For landscapers, swimming pools can often be a hinderance that you have to work around. More recently, however, with construction on the rise, smart landscape contractors have been working in unison with pool builders to make the most of the boom. In 2022 there’s one place where landscapers can soak it all up and network with the very best in swimming pool royalty: SPLASH! Expo is set to open new doors and expand your business horizons.
Let’s face it, adding a pool to a project can cause all sort of problems; plans get changed, access gets tricky, plant options decrease, construction schedules clash, safety hazards pop up, clearing and maintenance turns critical, and the final aesthetic results relies on too many factors that can be out of your hands. But when youthink about it, landscaping and swimming pools should go hand in hand. A pool and its surroundings should complement each other, and for this symbiotic relationship to work best, those contracted to do the job need to have the same level of reciprocating rapport.
As Simon Cooper from Interpoint Events, who is relaunching SPLASH! Expo, rather eloquently put it: “I like to sum this up with the word ‘Poolscape’. When someone is redoing their backyard and putting in a pool, it is best for the pool installer and landscaper to work together. However, from past experience, people often dig a hole for the pool and then the landscaper has to work around it. To deliver the best result it should be done in synergy.”
Simon Cooper has been championing the benefits of this cooperative approach for years, and has been organising Australia’s greatest swimming pool convention for even longer. He first started running SPLASH! Expo back in 2006, and by 2012 he had the event voted best overall trade show in Australia and New Zealand. It continued to grow from strength to strength as a biannual event until COVID hit in 2019.
Having taken a short hiatus due to the pandemic, SPLASH! Expo is now back, bigger and better than ever. Of course, over the ‘downtime’, as with housing construction and home renovations in general, pool installation in Australia has risen exponentially. National development applications for pools were up a whopping 27 per cent in the past 12 months alone; remembering, each one of those pools usually needs landscaping expertise involved.
SPLASH! Expo is set to be the largest pool and spa trade show in the Southern Hemisphere. On Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd of June at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, there will be a sold-out, capacity showroom of over 150 exhibitors gathered under one roof showcasing the latestin pool innovations.
For landscapers, it’s not only a time to meet pool companies that you could possibly share trade and knowledge with, but there will also be a plethora of other interesting businesses that you can network and collaborate with. From tiling brands and shade cloth technology, to lighting and drainage systems, there is a wealth of products and people to encounter. With ever-changing legislation, pool fencing is another hot topic, and with free seminars and workshops there is lots to learn and arm yourself with for future projects.
At the same time, SPLASH! Expo is a great opportunity for landscape contractors to introduce themselves to and educate those at the forefront of the pool industry. This will also include other local and overseas prospects who will be attending the show as visitors.
“In 2018 we had international attendees from 27 countries, and given the show is much larger we are expecting even more this year,” explained Simon Cooper. “They are usually major pool distributors, delegates scouting commercial pools for hotels in Asia and people looking for new products.”
What an opportunity to either dip your toe or jump straight in the deep end and join forces with such a booming market. And to take the networking opportunities to another level, the show owners, SPASA (Swimming Pool & Spa Association), will be staging the inaugural SPLASH! afterparty as the show closes with live entertainment from the Baker Boys Band.
Register online now to attend SPLASH! Expo, and don’t worry, you won’t need to splash out as most of the show is free!
For full details go to splashexpo.com.au