SPATEX, RICOH ARENA, COVENTRY, UK
SPATEX 2014 – The Start Of A New Era
WE REPORT ON THE THREE DAY TRADE SHOW WHICH TOOK PLACE AT ITS NEW CENTRALLY LOCATED HOME OF THE RICOH ARENA IN COVENTRY THIS YEAR. SO WAS THE MOVE A SUCCESS? FOR THE MAJORITY, IT SEEMS THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING YES By Jon Wadeson
H
aving been personally keen to see the show move from its previous home in Brighton, there was an air of expectation as I arrived at the Ricoh Arena, the new home of the annual SPATEX trade exhibition. I already knew that getting there was easy and parking was straight forward but what was the venue looking like? Visitors to the Ricoh Arena were welcomed by an unmissable promotional banner on the front of the building and the sight of a brand new Smart car, a fantastic prize in a competition that Certikin is currently running to promote the launch of its new CertiDos dosing equipment range.
Once inside it was a short walk to the Jaguar Exhibition Hall and from the moment you walked in to the purpose built exhibition venue, it felt like SPATEX 2014 was going to be a good show. With the new venue meaning that all
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk Welcome to SPATEX 2014
exhibitors were on the same floor and in a single hall, SPATEX looked much more like a professional exhibition, more on a par with some of the European shows, albeit it on a smaller scale. Walking round the floor, it was apparent that many exhibitors had also made a noticeable effort with some very impressive stands that really caught the eye including Pollet Pool Group, Certikin, Paramount Pools, SCP, Designworks Tiles, Complete Pool Controls, Golden Coast, Spa Crest Europe and Fairlocks to name just a few. So the initial impression was that the show was looking good and with a wide range of exhibitors around the hall covering everything that the wet leisure industry has to offer, it was looking better still. But an exhibition lives or dies on the quality of the exhibitors and the products that they are offering combined with the amount of visitors that attend and purchase those products, so it was pleasing to see a healthy amount of people attend
across three days with the first two days being particularly good for everyone there. The ISPE workshops were well attended too meaning that the trade was learning as well as buying. From speaking with both exhibitors and visitors, there was an air of optimism about not only the show and the new venue, but also the industry as a whole and the year ahead. “From start to finish SPATEX 2014 was a huge success for Certikin,” said Marketing Manager, Cath Saunders. “The new venue gave a fresh new look to the Show and presented the UK pool and spa industry in a very professional light. The move to Coventry’s Ricoh Arena Exhibition surpassed our expectations, the build-up and breakdown went particularly smoothly, and we’re already looking forward to SPATEX 2015. “Displaying a good cross section of Certikin’s portfolio, the stand saw swift business throughout the three days of the
SPN April 2014 47
SHOW REVIEW
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