge
Room PSP Expo Stage – Booth #339
4–5 p.m.
Million Dollar Pool Design Challenge After-Party
Room PSP Expo Stage – Booth #339
Thursday, November 19
8–9 a.m.
AI for Deck Builders: Automating Marketing, Lead Generation, and Operations
Room 231
What Top Pool Companies Do Differently: Data-Driven Insights from Thousands of Service Pros
Room 206
GENESIS® C332: Steel, Shotcrete, and Structural Coordination: Field Decisions That Affect Quality, Performance, and Schedule
Room 211
PHTA: Selling Wellness, Not Just Equipment: Modern Hot Tub Sales Strategies for Today’s Buyer
Room 208
DOT Materials of Trade: Avoid
Fines and Liability in Pool
Chemical Transport
Room 221
9:15–10:15 a.m.
A Bonus System that Works
Room 231
PHTA: Profit First, People Always: Operating a Healthier Pool & Spa Business in a Volatile Market
Room 206
GENESIS® D206: Only Changing Materials? Yes, Design Can Make or Break Your Cosmetic Remodel
Room 211
The New American Dream: What Today’s Consumers Want, What Closes the Deal, and How Winning Brands Are Responding
Room 208
Basic Hot Tub Diagnoses 101
Room 221
10:30–11:30 a.m.
5 Ways To Make Your Small Business More Successful
Room 231
Preparing Your Pool Business
for a Successful Exit
Room 206
PHTA: What Good Service Managers Measure: KPIs, Accountability, and Field-Team Coaching
Room 211
From Eyesore to Engineered: Modern Equipment Pad Design
Room 221
11–11:45 a.m.
IHTA: Winning with Wellness—How Today’s Wellness Shopper Is Reshaping our Sales Opportunities
Room GENESIS® Solution Center – Booth #1307
GENESIS® D254: Architecture, Wellness & Materiality: How These Topics Influence The Outdoor Living Design World
Room PSP Expo Stage – Booth #339
12–12:45 p.m.
GENESIS® C313: The ASR Issue: The History and Latest Methods to Combat Concrete Cancer
Room GENESIS® Solution Center – Booth #1307
1–1:45 p.m.
Investor Summit: Lessons from the Other Side: An Owner-to-Owner Conversation (Day 3)
Room PSP Expo Stage – Booth #339
