
The Everything Under the Sun Expo is celebrating a milestone — its 45th birthday! The show runs Feb. 17-18 at the Orange County (Fla.) Convention Center in Orlando and will sport a 1970s theme.
Nowhere will that be more evident than on the Celebration Lawn, located at the back of the exhibit hall. While not an actual lawn, it will be a spot to relax, network and soak in the ’70s vibe at its various stations. For example, there’s the Afternoon Delight, offering drinks and snacks every afternoon. Neck and foot massages will be available to help refresh show-goers, and Give Me Some Skin Lounge (aka the FSPA Member Lounge) is a spot for members to take a break from the show floor to kick back, have a snack or work quietly.
Adjacent to the Celebration Lawn is the Splash Zone, featuring giveaways of “Righteous Free Stuff” from exhibiting companies. Announcements over the loudspeaker will alert winners, who must be present in the Splash Zone to collect their prizes.
More surprises are in the works to commemorate this milestone year, promises Wendy Parker Barsell, executive director of the Florida Swimming Pool Association. But she wouldn’t say what those might be. Yet another reason to attend this Southeast show, which focuses on pool, spa, solar and outdoor living.
Organizers are expecting close to 4,000 attendees to traverse the 37,000-net-square-foot show floor in the convention center’s South Hall B, examining the wares of approximately 225 exhibitors. And, of course, they’ll also be checking out the Dy-no-mite Showcase, featuring up to 20 new and noteworthy products by industry manufacturers.
The show’s educational program continues to be a big draw, too. Free to FSPA members, it includes mandatory courses required by the state, and more targeted sessions for pool and spa builders, retailers and service technicians, as well as solar professionals and others.
Social activities will include the Nights in White Satin Welcome & Awards Reception on Feb. 16, and the Gettin’ Groovy Friday Night Industry Party on Feb. 17.
So attendees can make the most of their time at the event, a show app is available. It offers maps and show updates; lets users highlight exhibitors they want to visit; make notes during seminars; and more. The app may be downloaded in iTunes or Google Play.
Reflecting on the upcoming event, Parker Barsell says it offers invaluable industry interactions. “At the Florida show, people have time to see friends and peers from all over,” she notes. “They can network and visit — it’s a personalized experience. And they can get all the classes they need for license renewal. It’s manageable, with everything [you need] at your fingertips.”
For online registration, visit www.underthesunexpo.com; for information about Orlando attractions, go to www.visitorlando.com.
CLASSROOM CAPERSEducation and trade shows go hand in hand, but in Florida there’s added incentive. The Sunshine State’s licensing requirements make continuing education a must. So it is that FSPA is an approved course sponsor by the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board, the Electrical Contractors’ Licensing Board and the Board of Landscape Architects.
This year there will be 70 educational courses, including certification classes. According to Mary Anderson, 37 are new, and some standouts are to be expected. For example, says FSPA’s education program manager, there’s the seminar “From Google to Great!” It will deal with online reputation building, and students will be given tools so they can track comments and make sure their companies come across in a positive way. “Web Marketing Made Simple” is a workshop designed to grow businesses and it, too, will give participants tools and a checklist. The sessions are back to back on Friday, Anderson says, “so they can see what’s happening online.”
She adds that sessions of particular importance at the show have tended to include Florida advanced building code classes — and sessions on contractor responsibilities are “always really popular.” At this year’s show, a Saturday class called “DOT Regulations for the Pool Industry” is expected to draw a number of industry professionals.
Builder-specific classes on Thursday include “Risk Exposures for Pool & Spa Contractors”; “Chapter 489: An Overview of Contractor Responsibility”; and “Construction Contracts,” to name a few.
Service professionals will find several water chemistry classes of interest, including “Water Chemistry and Testing 101” on Friday; and on Saturday there’s “Hydraulics for the Service Professional.”
“There are some great sessions for retailers, such as customer service classes,” Anderson continues. Of note is the eight-hour course “Giving Customers What They Want” on Thursday. Two sessions on Saturday are “Dealing with Difficult People” and “Retail Store Basics for Success.”
On the business side, classes include “Succession Planning — Keep the Business Alive” and “Managing for Profitability” on Friday; “Taking Care of Your Business, A Six-Step Legal Checkup” on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Learning Labs will return to the show floor this year. Led by manufacturers on Friday and Saturday afternoons, these eight product-specific sessions are free for FSPA members and $10 for nonmembers. Each runs approximately an hour and seating is limited to about 40 people.
When all is said and done, FSPA’s Anderson concludes, “What I’m seeing in education is that it’s vital to stay current. There’s new technology coming out and, in Florida, you must keep up with ever-changing legislation.”
WARM WELCOMEKeying into the show’s ’70s theme, the opening event is called Nights in White Satin Welcome & Awards Reception. All are invited to take the Stairway to Heaven escalator in the convention center’s South Hall B to the Pre-Function Area on Thursday, 6:30 p.m. There they can enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.
Recognition will be given to winners of the annual FSPA Design Awards, the Service Professional of the Year and industry leaders for their work in 2016. The Tops in Trucks Award also will be bestowed.
A HOWLING GOOD TIMEThe Gettin’ Groovy Friday Night Industry Party heads for Howl at the Moon bar and grill on Feb. 17, 6-10 p.m. This venue prides itself on offering “live music performed in a high-energy setting.” The nonstop dance hits make it hard not to get into a festive mood.
Party-goers will find live ’70s music under the tent — and the venue’s famous dueling pianos inside. Food stations will offer pasta, chicken, salads and more, and there’s an open bar.
Tickets can be bought when registering, or at the FSPA booth during the expo.
SHOW SCHEDULE
Thursday, Feb. 16
8 a.m.-5 p.m.Seminars
8 a.m.-6 p.m.Show registration open
6:30 p.m.Welcome & Awards Reception
Friday, Feb. 17
6:30 a.m.-5 p.m.Show registration open
8 a.m.-12 p.m.Seminars
10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.Exhibit hall open
12:30-5 p.m.Learning Labs
Exhibit hall
2-5 p.m.Seminars
6-10 p.m.Industry Party
Howl at the Moon
Saturday, Feb. 18
6:30 a.m.-3 p.m.Show registration open
8 a.m.-12 p.m.Seminars
10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.Exhibit hall open
12-3 p.m.Learning Labs
Exhibit hall
Note: Events take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., unless otherwise noted. The information provided is the latest available at press time.