October 23, 2009
The show is confirmed as the best tool for energising the sector
Innovation and internationalism highlighted at this year¿s Piscina BCN
Piscina BCN, which closes its doors this evening, has again been confirmed as one of the most important shows of its kind in the world with a large number of new products presented, over 250, and a high rate of internationalism among exhibitors and visitors from over a hundred countries. Piscina BCN has also hosted a wide range of activities, such as the first Ibero-American Congress on Sports and Recreational Facilities, CIDYR.
480 companies from 33 countries participated in Piscina BCN, which is organised by Fira de Barcelona. It is estimated that 18,000 visitors, 40% of them foreign from 102 countries, came to the show. The president of the Organising Committee, Lluís Cortés, pointed out that "in an economic climate as complex as the current one, the show has demonstrated that it is the best tool for energising the sector, with regard to trade and also by providing a meeting point which has favoured the constitution of new associations, such as the Asociación Iberoamericana para las Infraestructuras Deportivas y Recreativas (Ibero-American Association for Sports and Recreational Facilities), and the Asociación de Parques Acuáticos Españoles (Association of Spanish Water Parks)".
From a trade standpoint, the show received a number of inbound trade missions from various countries, such as Israel, which have given the sector the opportunity to explore new markets. Likewise, the first Ibero-American Congress on Sports and Recreational Facilities, CIDYR, held within the framework of Piscina BCN and attended by over 180 professionals from 18 countries, has opened up a new business avenue for Spanish companies, thanks to the boost that the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will give to the area.
The Congress closed by demanding that people, as well as sports and their facilities, must be at the centre of all urban planning . In this sense, the event affirmed the importance of practising sports in order to improve quality of life, and the fundamental role of defining and developing quality sports and recreational facilities which are accessible to everyone. The next CIDYR will be held in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo in 2010 and will return to Barcelona in 2011, in the setting of Piscina BCN.
Opting for innovation
In its commitment to innovation, Piscina BCN 2009 has created its first New Products Area, coordinated by the Instituto de Tecnología de la Construcción de Catalunya, ITeC. In this space, which was very well received by trade visitors, over 30 companies exhibited their products, components and accessories that are new or innovative in the sector.
The list of activities included the Piscina BCN Awards, organised by the ITeC which are aimed at giving public recognition to the innovative and enterprising nature of companies in the sector. The Minister for Work and Immigration, Celestino Corbacho, presented the awards to the winners: Naturalchlor (Spain) in the category of innovation; and A&A Manufacturing (U.S.A.) and PS-Pool Equipment (Spain), in the category of safety.
A very consolidated sector in Spain
The swimming pool sector is very well established in Spain thanks to the good climate, tourism and recreational culture, and the economic development experienced by the country in recent years. All of this has made the Spanish market a world reference, both for the number of swimming pool installed, over 1.1 million and for the existence of internationally prestigious manufacturers and professionals. The sector in Spain has an annual turnover of more than 1,300 million euros, is comprised of over 2,000 companies and employs around 12,500 direct and 50,000 indirect workers.
Barcelona, 23rd of October 2009
Marta Juvell
Tel. 93 233 20 89
Email: mjuvell@firabcn.es
Images available here
http://premsa.firabcn.es/SALONES%202009%20-%20SHOWS%202009/Piscina%20BCN%202009/