By Marcelle Dibrell
With the swimming season officially over, pool service professionals can take advantage of the slow season with numerous educational opportunities at the regional trade shows that occur during the winter and early spring months of 2022.
And among the most compelling reasons to attend these regional trade shows are the terrific locations of the host cities. Who wouldn’t want a work excuse to visit Orlando, Florida, and take just a little extra time to visit Disney World or Universal Studios? Why not plan an education vacation in San Antonio that also involves strolling along the historic River Walk or checking out the Alamo? From Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Long Beach, California, there’s a pool and spa trade show in nearly all of the major tourist attractions in the U.S. And all of those places offer a plethora of shopping, fine dining, and entertainment.
But beyond location, these shows also provide a one-stop shop for every kind of certification available in the pool industry, from CPO certification to new pool start-ups. And they provide service pros the credentials necessary to rise above the competition. For those already certified, the shows also feature compelling seminars on the latest science as pertains to everything pool related, from water chemistry, to hydraulics, electricity, and everything in between. For those who do installations and repairs, there are manufacturer-based classes on pumps and heaters; UV, ozone, and AOP systems; and salt water chlorine generators. For business owners, there are seminars on marketing, internet strategies, codes and regulations, sales tips, liability concerns, and much more.
In other words, these shows can provide the information on just about everything needed to run a successful pool and spa business.
That’s why this special issue of Service Industry News features all the pertinent information currently available for the major regional pool and spa trade shows occurring this year.
These include four shows sponsored by affiliates of the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance. These are the Mid-American Pool & Spa Show, Jan. 17-20 in Indianapolis, IN; The Pool & Spa Show, Jan. 25-27 in Atlantic City, NJ; the Everything Under the Sun Show, March 4-5 in Orlando, FL; and the Southwest Pool & Spa Show, Jan. 19-22 in San Antonio, TX.
Additionally, other major shows are also scheduled across the country, including the Desert Pool & Spa Show, Jan. 13-15 in Phoenix, AZ; the National Plasterers Council Conference, Feb. 9-11 in Atlanta, GA; the Western Pool & Spa Show, March 10-12, in Long Beach, CA; and the National Water Safety Conference,April 11-14 in FortWorth,TX.
We will also cover the IPSSA Region 7 Table-Top Show, on Jan. 29 in San Diego, CA.
Later in the year, two additional shows will occur, including Pool Industry Expo, during the fall of 2022, in Monterrey, CA, and the International Pool, Spa, & Patio Expo, Nov. 15-17, in Las Vegas, NV. Because these shows occur later in the year, they will not be covered in this issue. Watch for details on these shows as they approach.
