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Noemi PETIT and Gilles MOUCHIROUD at Piscine GLOBAL's launching in June
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The 27th edition of the Piscine GLOBAL exhibition is announced from 15 to 18 November 2016, at Lyon Eurexpo and expects the presence of nearly 600 exhibitors and 18 000 visitors! Joint interview of Noemi Petit, Director of this global event for the profession, and Gilles Mouchiroud, President of the FPP, partner of the show for the next 3 editions.
Is this year’s show already looking set to build on its position as the leading event drawing in all the sector players from both the public and private sector?
Noémi PETIT: There are several promising signs for the 2016 exhibition. First of all, the pool and spa market figures for the end of 2015 were very encouraging, and 2016 has got off to a good start.
Secondly, the high levels of satisfaction with the 2014 exhibition have paid off and most of the suppliers have already confirmed that they are coming back, because they can be sure that attending the show contributes to achieving several key points of their strategy: new product launch, export, team incentive, events for their members, products training…
Piscine Global offers an array of services tailored to these objectives. Between the Piscine Innovations area, the business meetings, the live in-pool demonstrations, the local authorities day, the presence of specifiers and tourism organisations and the hospitality services provided, everything is designed to meet the exhibitors’ and visitors’ needs, assist them and make everything convenient so they can get the most out of their participation.
And last but not least, Piscine Global guarantees that they will be able to meet a highly representative selection of buyers from across the sector – such as builders, distributors, specifiers and local authorities – with widely varying needs relating to designing, building, installing, maintaining or renovating pools and spas.
Gilles MOUCHIROUD: Since the third quarter of 2015 the market has been picking up and the environment is becoming more favourable. Thanks to the resources being deployed by the organiser and its close collaboration with all the exhibitors throughout the preparation period, this year’s event is all set to be a great one.
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Innovation will be at the heart of the show once again, with special events and areas dedicated to this theme. Why is it so important for you to promote innovation through this show?
Noémi PETIT: A market without innovation is a market at riskof dying out. Thankfully, the pool and spa sector is creative and inventive! Pool manufacturers alone invest nearly 2% of their turnover in research and development. Spa design is also undergoing a transformation, with new equipment constantly emerging. In this context, it is vital for Piscine Global to showcase the innovations that will shape the pools of the future. New products will be in the spotlight in the Piscine Innovations area at the show entrance, but will also feature prominently in the show’s communication resources and on the website.
Professionals are avid for innovation and appreciate being able to follow a special itinerary that will take them straight to the stands where products are being launched.
Lastly, Innovations trophies are awarded to the best new products at a special gala ceremony, culminating the show’s efforts to sustain the promotion of new products from one edition to the next.
Gilles MOUCHIROUD: Innovation is an indicator of a sector’s vitality and ability to reinvent itself and adapt to the world of tomorrow in line with its customers’ shifting expectations. Great strides have been made in reducing the quantities of water and energy consumed by swimming pools, and the FPP sincerely hopes the sector will continue to improve in the area of sustainable development. The convenience offered by the latest pool equipment and automation devices is a key factor in a family’s decision to invest in a swimming pool. It is vital for pool fitters to keep abreast of the latest technologies by attending the show, in particular to ensure that they are compliant with the very first European standards applicable to family pools that came into force at the end of 2015 and the next round that will follow in the spring of 2016.
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You have renewed your cooperation for six years - in other words, for three more exhibitions. This exclusive partnership with Piscine Global is a big asset for the sector professionals. Can you tell us some more about it?
Gilles MOUCHIROUD: This partnership is an asset for the FPP’s members because it enables the federation to develop a larger number of strategic actions to benefit the profession, while offering members substantial advantages if they participate in the show! Since it is committed to developing the French market and pools that are “made in France” – which was overwhelmingly approved by the consumers who took part in the Médiascopie survey – the FPP has an important role to play at Piscine Global in promoting French know-how and the European standards that are so vital to develop high-quality pool products and equipment for the benefit of consumers. This partnership between
the world’s leading show and Europe’s leading federation cannot but enhance credibility and influence for everyone.
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You exported the Piscine Global concept to several other countries in 2012, key examples being Piscine Middle East and Piscine Asia. Please tell us more about your approach. What were the outcomes from these inaugural exhibitions?
Noémi PETIT: In 2008, the suppliers exhibiting at Piscine Global asked us to accompany them as they pursued development in a number of high-potential export destinations. We picked the United Arab Emirates and Singapore because they are countries with representative pool markets and robust economies where English is widely spoken.
We have been developing Piscine Middle East and Piscine Asia since 2012, and both shows will take place for the third time this year. These three shows have now been grouped together in a network named the Piscine Overseas Pool Export Network - Piscine OPEN – with the aim of creating and harnessing synergy between the global event and its international spinoffs.
Our three shows are designed to boost our exhibitors’ export
opportunities and provide them with a range of services as they prepare to attend a show or to visit the country: assistance from our international agents, organisation of business meetings and export itineraries, arrangement of hospitality, assistance with freight and transport, discussions on social networks, etc. All in all, we are in constant touch with 22,000 professionals globally, and that
probably constitutes the biggest pool and spa network in the world.
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Photo Credits: Elisabeth RULL
