Hurricane Irma fails to dampen Orlando pool expo

The International Pool Spa Patio Expo held recently in Orlando, Florida was seen as a success, overcoming some nervousness about how much of a part the damaging effects of Hurricane Irma would play.

The category 5 hurricane forced a state of emergency to be put in place in Florida during September and led to large scale evacuations of that state. The trade show was held on November 1 to 3.

“It was unclear how Hurricane Irma would play a role in this year’s event,” says Tracy Garcia, CEM, Show Director.

“Attendees driving in do play a significant part in overall numbers when we bring the show to areas like Orlando, where the industry is robust. While it did have some impact on registrations we were pleased with the strong representation from Florida and the high level of energy on the show floor for all three days.”

9500 visitors

In total, more than 9500 pool, spa and outdoor living professionals attended the event. The exposition spanned more than 12,000 square metres, and showcased 463 exhibiting companies. There were 122 new exhibitors and 56 companies in the 1300-square-metre outdoor living pavilion.

SPLASH! attended the event and will report on it in the upcoming printed edition of the magazine.

Next time to Las Vegas

Next year, the International Pool Spa Patio Expo will return to Las Vegas for the first time since 2015 and will be held October 31-November 2, 2018. Pre-conference programs will begin on October 28, 2018.

“Planning for Las Vegas is already under way,” says Tracy. “The city is a natural fit for our show because of our international base, the hotel options, and number of flights. With our strategic partners, we’re looking at some significant changes to provide even more value, education, hands-on training, and networking opportunities to our attendees.”