Trade show season is just around the corner,andwiththethreatofthepandemic mostly behind us, attendance at the shows is expected to return to normal.
First up is Pool Industry Expo, taking place in beautiful seaside Monterey, California, from October 6-8. Known as the education vacation, the 35th annual PIE show offers a gorgeous coastal retreat to get away from the grind. The three-day seminar schedule will feature classes on water chemistry, business management, troubleshooting equipment, and much more. Cash prizes will be awarded daily in the exhibit hall, where you can bump shoulders with all the experts in the industry. And in the evening, every seafood restaurant is a winner where you can feast on creamy clam chowder, buttery sourdough bread, delicate lobster tails, and crispy fried shrimp.
From November 12-17, you won’t want to miss the International Pool Spa and Patio Expo, taking place in dazzling Las Vegas. The International show is where all segments of the industry (pool, spa, patio, decking, and outdoor living) gather to stay well-informed of the trends, market directions, and technology. The show is celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2022 and offers an unparalleled educational experience and opportunities for indepth discussions with your peers — this event is second to none. It’s also where the winners of the Million Dollar Pool Challenge (where pool designers compete to see who can design the best pool and outdoor living space on a million-dollar budget) will be picked.
In the winter, we’ve got The Pool and Spa Show, taking place in Atlantic City from January 24-26. When you’re not attending the six hours of seminars made available every day or hitting the exhibit hall to meet the hundreds of manufacturers who will be attending the show, you can be strolling the city’s historic boardwalk, the first in the country, gambling the night away at glitzy casinos, or attending any number of live shows and events.
Then from February 8-11, you can go to the Southwest Pool and Spa Show in Houston. They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the Southwest Show is no exception. This show features a huge exhibit hall with actual inground and aboveground pools and hot tubs, and focuses equal attention to retail, service, and builders. It has an expanded schedule of industry certifications and educational classes for all aspects of your business and for every level of your team from the owner to the techs. And, there’s a notto- be-missed industry welcome and awards party on Friday night.
Just a couple weeks later, you can be at the Everything Under the Sun Expo in Orlando, Florida, from February 24-25th. The Expo is passing its 50-year mark, and they invite you to celebrate this milestone by registering to attend a fantastic selection of classes, the exhibit, and their ever-popular Friday night party. This is a show where you’ll want to bring the whole family (and a lot of money) because you are sure to want to make special trips to Disney World, the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Universal Studios, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Then you can usher in the spring at the Western Pool and Spa Show in sunny Long Beach, California, from March 10-12. Celebrating 44 years, this show bills itself the #1 show for education, exhibits and training, and why not? With classes from the basics to the most advanced topics in the industry, offered in both English and Spanish, this is a show for the West’s prominent pool industry. And if that’s not incentive enough, anyone who attends has an opportunity to win the biggest cash prize the pool industry offers: a whopping $20,000! This is another show for the family, close to Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, and Magic Mountain.
