The Atlantic City Pool & Spa Show turns 26 this year, with a full slate of business and technical seminars and, of course, a busy trade show floor. The show, running from Jan. 23-25, will once again be held at the Atlantic City Convention Center, with over 128,000 square feet of exhibit space. With so much to keep you busy over the three days, it may be hard to find time to see much of Atlantic City, but should you get a chance, there is more on offer than craps tables and slot machines — not that there's anything wrong with those pastimes. So take a few minutes to peruse the schedule and plan a few activities for your off-hours.
At The Show
Brand new this year is an advanced course, "Mastering the Craft," being offered for builders, designers and installers, and running from Jan. 20-22, allowing participants to attend both the class and the trade show.
According to NESPA, the class is an in-depth course for advanced and experienced builders, designers, installers, landscape architects and gunite pool contractors. The 16-hour course will be held at the convention center and includes topics such as identifying and managing soil problems, using design software and managing complex hydraulic systems. If interested in the course, contact NESPA at 732/972-9111 or click on nespapool.org for more details. For those who want to take advantage of the over 70 educational and business opportunities during the show, a comprehensive list of seminars begins on page 84.
Apres Show
Just like Las Vegas, Atlantic City has worked hard over the last few years to spruce up its image and offer more high-end entertainment. If shopping is your bag (pun intended), you'll want to check out the Pier Shops at Caesars, which opened in July 2006, with more to come throughout early 2007. The 90some shops, which were developed by the same company responsible for the Forum Shops at Caesars in Las Vegas, offer similar high-end retail stores, such as Tiffany & Co., and are housed in a glass-enclosed, four-story structure jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. Also making the cross-country trek is the popular Vegas nightclub, the rumjungle, set to open in early 2007.
The Borgata Casino, already notable for its resemblance to Vegasstyle venues, has also undergone an expansion in 2006. The casino has added over 36,000 square feet of space, including the largest poker room in the city, as well as three new restaurants spearheaded by culinary luminaries like Wolfgang Puck.
If shopping and expensive meals don't do anything for you, Atlantic City also boasts a surprising number of unique memorials — though they may be a little chilly in late January. The Civil Rights Garden, a block off the Boardwalk at Pacific Ave. and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., commemorates the civil rights marches of the 1960s. Eleven black African granite columns are etched with quotes from notable Americans. The New Jersey Korean War Memorial is another option for quiet contemplation. The memorial, sited where Park Place meets the Boardwalk, is engraved with the names of 822 New Jerseyans who were killed or missing in action during that war.
There are also a number of art museums to while away some time after a gambling binge. The Atlantic City Art Center, located on Garden Pier, houses three different art galleries. The center hosts monthly exhibits, featuring paintings, paper sculpture and drawings, among other things. The Noyes Museum of Art, in Oceanville, features 19th and 20th century American fine art, craft and folk art, with an emphasis on regional artists. Finally, the Ocean City Arts Center, on Simpson Ave. in Ocean City, offers a smaller setting for monthly gallery exhibitions.
There you have it, folks — a peek into what's new at the show for 2007, as well as a few suggestions for what to do after the show. Atlantic City offers a great destination for business and pleasure; take advantage of both this year and you may leave a little lighter in the pockets, but you won't leave disappointed.
Saturday, Jan. 20 Mastering the Craft 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Technical Sunday, Jan. 21 Certified Pool/Spa Operator 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Technical Mastering the Craft 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Technical Monday, Jan. 22 Certified Pool/Spa Operator 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Technical Mastering the Craft 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Technical Electronic Spa Component Repair 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Business Make 2007 Your Best Year Ever! 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Business QuickBooks Solutions 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Business Making WAVES: We All Value Exceptional Service! 12:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Business The Professional Installer Program for Diving Boards 12:30 p.m - 3:45 p.m
Technical Tough Soil Conditions: Case Histories 12:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m
Technical Understanding and Examining Insurance and Loss Control Issues of the Pool Contractor 12:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Business Basic Sanitation Principles for Pools and Spa Tubs 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m
Technical How To Avoid Liability Traps 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m
Business The Value of Value 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m
Business Building Permits and Sealed Drawings: Knowing What You Need 2:15 p.m - 3:45 p.m
Technical Building Powerful Sales Presentations 2:15 p.m - 3:45 p.m
Business Business Succession Planning and Successful Retirement 2:15 p.m - 3:45 p.m
Technical Robotic Cleaners: Tomorrow's Technology Today and How To Benefit From It 2:15 p.m - 3:45 p.m
Technical The Benefits of Solar Energy Pool Heating 2:15 p.m - 3:45 p.m
Technical Tricks of the Trade 2:15 p.m - 3:45 p.m
Tuesday, Jan. 23 Basic Electricity for Spa Tubs 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Basic Water Chemistry and Testing 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Electro-Mechanical Spa Control Repair 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical GenerationSpeak! Managing the Collision of the Generations 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Business Grow Your Business Using Metrics: Compounding Your Net Profit Growth 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Business Motors and Pumps: The Heart of the System 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Pneumatic Controls and Equipment Troubleshooting 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Site Planning for the Backyard 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Techniques for Installing In-Ground Vinyl-Liner Pools 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Heat Pumps: Operation and Installation 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Technical Ionizer Applications for Pools and Spas 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Technical Maximizing Employee Longevity, Productivity and Loyalty 8:30 a.m - 10:00 a.m.
Business Pooling Your Thoughts For A Powerful Memory 8:30 a.m - 10:00 a.m.
Business Position Your Business For Success 8:30 a.m - 10:00 a.m.
Technical Protecting the Bottom Line: How to Collect from Delinquent Customers and Protect Your Business from Lawsuits 8:30 a.m - 10:00 a.m.
Business Swimming Pool Standards: Applications & Interpretations 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Technical The Many Facets of Deck Construction 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Technical 10. Mistakes Managers Make 10:15 a.m - 11:45 a.m.
Business Everything You Need to Know About Pool Alarms 10:15 a.m - 11:45 a.m.
Technical IRS Secrets You Should Know 10:15 a.m - 11:45 a.m.
Business Maintaining Hand-Crafted Cementitious Surfaces 10:15 a.m - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Ozone Applications: Corona Discharge and UV Systems 10:15 a.m - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Perception - The Unseen Asset That Increases Sales 10:15 a.m - 11:45 a.m.
Business Retaining Wall Construction for Pools and Spas 10:15 a.m - 11:45 a.m.
Technical APSP Certification Examinations 12:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 24 Advanced Hydraulics for Builders and Technicians 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Advanced Water Chemistry 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Computerize Your Store and Service Center for Success 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Business Diagnostics For Electronic Spa Controls 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Effective Communications for Leadership and Professional Success 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Business Electro-Mechanical Spa Control Repair 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Electronic and Millivolt Heater Troubleshooting 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical In-ground Vinyl Liners: Measurement To Installation 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Selling and Installing Above-Ground Pools 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Chlorine Generators: Principles and Troubleshooting 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Technical Equipotential Bonding Grid: NEC 2005 Requirements 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Technical Hot Water Sanitizing Concerns 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Technical Monopolize Your Marketplace — The New Rules of Marketing 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Business Pooling Your Thoughts For A Powerful Memory 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Business Put Money In Your Pocket - Don't Give It To the IRS or Insurance Companies 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Business The Role of Ultraviolet Light in Commercial Pool Sanitation Systems 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Technical Big Spenders: Buying Trends of Decision Makers 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Business Experience The Hypnotic Mind 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Electronic Control Systems for the Backyard 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical How To Make A Million Dollars Servicing Pools 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Business Servicing Older Spa Control Systems: Repair, Upgrade or Replace. 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Solar Heating: Sales, Service and Installation 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Suction Entrapment Issues Facing the Pool/Spa Builder 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Technical Thursday, Jan. 25 Chlorine Generators: Fact vs. Fiction 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Technical Fail-Proof Marketing: Seven Steps to Double-Digit Sales Growth 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Business Identifying New Profit Centers and Unleashing Their Potentials 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Business The Technology of Induced Draft Heaters 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Technical Measuring Techniques for Pool Covers 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Technical Stubborn Pool Chemistry Problems 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
