It’s a marriage made in trade show heaven: two trade fairs with a heavy emphasis on swimming pools paired together in a huge venue. It all happens Oct. 27-30, 2015 in Cologne, Germany – and aquatics facility managers and pool builders from around the world are expected to descend on the cathedral city’s convention center, Koelnmesse.
What are these two trade fairs, you ask? FSB - International Trade Fair for Amenity Areas, Sports and Pool Facilities is a popular draw in Cologne every two years. At its last incarnation in 2013, FSB was joined by aquanale - the International Trade Fair for Sauna.Pool.Ambience in the same venue. Visitors and exhibitors liked the pairing of the commercial pool sector (FSB) with the private pool sector (aquanale).
That event attracted 622 exhibitors from 26 nations, and 25,000 attendees from more than 115 countries, according to FSB officials, and a similar turnout – or higher -- is expected this year.
When the trade fair duo return in 2015, they will take over Koelnmesse’s North Halls 6, 7, 9 and 10 – and that works out to 861,113 square feet of exhibit area. The pool-specific areas can be found in Halls 6 and 7. As might be expected, the exhibit hall housing FSB 2015 will feature products for public pool facilities; project planning, construction and equipment for leisure facilities and playgrounds; construction and equipment for indoor and outdoor sports facilities; urban design/landscape architecture; and services. Meanwhile, booths in the aquanale hall will showcase numerous new products and services for private pools, saunas and wellness facilities.
At the last gathering, the Cologne Swimming Pool and Wellness Forum provided a link between the FSB and aquanale sectors. During the four-day event, more than 300 participants attended discussions on a variety of topics, including technology, energy efficiency and hotel swimming pools. A particularly well-attended discussion on pool construction was co-produced by the Federal Association for Swimming Pools & Wellness and the International Association for Sports & Leisure Facilities, aka IAKS.
The aquanale reported positive feedback as well. Armin Herger, managing director of Speck Pumps in Nuremberg, Germany is quoted as saying, “aquanale was a successful fair for us. There was a great mood in the halls and an outstandingly high number of visitors. We met with all of the members of our target group, which shows just how high the visitor quality was at the fair. …” And Bert Granderath, vice president of the European Union of Swimming Pool & Spa Associations, agreed. He said his group was extremely pleased it had exhibited at aquanale and called it “the best and most international one ever.”
Day ticket prices for the 2015 dual trade show event are 18 Euros ($20.53 USD) in advance, and 25 Euros ($28.50 USD) at the door. For more information and to register for the event, visit the FSB website.
