AQUA Launches National Conference and Trade Show

AQUA Magazine has begun preparations for a new educational conference and trade show to be held next fall at the Charlotte Convention Center, October 5-7, 2022. “AQUA Live” will bring together thousands of the most successful pool and spa professionals in North America for education, forums, exhibits and events, says AQUA Editor Scott Webb. But the show will have a distinctive flavor.

“AQUA Live is just what it sounds like — a live event, AQUA-style,” he says. “Basically, we are going to take everything AQUA is now, and make it live and in person.

Industry veterans will remember attending The AQUA Show, a successful trade event AQUA launched in 1992 that grew to more than 1,000 booths and developed a strong following until it was sold in 2006 to Hanley-Wood.

“We have actually been thinking about doing this for some time because we think we can offer something special in a live event. We were considering launching early last year, but then the pandemic hit, so obviously we wanted to wait,” says Webb.

“As we began talking with friends and partners in the industry, we were really encouraged by the positive response. A lot of people think there’s room for a show that is focused solely on the pool and spa industry, run by people who know it backwards and forwards. Our show staff has over 90 years combined experience in the pool and spa industry — it’s our industry — so that gives us a different approach. As a magazine with deep roots in the industry, we think we can inject new life into an event like this. And we think the timing next fall will be perfect.”

Organizations, retailers, pool companies and equipment suppliers throughout the industry have been quick to endorse the show.

“We’ve already marked our calendars,” says Matt Kimball, vice president of product management and marketing at Hayward. “These days, any live event feels like a rare luxury; to have one run by an industry force like AQUA makes it all the better.”

AQUA Live charter exhibitors include manufacturers such as Tara Pool & Outdoor Products, Hayward, Pleatco, Lyon Financial, AquaStar, HFS Financial Services, RB Retail & Service Solutions, LaMotte and others.

Among the organizations looking forward to the event is the premier builder group GENESIS. “We think this will be a fantastic venue for education, and we’re excited to deliver education at this industry event!” says GENESIS Ambassador Brian Van Bower.

AQUA Live will hold its inaugural event in Charlotte, but show staff plan to move the annual show to different venues and fall dates. Details on event programming will be released on the website aquamag.live throughout the next year.

Count me in," says Kelly King, president and co-owner of Mountain Hot Tub, located in Helena, Mont., of the new event. "I haven’t been to a national trade show for years, but this is one I would like to go to.”

For more information visit aquamag.live.

This article first appeared in the October 2021 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.