Hanley Wood, LLC, owner of the International Pool & Spa Expo and Pool & Spa News, has purchased the Aqua Show. Aqua magazine was not part of the purchase and will remain with Athletic Business Publications in Madison, Wis. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We’re buying a well-run, well-oiled show,” said Rick McConnell, vice president of Hanley Wood Exhibitions. “It is a glove fit with the other shows that we offer — the International Pool & Spa Expo and the Backyard Living Expo. We feel that this will further enhance the pool and spa industry.”
The announcement was made at this year’s Aqua Show, which took place Nov. 6-10 in Las Vegas.
The 100,000-net-square-foot event becomes part of Hanley Wood’s Dallas-based Pool & Spa group. It will be led by McConnell, with day-to-day operations managed by Director Donna Bellantone. With this purchase, Hanley Wood now owns three pool-and-spa-related events, including the Backyard Living Expo.
“The acquisition of the Aqua Show is a tremendous addition to Hanley Wood and the Exhibitions Division,” said Hanley Wood Exhibitions President Galen Poss. “It validates our company’s continued commitment to the building/construction industry and is a strategic fit with our existing show mix.”
Peter Brown, owner of Athletic Business Publications, said the purchase bodes well for the show. “We’d like to think we played a role in raising the level of professionalism in the industry,” he said. “The Aqua Show has a very exciting future under the management of Hanley Wood, and we look forward to seeing it grow to the next level.”
McConnell said that the new ownership will benefit exhibitors and attendees as well. “We can now better time the events and coordinate the schedules to ensure that conflicts won’t happen,” he said. “There are some unique strengths surrounding each show, which we recognize.”
The new organizers said they would meet with Genesis 3, a construction and design education group that has directed an education track at the past three shows.
For 2007, the Aqua Show will run as planned, Nov. 14-16 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. In the meantime, organizers will gain feedback from exhibitors and attendees to help determine future scheduling.
The International Pool & Spa Expo is slated for Nov. 28-30 in Orlando, Fla.
Founded in 1976, Washington, D.C.-based Hanley Wood is owned by affiliates of JPMorgan Partners, LLC. As a business-to-business media network, Hanley Wood serves North America’s residential and commercial construction industries. Its Exhibitions Division operates 16 trade shows, including World of Concrete, one of the top 20 trade shows in the United States.
The International Pool & Spa Expo ranks 90th in Tradeshow Week’s Top 200 shows for 2006. It has also been named one of the 50 fastest-growing trade shows in North America for three consecutive years.
In addition to trade shows, events and magazines, Hanley Wood produces data and custom marketing solutions, and is North America’s leading publisher of home plans.