The 12th annual Piscina & Wellness Barcelona hosted 287 direct exhibitors -- a 13-percent increase over last year’s show and a strong indicator that Spanish market is in recovery mode, organizers said.
In all, 450 companies were represented at the event, which took place Oct. 13 to 16 and is organized by Fira de Barcelona in collaboration with the Federation of Associations of Equipment Manufacturers and Constructors of Swimming Pools, Saunas and Spas (ASOFAP).
Attendance also exceeded expectations. The show attracted 12,000 visitors, up 12 percent from an initial forecast, from 76 countries. France, Italy, Portugal and Germany accounted for the majority of show-goers, organizers said. Buyers from Israel, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Argentina, Mexico, Morocco, and Brazil, among others, also participated in business meetings scheduled by the show.
As its name suggests, Piscina & Wellness Barcelona is more than an aquatics tradeshow. “The Wellness Experience” was the show floor’s centerpiece attraction, where a score of collaborating companies created a fully equipped recreation center, complete with an active pool, spas, saunas and various treatment booths, to showcase the latest products.
The emphasis on wellness attracted a larger number of professionals from the tourism and sports complex industries, organizers said.
“This edition substantiates the [economic] recovery and lays the foundations for continued growth in two settings of expansion: wellness and water facilities,” stated Eloi Planes, chairman of the show’s organizing committee.
Planes foresees the pool sector becoming “increasingly applicable in businesses related with health, wellness, tourism and leisure.”
The next edition of Piscina & Wellness Barcelona will be held in October 2017.
