Ten months before it is due to take place, the show has already reserved 70% of its planned area
Piscina & Wellness Barcelona is preparing an event defined by growth
Piscina & Wellness Barcelona is preparing its next edition, which will take place in Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via area from 17 to 20 October 2017, with a good outlook for growth in line with the revival in demand in the Spanish market. With 10 months to go, the show has already reserved 70% of its planned area and the presence of more than 130 companies from 12 countries has been confirmed. With space being hired at this rate, the organisers expect to bring together more than 310 exhibitors at the show and to occupy a net area of 13,500 sq. m.,10% more than in the previous edition.
Spain is the Europe’s second-ranked country and fourth in the world in terms of the number of swimming pools (1.16 million). It is an attractive market with business opportunities for refurbishment, maintenance and equipment. This is evidenced by the fact that 60% of the show’s exhibitors and 40% of the visitors are international. At the same time, the increased demand in Spain for products and services offered by the swimming pool and wellness sector is of great interest for the areas of tourism establishments, health and wellness centres and leisure and sports facilities.
Piscina & Wellness Barcelona is one of the shows that defines the sector’s trade fair calendar internationally, and brings together leading brands of manufacturers and distributors, as well as buyers, suppliers and opinion-formers from more than 120 countries.
The show, organised by Fira de Barcelona in collaboration with the Spanish Association of Swimming Pool Sector Professionals (ASOFAP) expects to expand by 10% this year in terms of the number of exhibitors and visitors compared to 2015, with a special focus on wellness and spa and water installations as booming sectors, and the show’s internationality will be enhanced even further.
The show will take place in Halls 1 and 2 of the Gran Via site. Its commercial offering will provide an overview of the residential and public swimming pool value chain along with wellness and spa facilties, equipment and accessories. At the show it will also be possible to see the main trends driving the market, based on innovative and eco-efficient technologies solutions that enhance sustainability and the user’s experience.
Knowledge and innovation
Piscina & Wellness Barcelona also provides an important platform for knowledge of the industry by means of its technical seminars. This year, the show will hold seminars and conferences focusing on wellness and public swimming pools and will host the III Waterpark Symposium for water parks, as well as ASOFAP training sessions for pool installers and professionals.
Among its activities, Piscina & Wellness is committed to the added value of demonstration spaces, where visitors will be able to see the real application of the products and services exhibited by the participating companies.
As a new feature, visitors can watch the live construction of the Demo Pool, a water installation showcasing the latest innovations in the sector. The Demo Surf area, a pool with a continuous artificial wave for surfing which may be of interest to water parks or tourist establishments, will also be on display. Furthermore, as in 2015, the Wellness Experience space will be recreated – a wellness centre where visitors can see how it works, consult experts and learn about the latest trends in design, equipment and technology, as well as about services and treatments to offer.
The show will also be opening the Innovation Zone, an area containing and explaining the main innovations presented by the exhibitors. There will also be a display of Internet of Things solutions applied to the control and maintenance of swimming pools, and an area giving advice on internationalisation and financing for businesses. The show will also include an international exhibition of innovative architectural projects related to water installations, presented by the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS).
As a complement, Piscina & Wellness Barcelona will be staging the first Competition for architectural projects for water spaces for architecture students, as well as the sixth edition of the traditional awards that bear its name and which recognise the most innovative and sustainable products and projects in the swimming pool, wellness and aquatic installation fields. On this occasion, the event will for the first time be including two new categories related to the world of wellness, and will be awarding prizes for the best wellness/spa establishment and for the best health and beauty treatment professional in the same field.
Barcelona, January 2017