From Nov. 13-16, Lyon, France, was the place to be for pool professionals.
That’s home to Piscine Global Europe, a biennial pool exhibition organized by GL Events, which reported 19,845 in attendance to this year’s show — a 7% increase from its 2016 event. What was the attraction? The 629 exhibitors from the entire pool and spa sector (residential, commercial, outdoor and wellness) who occupied more than 300,000 square feet of floor space, along with opportunities to network.
“I am delighted with this edition of Piscine Global Europe,” said Noémi Petit, the event’s managing director. “With very high satisfaction regarding the caliber of visitors and, in terms of the atmosphere at the exhibition, with lots of fruitful discussions and networking.”
Members from 20 international pool federations, including those from the newly formed World Alliance of Pool and Spa Associations, attended the show’s Pool Summit, which explored the role of pools in culture and architecture. For other attendees, nearly 30 seminars were offered on topics ranging from current trends to market intelligence.
“The business climate is strong,” Petit said. “The market trends that stood out during this year’s show concern renovation but also feature-packed small pools and wellness products proposed as add-on sales.”
Demonstrations and workshops peppered the show floor, with highlights including the Aquafitness and Water Test areas, where visitors could see and test products in action, as well as the new sales-focused Pool Academy.
Special events were an added draw, including two award programs — the first for product innovation and the second for exceptional pool design. A Pool Party welcomed visitors the first night, while Nov. 15 marked Beaujolais Day, an annual French tradition celebrating the season’s first wine.
Piscine Global Europe returns to Lyon Nov. 17-20, 2020.
