Almost two months after Florida was hit by historically powerful Hurricane Irma, pool and spa professionals traveled to the Orlando for the 2017 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo.
The event, held Nov. 1-3 at the Orlando Orange County Convention Center, filled 133,850 square feet of convention floor space with 463 exhibiting companies and more than 9,500 attendees. Of those exhibitors, 122 were new to the Expo.
In addition to pool and spa wares, several backyard and outdoor living product categories were represented: The Outdoor Living Pavilion accounted for 14,500 square feet and housed 56 companies.
Despite early concerns about the aftermath of Hurricane Irma and its potential impact on attendance, Expo officials were pleasantly surprised.
“Attendees driving in do play a significant part in overall numbers when we bring the show to areas like Orlando, where the industry is robust,” said Show Director Tracy Garcia. “While it did have some impact on registrations, we were pleased with the strong representation from Florida and the high level of energy on the show floor all three days.”
The specters of Harvey and Irma certainly were not lost on organizers and participants. Programming included a disaster preparedness panel moderated by PSN Editor-in-Chief Joanne McClain. Four experts addressed all aspects of responding to natural disasters, with a focus on hurricanes. In addition to relaying personal stories, they discussed preparation, clean-up, employee and homeowner safety, managing staff and legal issues.
Education was also on the minds of many, with talks of expanding course offerings in the future. Jason Schallock, general manager of Anderson Poolworks in Wilsonville Ore. , and a member of the APSP Service Council, said he was energized by this year’s Association of Pool and Spa Professionals meetings. APSP is working to bring more hands-on education to the show floor at next year’s Expo, in Las Vegas, particularly geared toward construction and service people, according to Schallock.
Attendees took advantage of educational opportunities, which included pre-show courses, core conferences, and show-floor offerings, for a total of 99 sessions. This year’s event saw more than 45 new core conferences. This time, all classroom sessions took place in the morning, which was well received.
“I liked that there were no afternoon classes,” said Matt Gohlke, president of Gohlke Pools in Denton, Texas. “I always felt pulled, in the past, between going to a seminar or being on the show floor.”
Manufacturers put on a strong showing as well, introducing a variety of new products — some of which made their first debut on the Expo Floor — and providing live demos. Several attendees reported a productive show in which they found new SKUs to adopt.
Networking and socializing opportunities outside show hours were plentiful. Attendees cut loose at the annual welcome party, with live music, food and drinks. The PSP Block Party, closing Day Two behind the Orange County Convention Center, also saw a good crowd.
The International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo will return to Las Vegas Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2018. Pre-conference programs will begin on October 28.
Said Garcia: “With our strategic partners, we’re looking at some significant changes to provide even more value, education, hands-on training, and networking opportunities to our attendees.”
