For the Press

Final Report: aquanale Cologne 2009 in top form

On 31st October, aquanale - the International Trade Fair for Sauna, Pool, Ambience, came to an end after four days of overall positive results in Cologne. Held in conjunction with FSB - the International Trade Fair for Amenity Areas, Sports and Pool Facilities, aquanale was visited by approximately 24,000 visitors. On a gross exhibition space of 36,000 m² visitors gained access to a wealth of information concerning the trends and innovations presented by 271 exhibiting companies from 25 countries. "The good exhibitor figures and excellent visitor participation is a clear signal to the sector that it should meet its current economic challenges by coming up with innovative solutions. The substantial number of foreign visitors and high quality of the visitors in general emphasise the international importance of the event," said Oliver P. Kuhrt, Executive Vice President of Koelnmesse. This year aquanale was the only international trade fair for swimming pools and wellness in Germany. A total of 39 per cent of suppliers and 31 per cent of visitors came from outside Germany to Cologne. The sector was also impressed with the results of the fair. "Ever since aquanale has existed it has been one of the best trade fairs of its kind," said Bert Granderath, Vice President of the European Union of Swimming Pool and Spa Associations (EUSA) and Managing Director of grando GmbH. "We were especially impressed by the high number of visitors and in particular the extraordinarily high quality of the visitors."

Dieter C. Rangol, Managing Director of the Association for Swimming Pools and Wellness (bsw), said: "aquanale was a complete success - from beginning to end. We were especially delighted by the great international scope and very high quality of the visitors. The number of municipal pool operators was noticeably higher than before, which I'm sure was due to the improved connection of aquanale to FSB by means of the water boulevard." Axel Diedenhofen, Executive Director of the Association for Sauna Construction, Infrared and Steam Bath Technology (BSB) said: "aquanale has left me with a very positive impression, particularly as a result of the busy aisles, the increase in premium end-customers and the new hall structure, which made the trade fair more compact."

High praise from exhibitors and visitors
The extensive product range once again turned the event into a visitor magnet. There was a noticeable increase in visitors from Eastern Europe, France, Austria and Switzerland. The large number of international visitors and excellent visitor turnout at the stands ensured very high spirits at aquanale. "The trade fair registered excellent visitor numbers, and we were able to hold very important discussions," said Herbert Nonnenmacher, Managing Director of Röger GmbH and Chairman of the BSB. "We observed a willingness to invest and great interest in the high-quality range of products. We were also impressed by the international character of aquanale. At our stand we welcomed visitors from nations and regions including the Benelux countries, Spain, Eastern Europe and Turkey." The exhibitors were especially pleased with the positive mood on the market. "aquanale has demonstrated there is a predominantly positive outlook among the traders, and swimming pool builders are also keeping busy. One could really feel there is a mood of resurgence for 2010," said Uwe Rengers, head of Marketing and Communication at RivieraPool Fertigschwimmbad GmbH. "Across the board, the exhibitors in turn presented modern and above all high-quality products designed to meet the needs of the market, which aroused strong interest on the part of the visitors. This confirms that exhibitors and visitors alike were highly qualified." These statements are confirmed by the initial results of the visitor survey. Of the visitors surveyed, 91 per cent are involved in purchasing and procurement decisions. Jürgen Bergmann, Executive Director of Debes & Wunder GmbH & Co. KG, also enjoyed high-level talks: "We are very satisfied. Our most important customers were here, and we also made good international contacts, for example from Turkey and Russia. The event showed that those who engage in active marketing will also stand strong in economically difficult times." Nina Maier, head of Marketing at KLAFS GmbH & Co. KG, was also impressed by the fair: "This year's aquanale was a premiere for KLAFS in two ways - it was the first time we participated at the fair and the first time we have exhibited at a trade fair together with our subsidiary SSF. The visitors welcomed our innovations with great interest, and we held many promising discussions. In this respect, our expectations were satisfied." One could also see many satisfied faces among suppliers of products from the spa and wellness sector. "For us the fair was very positive overall," said Helmut Hilpert, Managing Director of hilpert GmbH & Co. KG. "We made good, interesting contacts and welcomed customers to our stand who were eager to purchase." The newly created special topic area "SUN" also received a very positive response. "Our stand attracted high-quality, knowledgeable and specialist visitors, as well as very high numbers of international visitors," said Bernd Schmid, Managing Director of Sun's Solarien. "This confirms that the sun theme is well-positioned in combination with swimming pools and saunas."

It wasn't just the exhibitors who said they were extremely satisfied with the trade fair; aquanale also impressed the visitors. The visitor survey revealed that 75 per cent of visitors said they were "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with their success in achieving their trade fair objectives. Thanks to this very positive response to the event, 88 per cent of the visitors surveyed said they would recommend a visit to aquanale to a valued business associate.

The new hall structure was well-received
This year, aquanale for the first time occupied two halls (10.1 and 10.2) located one over the other, which was widely welcomed. As topics such as swimming pool technology, water treatment and equipment were of interest to the visitors in attendance at aquanale and at FSB, which took place in parallel, the swimming pool segments of both trade fairs were connected by a water boulevard. This connecting axis between the adjacent halls of the public and private swimming pool sectors was heavily frequented by visitors, who explored the stands of around 350 exhibiting companies from the swimming pool and sauna segments of both international trade fairs.

Third Cologne Swimming Pool and Wellness Forum solidly established
In addition, both of the events were linked by means of the third Cologne Swimming Pool and Wellness Forum. As a high-profile event of the swimming pool, sauna and wellness sector for sharing knowledge of trends and making professional contacts, the forum attracted a very good turnout and a record number of visitors. "We welcomed more than 300 participants from countries including Italy, France, Romania, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary and even Malaysia", summed up Dieter C. Rangol. "This shows that we succeeded within just a few years in creating a forum that is important worldwide, thanks to a focus on the latest topics of interest and renowned experts". Jointly organised by the bsw, the BSB, the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) and Koelnmesse, this year's forum addressed the key themes "energy efficiency and sustainability" and "safety and technology". A third part of the program examined the special topic "40 years of stainless steel swimming pools". The remarks concerning the new European safety standard EN 15288 generated particularly strong interest. The participants had the opportunity to discuss the standard - which defines new safety requirements for planning and operation of public swimming pools - with the people responsible for its creation.

At its stand, the bsw also provided a wealth of tips from experts related to all aspects of technology, concepts and strategy. The newly published bsw energy guide "Energieberatung rund um den Pool" (Energy use and swimming pools), which was in strong demand, supplied important information on the topic of energy efficiency. Also popular features were the bsw's swimming pool workshop "Ten golden rules for swimming pool construction companies that intend to be among the winners in times of crisis" and the free of charge information events for companies specialising in pool construction.

Swimming pools: New shapes and colours, more comfort and atmosphere
Tomorrow's swimming pools will feature a new, attractive design. Free-form designs are being increasingly used. Not only traditional shapes, but also traditional forms are also being abandoned. Instead of blue and white, the producers at aquanale showed new pools in natural colours such as "granicite black". Also a growing trend is the combination a pool's natural look with its technical convenience. One manufacturer, for example, exhibited a pool with a running "brook", spring and fountain that harmoniously blends into the garden. Presented in many variants were comfort features like air jet systems, high-pressure showers and massage jets. Atmosphere and the right mood are created not least by means of underwater lighting and coloured light. The presented features included glass-fibre lighting strips that not only ensure unusual lighting effects but also save energy.

Swimming pool technology: Positive "balance sheet" in terms of the environment, energy and costs
These positive environmental and energy and cost-related effects result particularly from pumps, measuring, control and dosage systems, filters and water treatment products. Exhibited at the fair were a pool with low energy consumption that not only significantly reduces energy use but also CO2 emissions, pumps that save on electricity, measuring, control and dosage systems that reduce use of water, treatment products and energy, and chlorine-free water treatment products that are thus not only easy on the skin, eyes and the environment but also odour-free. The energy saving products also include pool covers. The exhibitors also presented many new products in this category. And greater convenience is offered by automatic cleaning systems that require less care and maintenance, while the latest measuring, dosage and control systems can also be controlled via mobile phones and the Internet.

Saunas: A wealth of design, transparency and well-being
Design is also playing an increasingly important role in saunas, which are more and more frequently being treated as design objects in main living spaces. One manufacturer, for example, presented a design sauna with organic shapes and gently flowing connecting areas, which was created by the renowned interior designer Nik Schweiger and produced only in limited quantities. In keeping with the motto "Transparency is in", another manufacturer exhibited a design sauna with generously dimensioned glass front panels. With a strong emphasis on well-being, modern saunas also appeal to all the senses through the use of light, scent, colour and sound. Multi-functional cabins that combine saunas with vitalising, warm-air and herbal baths, for example, are another strongly emerging trend. Also now well-established are infrared cabins, which provide pleasant radiant heat at low temperatures. Energy saving is also in demand in the sauna segment. One manufacturer presented a gas-fired sauna that substantially reduces energy use levels and CO2 emissions, while another supplier exhibited saunas that are up to 35 per cent more energy efficient than other models.

Wellness: SPA concepts, wellness applications and anti-aging effects
In both the private and the public sectors, wellness has been a booming business for years now. Accordingly, the suppliers offered many exciting innovations for operators of hotels and wellness facilities in particular. These included open and transparent spa concepts with purist designs; salt rooms and grottoes; two-person bathtubs with massage and whirlpool functions; whole-body shower treatments and applications that combine deep heat, coloured light, white light, music and aromatherapy; a combination of a toilet and a bidet; and the world's first collarium, which claims to use collagen-light therapy to achieve anti-aging effects.

Tremendous interest in the SPIRIT of BATH special show
More and more people are discovering the pleasures of private spas. The trend ranges from installing wellness amenities within one's own four walls to conversion of the bathroom into a wellness oasis or creating complete wellness rooms. The SPIRIT of BATH special show at aquanale therefore showed how the areas of water, heat and wellness can be integrated into the bathroom, and thanks to its exciting new themes it was very popular among visitors. In the special area, numerous visitors found out how bathrooms can be transformed into genuine temples of wellness.

Trade fair success enthusiastically celebrated at aquanight
The sector representatives were in high spirits as they celebrated the success of aquanale at aquanight on the evening of the next-to-last day of the trade fair. The party is traditionally the social highlight of aquanale. This year more than 1,000 guests came to the lively party, which included dancing, live music and a buffet featuring international cuisine.

aquanale in figures:
aquanale 2009 was attended by 271 companies from 25 countries, which occupied a gross exhibition space of 36,000 m². The participants included 152 exhibitors and 13 additionally represented companies from Germany, as well as 92 exhibitors and 14 additionally represented companies from abroad. A total of 39 per cent of the exhibitors came from abroad. Including estimates for the last day of the fair, the two parallel trade fairs aquanale and FSB attracted approximately 24,000 trade visitors from 54 countries. The proportion of exhibitors from abroad was 31 per cent.*

* All figures have been calculated in accordance with the guidelines of the Society for Voluntary Control of Trade Fair and Exhibition Statistics (FKM).

aquanale 2011
The next aquanale - the International Trade Fair for Sauna, Pool, Ambience - will take place from Wednesday, 26th October to Saturday, 29th October 2011. It will be held in close proximity to, and at overlapping times with, the thematically related trade fair FSB - the International Trade Fair for Amenity Areas, Sports and Pool Facilities (26th to 28th October 2011).

Digital press service
The Final Report, further press releases, the list of new products, the exhibitor press compartments, and the image database with photo materials and the trade fair logo are available on the Internet at http://www.aquanale.com/) under "For the Press".

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