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PISCINA BARCELONA, BARCELONA, SPAIN


SHOW PREVIEW


Benchmark Market For The Wellness Industry’


‘Spain Is A World


PISCINA BARCELONA IS NOW ON THE HORIZON AND WITH THE BIENNIAL GATHERING IN OCTOBER NOW ENCOMPASSING THREE MARKETS IN A SINGLE EXHIBITION – SWIMMING POOLS, WELLNESS AND AQUATIC FACILITIES – THIS YEARS EVENT IS PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS TO ENSURE IT IS A SUCCESS. WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE FAMILIAR NAMES THAT AWAIT VISITORS AND REPORT ON AN INTERVIEW WITH ELOI PLANES, PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL AQUATIC EXHIBITION


By Jon Wadeson E


loi Planes (right) was appointed President of the organising committee of the International Aquatic Exhibition Barcelona in 2010. In this interview, he talks about the challenges, prospects and trends of the pool sector and the new features of the next edition of the show.


Q: How is the next edition of the International Aquatic Exhibition shaping up? A: After two decades and ten editions, Piscina Barcelona is a clear reference in the sector, both nationally and internationally. This time it will bring together the supply and demand of the world of residential pools and the facilities that enable the use of water for recreation, sports and therapy. There will be 255 companies present, 61% of them foreign, from 22 countries. China, Belgium, the USA, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada, which has slightly increased its presence, are just some of the countries exhibitors hail from. We estimate that half of the 19,000 visitors will be foreign, from around a hundred countries including France, Italy, the UK, Sweden, Israel, Turkey, Russia, Germany, the USA and Brazil.


Q: What are the most significant developments of this new edition of Piscina Barcelona? A: This time we wanted to promote the show


www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk


for Health, Wellness and Spa, Xellum (Hungary); André Gérard, wellness expert and senior consultant at Eurofin Hospitality (Lausanne, Switzerland), Jean-Eric Knecht, president and co-founder of Elegance Group and leader of the ISO International Wellness and Spa project, and Andrea Lomas, head of Group Spa Operations at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in Hong Kong.


as an important interactive platform for the wellness sector, analysing its various aspects with the help of international experts. So, we created the Wellness & Spa Experience Event, a gathering of Spanish and foreign businesspeople and professionals in the field who will have the opportunity to share their knowledge and study both business opportunities and new lines of management and marketing of these products and services.


Q: You mentioned international experts. Could you give us some names? A: The event will feature 16 speakers. Some of the most prominent international experts are László Puczkó, tourism director of Xellum Management Consulting Company and CEO of the Global Wellness and Spa Tourism Industry Monitor, a project of The Tourism Observatory


Q: What measures do you plan to implement to facilitate networking as part of the Wellness & Spa Experience Event? A: Every day the experts will have lunch with attendees who wish to have direct contact and a physical space to share experiences, concerns and their business vision. The event will also feature a mentoring service, i.e. a space where speakers, experts and sponsors will meet with visitors to provide guidance on aspects of their business they want to improve.


Q: What’s the current situation in the pool sector in Spain? What about internationally? A: Spain is one of the world’s benchmark markets and second in Europe, with over 1.1 million private pools for family use. It should be noted that 52% of them are over ten years old, which is a great opportunity for renewal, in addition to strengthening the trend to incorporate new equipment and accessories. According to the latest data, there are


SPN October 2013 77


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