www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk


Pool&SpaIndustry APR 2011 SPN


25


‘PROMOTION OF THE INDUSTRY IN THE UK IS NOW VITAL’


BSPF Managing Director Chris Hayes looks back at SPATEX and the annual awards but views co- operation in the industry and working hard to raise the industry profile as essential going forward


and as yet a suitable alternative venue has not been identified.


I


t was great to have seen so many people enjoying the SPATA and BISHTA Awards and the entertainment provided by Stephen Bayliss was again superb. Congratulations to all of the award winners and a huge thank you to the sponsors. There is a special feature from page 34 onwards in this issue of SPN and we have some excellent pools, spas and hot tubs to use for promotional purposes.


Aside from the awards, SPATEX itself was another great opportunity to see many exhibitors positive about the coming year. The number of exhibitors and visitors was up on last year and much of the success for the show rests with Michele Bridle, Sandy Crockford and the rest of the team. Some feedback has been received about whether we can find an alternative venue to Brighton that is geographically better located than the south coast and will provide value for money. Although research will be undertaken this year, we look forward to returning to Brighton for 2012,


KEY DIARY DATES: PIP and BISHTA Committees


MARCH 30th 31st


APRIL 18th


MAY 11th 12th


SPATA National Council and SPATEX Board


Swimming Forum 30th - 8th Grand Designs Live, London PIP and BISHTA Committees


SPATA National Council and BSPF Board


27th - 30th Ideal Homes Scotland


This year, SPATA is celebrating its 50th anniversary in April (including its inception as the Association of Swimming Pool Contractors) while BISHTA celebrates its 10th anniversary. A history of each Association is currently being compiled and I would like to invite our older members to give any information they might have from the 1970s and earlier that we can use to put this important document together. In this issue, there is a feature on the formation of SPATA on page 29. The value of SPATA can be appreciated on many levels, with industry standards, technical advice, publications and regular communication being some obvious examples. The cooperative role SPATA and BISHTA membership can provide may be evidenced when something goes wrong. A recent example of this is a breakdown in communication between a client and a SPATA member, which left both sides feeling aggrieved. However, with SPATA’s assistance, both parties got back in communication, agreed a way forward for the outstanding work and payments and set a timescale to complete the work. This could not have happened without the active role of the client and member, but sometimes having a third party acting as honest broker can free up a blockage and this can be an important role for SPATA and / or BISHTA. SPATA continues to be actively involved with discussions this year with colleagues throughout Europe on the proposed European standards for domestic pools and spas. The current business plan is focusing on some working groups (WG) to look at: • Pool structure – design, product and installation (WG1)


• Pool water circulation, filtration and treatment (WG2)


It is likely that a new working group will be formed in the next 12 – 18 months to deal with spas and hot tubs as part of the work programme. BISHTA will want to play an active role in this new working group and members of


both trade associations can be assured that their respective Technical Committees will be debating these important topics.


The idea of cooperation is significant and even though there has to be a degree of healthy competition, by sharing ideas and travelling in a similar direction we can increase the impact of our industry. One of the joys of my role is to meet members in their offices, as this provides valuable insights into the pressures and challenges that members face and very often suggestions are made on how our industry can be improved which can have a positive effect on many companies. One example is outlined below, with feedback that attending consumer shows is of value to members that may not want to attend every day of a whole show but would support SPATA by attending specific days.


The promotion of our industry in the UK is always vital, especially as we compete with a number of other leisure lifestyle products such as boats, caravans and luxury holidays. SPATA is going to attend Grand Designs Live in London this year, with a number of members supporting the event by sharing the cost and providing staff to talk with potential clients about the benefits of pool ownership. By jointly promoting pool ownership and also the value of choosing a SPATA member at a nationally recognised consumer show, it is hoped to significantly raise the profile and if successful, there are plans to visit a number of other consumer shows around the UK to stimulate interest in our industry, such as Ideal Homes Scotland, in Glasgow. Last month saw the first conviction of a company under the new corporate manslaughter legislation and this has implications for our industry. We must heed the lessons learned to avoid any significant issues for our industry. Finally for this issue, a plea from me. It would be great to receive more communication from our members to try and fit into the magazine. We want to hear your news and views and while I cannot guarantee that we can use everything, we will do our best to mention new appointments, breakthrough deals, or other useful newsworthy items.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100