Int'l Pool | Spa | Patio Expo Grows Third Year in a Row

December 3, 2012

From barbecue grills to solar filtration pumps and holiday decor, the newest products in outdoor living stole the spotlight at the Int’l Pool | Spa | Patio Expo that took place Nov. 6-8  at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

The show drew 10,202 attendees, a 5-percent increase, compared with 2011, marking the third consecutive year of attendance increase. 

Some 548 exhibitors spread over the 155,500 net square feet of exhibit space, a 26-percent increase, compared with 2011. Ranked #178 on the 2011 TSNN 250 US Trade Shows list, the show is owned and produced by Hanley Wood Exhibitions.

“We are very pleased with the number of attendees and with the enthusiasm they brought to the buying and selling activity on the show floor,” said Lindsay Roberts, director of the show.

Shee added, “New Orleans was a real draw for attendees as exhibitors enjoyed steady traffic as they introduced hundreds of new and innovative products to high-caliber decision-makers.”

Exhibitors were pleased with the number of leads and inquiries that were generated.

"We were overwhelmed with the amount of international attendees who were interested not only in our services, but the possibility of purchasing a franchise,” said Adam Gray, marketing director at American Leak Detection. “No other show offers such an eclectic mix of people in one space."

In addition to the showfloor’s buying and selling activity, the show’s conference program offered 74 business and technical seminars designed to improve skills through best practices and the latest technologies.  

Industry pros could also get their hands on the newest products at the Product Showcase and participate in live workshops at the APSP Live Zone offered hands-on live workshops before mingling peers at Saber Grill BBQ and Jazz Fest.

"It is very exciting to see the Industry coming back so strong,” said Ross Johnson, vice president of sales and marketing at the Outdoor GreatRoom Company.

He added, “The quality of the leads we’ve obtained were strong and buying; we have written several orders already since getting back.”

The 2013 Int’l Pool | Spa | Patio Expo will be held Nov. 12-14 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The educational conference will be held Nov. 9-14. 

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