Good news for regional show exhibitors and attendees: The next season of events are expected to run without overlap.
In today’s environment, that is no small feat for organizers.
Did you wonder why the trade show schedule for the 2024/2025 season seemed unusual? Regional shows that normally take place in February were held in March and vice versa, while others came at different times of the month. Worse was the overlap between shows that caused some companies to choose between one or the other.
Some frustrated professionals asked why the organizers couldn’t coordinate.
As it turns out, they tried — as they do every year. But while demand increases for venues, booking has become more of a challenge.
The demand puts pressure on smaller regional shows in particular, as they compete with larger events that enjoy priority scheduling. Even some of the regional pool/spa industry shows that go back to the same venue every year get pushed aside to accommodate the bigger fish.
“These convention centers are built to attract hotel rooms to cities, so when you’re the size we are, they fit you where they can,” said Blaine Siske, show director for the Southwest Pool & Spa Show.
This year’s Western Pool & Spa Show has been held at the same spot in Long Beach, Calif. for nearly 40 years. But lately, the convention center has attracted other types of events.
“It’s gymnastics, volleyball, cheerleading — things like that taking up big portions of large venues,” said WPSS Show Director Eric Nielson.
For this year, the increased competition meant the event took place about a month earlier than normal, and it overlapped with the Southwest show.
A similar situation faces the Southeast Pool & Spa Show, held in Nashville. Held in a very popular destination city, it only uses one hall of the convention center’s four.
“And because we’re an industry show versus a consumer show, we’re not going to bring in the same crowds,” said Show Director Jocelyn Larsen. (She also manages the MidWest Pool & Spa Show, which so far has avoided such issues.)
On top of those factors, the Southwest show, often in Texas, has its options limited by renovations taking place at the Dallas and Austin convention centers.
All this leaves venues slower to commit. “Our ideal situation is to be closing out the show and know the dates for the next year, but that doesn’t always happen for us at the Southeast Pool & Spa Show,” Larsen said.
Furthermore, show directors can no longer predict when other events will take place, making it more difficult to schedule around them.
While all the show directors here reported healthy attendance and exhibitor showings in 2025, some suspect the numbers could have gone even higher if schedules had been on track. Said Nielson of the Western Show: “People mentally are just used to it [in March].”
Fortunately, this crisis was averted for 2026 and, as some of the regional shows report significant growth, they hope the challenges will lessen.
