This year’s Pool & Spa Show was reimagined to create an online platform that connected all aspects of the industry to learn, share ideas, and have some fun. Unlike any other virtual industry event over the last year, The Pool & Spa EXPERIENCE brought together live content streamed over two-days, a fully-stocked on-demand library of courses, and over 70 industry vendors.
On January 26 & 27, the Show was live-streamed from Atlantic City, NJ. The live event included four interactive classes, two industry peer-panels, and live social events, including a morning coffee and the annual Welcome Party.
“We were ready to pivot once we understood how in-person events were going to be restricted due to the pandemic,” said Dominick Mondi, Executive Director of the Northeast Spa & Pool Spa Association (NESPA). “Our Board of Directors and my entire staff was focused on creating a dynamic event that stayed true to the heart of what our Show means to the industry. We know our attendees and exhibitors depend on us to create a space where they can connect, and we were committed to creating a whole new way to get that done.”
Choosing not to conform to the traditional online event playbook allowed NESPA to build its own event EXPERIENCE based on its decades of experience within the pool & spa industry and tapping into its deep relationships with industry professionals.
“We’ve always said that this Show is made for pool and spa professionals by pool and spa professionals. When we thought about how to best bring our Show to life for 2021, I knew that a traditional online format wouldn’t meet the needs of our industry,” said Trish McCormick, Show Manager. “There had to be live interaction, and an easy-to-use platform was a must. While I missed the hugs, it was great to chat with attendees on our platform and engage with them live over coffee.”
The blend of live-events and real-time exhibitor meetings with on-demand learning delivered just what the industry needed after a year of staying home.
Engagement reports show that
- Participants made 3,115 networking connections
- Exhibitor booths had 8,868 views
- The on-demand libraries had 16,694 session views
- The live-stream had 18,954 views
- In total, 150,140 interactions took place
Show attendees agree:
“Love being able to watch the live-stream and log on to the on-demand sessions any time I want to. I do miss the time spent with friends before the season fully takes over our lives. This had been a very trying year for all of us in this business.” Kelly Jivanelli, Nugent & Potter (Southampton, NY)
“I must say the LIVE portion of the Show has been impressive. I truly appreciate everyone’s effort out there!” Mike Klaffka, Aquacal AutoPilot
“I am really engaged and connect with the event. I feel connected with the live events and people. This pivot is a testament to the NESPA Board of Directors and staff. Wow! I’m impressed.” Steve Gorlin, Gorlin Pools and Spas (Lakehurst, NJ)
“Thanks so much for making this platform so easy to understand! Very excited to absorb information!” Jennifer Kammonen, Eco Natural Aquatics (Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada)
“This Show has been part of the industry for 40 years, and I’ve been a part of more than twenty Shows, so I thought I’d seen everything, but that changed after 2020,” joked Trish McCormick, Show Manager. “Being pushed to think differently in all aspects of the Show taught us some great lessons and gave us some new tricks that I’m excited to use next year when our Show returns in-person to the Atlantic City Convention Center.”
The Pool & Spa Show will return to its home at the Atlantic City Convention Center in 2022. The in-person event will take place from January 25th – 27th.
For this year's Show, we embraced change and looked for new ways to deliver The Pool & Spa Show EXPERIENCE! The Northeast Spa & Pool Association thanks our Partners for joining us and supporting the industry in such a big way. Logos images at bottom of eblast
Platinum Partners: Bel-Aqua Pool Supply, Inc., Haward, Loop-Loc, and Pentair
Gold Partners: Fluidra and Meet AC
Partners: Aqua-Cal AutoPilot, Classic Pool Tile & Stone, Pool Corp, Taylor Technology,. Raypak, and Hachik