As our magazine cover proclaims, this issue is all about dreams — big dreams. And this year, designers really delivered. Our pages are packed full of aquatics facilities that push the boundaries of traditional design; incorporate innovative, energy-saving ideas and technologies; and mesh with the landscape in beautiful ways. In short, these are the facilities that make us think of tomorrow.
Tomorrow is what this special summer issue has always been about. After all, what else are dreams except ideas that lead us to a better tomorrow, a brighter future? Based on these projects, that future promises to be a bright one for aquatics.
Despite the sputtering economy of the past several years, there’s no shortage of high-tech products, and high-end touches. In fact, architects submitted so many Dream Designs, we couldn’t fit them all into the magazine. About half of the projects exist exclusively online. Whether you view them in print or on our Web site, you’re sure to find ideas, concepts and products — check out our new supplier lists! — that will help lead your facility to a better tomorrow.
It’s in this spirit that Aquatics International is debuting new online offerings that represent the cutting edge of publishing technology. Anyone with a computer or cell phone knows that the way we get information is rapidly shifting to the Web. For many of us, it’s simply a more efficient way to get what we need. Online tools such as RSS (real simple syndication) have made it fast and easy to comb multiple sites. Offerings such as blogs (now a regular and growing feature on aqaticsintl.com) have changed the media paradigm from a centralized delivery system to a more grass-roots, personal approach.
Here at Aquatics International, we’re stepping into the magazine world of tomorrow in a bold new way, beginning with this issue. The first change you may notice is an online table of contents on page 6. Check this page in every issue for exclusive features and tools you can access online, including expanded news coverage and expert bloggers. We’ve also begun a monthly e-newsletter called AI Extra, which offers aquatic book reviews and a partnership with Amazon.com that makes it easy to buy books that interest you. AI Extra also comes with a handy monthly calendar with links to events so you can quickly get more information about the offerings. As part of our new online focus, we’ll be using “GET MORE” boxes throughout the magazine. These are a heads-up for related online exclusives.
That’s just the beginning.
In coming months, we’ll start offering something many of you (including myself) have dreamed about for years: an online database of articles. We’re also in the planning stages of creating online “suites” of articles that operators can access on a particular subject such as crypto. As investment in the Web grows, such offerings will expand with it.
Does that mean the magazine is going away? Absolutely not! What it does mean is that readers will have new options and tools available to get the kind of information they’ve always relied on from Aquatics International, the kind that keeps them thinking about better tomorrows.
