Eurospapoolnews - official media partner of the aquanale - is running series of articles on the success story of the aquanale. This year, the trade fair will be celebrating its 10th jubilee, so we will take a look back at the highlights of the aquanale held in 2005.
Significant growth at the 2nd aquanale
After the splendid inauguration of the aquanale, international trade fair for Sauna.Pool.Ambience in 2003, the second event two years later showed significant growth with regard to exhibitors, area and visitors. 231 companies from 24 nations (2003: 164 from 18 countries) presented the latest trends and innovations in the field of swimming pools, whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms and accessories, both for private use and operators of public facilities.
The aim of the 2005 aquanale: to focus on the growing market in Eastern Europe
The number of visitors also showed a healthy increase in 2005. "Attendance rose by around 20 percent to 16,000 industry visitors from 61 countries, a clear testimony to the success of the aquanale. The diversity and high quality of the visitor profile made the fair into a phenomenal event with outstanding representation on both the supply and the demand sides" summarised Oliver P. Kuhrt, then the director of Koelnmesse, in his final report.
Bert Granderath (grando GmbH), President of the European Union of Swimming Pool and Spa Associations, and chair of the aquanale trade fair advisory board, also mentioned the "exceptionally high-quality visitor profile" in 2005. The 2005 aquanale also surpassed its objective of focussing on the growing market in Eastern Europe. This was emphatically confirmed by the high numbers of visitors from Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine and further Eastern European states who attended the second aquanale in Cologne, Germany.
Over 1000 guests attended Aquanight, a stunning gala of dancing and live music with an international buffet
Forums and conference
The first Cologne swimming pool and wellness forum also garnered an excellent response. This new conference was held alongside the trio of trade fairs that took place that year, the aquanale, FSB and SOLARIA. The conference was held under the motto "Water, heat and light harmoniously combined". It involved three days of presentations and discussion forums run for specialists by specialists, particularly for those from the public swimming pool and wellness sector. The high quality of the conference content was guaranteed by the German Association for Swimming Pools and Wellness (bsw), the Association for Sauna Construction, Infrared and Steam Bath Technology (BSB) and the conceptual sponsor of the FSB, the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS).
The topics covered ranged from water technology and technical equipment to management issues concerning public swimming pools and sauna facilities. Two further key topics were quality standards and successful business models for wellness activities provided at health resorts, spas and hotels and guidelines and policies for operating public swimming pools and swimming ponds.
Online competition
From 18th July to 25th October 2005, the bsw, in collaboration with Koelnmesse and the exhibitors grando, Behncke, Schmalenberger, G. Eichenwald, Bayrol, Speck Pumpen, RivieraPool and Corso Sauna-Manufaktur, organised an online competition on the aquanale website exclusively for aquanale visitors. After registering, professional visitors were given log-in data for 14 weeks of games. Naturally, they could also catch up on any weeks they had already missed. Every week, attractive prizes with a total value of EUR15,000 could be won. The first prize was a luxury spa holiday for two.
Mr and Mrs Arold of Arosa Schwimmbad- und Saunatechnik GmbH won the 2005 main prize in the aquanale competition for all trade fair visitors
The bsw forum
The German Association for Swimming Pools and Wellness (bsw) held the bsw forum for specialist swimming pool construction firms in a special event area next to their exhibition stand. The spectrum of topics ranged from energy-efficient options for heating swimming pools to tips on reducing IT running costs and even free individual meetings with experts from Ulrich C. Heckner business consultants.
A particular highlight of the 2005 bsw forum in the special event area was the presentation of the bsw awards for exceptional swimming pool and spa facilities across various categories.
The first Cologne swimming pool and spa forum was sponsored by numerous renowned aquanale exhibitors
Please note: The next aquanale will be held from the 26th to the 29th of October 2021
It will be the 10th aquanale. So the globally acclaimed trade fair of the swimming pool and wellness industry will be celebrating its 10th jubilee.
The international trade fair for Sauna.Pool.Ambience will be held in halls 7 and 8 of the Koelnmesse in October 2021. The themes will be private swimming pools, public swimming pool construction, swimming pool technology, public and private saunas and spas and green living. aquanale 2021 plans to build upon the outstanding success of the trade fair in November 2019: the international influence of the 2019 event was greater than ever and the quality of both supply and demand was unprecedented. Almost 28,000 visitors from 128 countries attended the fair to inspect the range of services provided by 281 exhibiting companies from 31 countries.
