www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
ShowsRoundup JUN 2012 SPN
77 showsroundup TRADE SHOWS GO HEAD TO HEAD THROUGH THE SUMMER
It’s likely that the specialist pool and spa industry will have to wait until the autumn to find out if it can support two trade shows in the first few weeks of 2013.
Throughout the summer, both the industry’s own show, SPATEX 2013 and Piscine UK, backed by the organisers of the biennial trade show in Lyon, will be working hard to attract exhibitors to their respective events in Brighton and at the NEC in Birmingham.
What is becoming clear is that a number of specialist pool and spa companies will commit to both shows even though they are just nine days apart.
SPATEX moves away from its trial of being held over the weekend to open on Sunday 3 February to Tuesday 5 February.
Piscine is booked for the NEC from Wednesday 23 January to Friday 25 January. SPATEX markets itself strongly as ‘by the
industry, for the industry’ and has promised new innovations under a banner saying ‘SPATEX 2013 will feel like a new event’.
SPATEX has told the trade it is a show which is ‘100% on’ picking up on the view held by some that at least initially Piscine UK was seen as a speculative event.
It has also been able to secure the backing of some of the larger, long established specialist companies who have already booked for the 2013 show such as Certikin, Golden Coast, Plastica, SCP and Pollet Pool.
Since announcing it is staying in Brighton for 2013, the show has found some new energy to both step up its profile and its commitment to innovation and it continues to highlight the strength of raising funds to be re-invested in the industry and of being able to run ISPE supported daily workshop programmes.
From its website Piscine UK says it has 50
companies ready to confirm bookings, including companies already committed to SPATEX. One exhibitor who had ‘tentatively’ booked for the NEC said: “I think there are a number like me who had a call about the Birmingham show and there was enough there to interest me so I said OK knowing I hadn’t made a firm commitment. I will probably give it a go. If nothing else I think I would see people there who just wouldn’t travel to Brighton and I have a strong northern client base.” Another exhibitor already booked for both shows said: “We are serious about raising our profile in this trade and believe we need to be at both shows. The Birmingham show we believe will deliver a new and different audience but we remain very support ive of SPATEX.” Plans by New Events, organisers of Piscine UK include the formal announcement of industry awards at the show and an Open Day for potential exhibitors at the NEC in July.
BOB KENT WAVES FLAG FOR BRIGHTON EXHIBITION
Any rival show to SPATEX would unbalance the industry and create price confusion and frustration. That’s the view of Bob Kent, Managing Director of Mineral Supplies International (MSI) and regarded as an industry senior statesman said: “There is no room for other UK exhibitions and should any rival shows gain a footing then there is no doubt that it would unbalance the industry from which we have all profited over the past decades and will continue to do so in the future.”
Bob, who established Certikin in the 1960s and was a major designer in directing the world renowned Certikin brand, said he is not happy about the possibility of another pool exhibition being organised in the UK. “Do I want to support my industry and our customer base or not? This is the question everyone needs to be considering before booking a stand at either show.” Bob continued: “It has been said many times and it is a fact, SPATEX has ploughed tens of thousands
back into this industry. Over the years well over a million pounds has been reinvested back into building an industry that has steadily grown in size decade by decade and is the envy of many European countries. “It’s not sensible in these difficult trading times for SPATEX to move venues but even if that was the case the NEC is really not the right place for a trade exhibition. This was proven over the three disastrous years when it was held at the NEC in the 90’s, hence the show being moved back to Brighton. “I put the emphasis on trade because that is what SPATEX is – a trade show that gives
manufacturers, distributors, pool and spa businesses and other allied trades, the chance to get together and talk and negotiate.
“Yes, socialise too but these days business has to be the first factor. “New products, technical advice, loads of experts on hand, the three days of SPATEX is the one time of the year that this all comes together and enables everyone to
take advantage. This we should continue to build on rather than put money in the pockets of organisations we know nothing about. The trade associations would suffer, and let’s not underestimate what they have actually achieved over 30 or so years. Rules and regulation spit out of Brussels. We need a strong knowledgeable trade organisation that can and has deciphered and made sense of health and safety, building standards and all the other many dictates on the ever expanding check list of red tape.
“Other events are unlikely to carry the big name distributors or chemical companies. And who is going to be able to talk technical, because as sure as eggs is eggs you will not see anyone from the ISPE gracing their stands. So, what you end up with is more of a retail show and here again, from past experience we know that this will create price confusion and frustration to both exhibitors and trade visitors, or are they consumers?”
He said MSI have booked to attend SPATEX 2013.
“Economically it makes no sense to support an event that brings nothing to the industry as a whole. So, we along with most of the well established companies will not be attending Birmingham in January. “Around that time we will be preparing to set out MSI’s stand at the professional’s annual trade event that has proven to give more back to the companies exhibiting and the industry at large.”
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