interbad 2022: Pool industry trends and innovations on display

296 exhibitors and 8,500 national and international visitors in Stuttgart

"Water is our element - competence is our offer" - interbad came to a successful end in Stuttgart under this motto. 296 exhibitors, 34 of whom were in the special areas, presented new products, practical solutions and innovations over a period of four days. The exhibitors came from 23 countries. 39 per cent of exhibitors came from abroad. The Trade Fair for Swimming Pools, Saunas and Spas, which is jointly organised by the German Association for the Recreational and Medicinal Bath Industry (DGfdB) and Messe Stuttgart, also impressed the around 8,500 visitors, 1 in of 5 of whom came from abroad. For the first time since the start of the corona pandemic, the coherent concept comprising a trade fair, a Congress and a diverse accompanying programme was staged again with personal interaction.

DGfdB at interbad 2022 Copyright Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH

interbad continues its success story together with the German Association for the Recreational and Medicinal Bath Industry (DGfdB). Copyright: Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH

Stefan Lohnert, President of Messe Stuttgart, highlighted the relevance of personal networking during his welcoming speech:

The demand for professional exchanges, network cultivation and the live experience of technical developments for swimming pools, saunas and wellness appears to be extremely high at present.

Claudia Döttinger, Vice President of Messe Stuttgart, added: "Trade fairs such as interbad are essential for finding out information about new technologies. At present, we are all primarily concerned about energy and resource efficiency. These topics were therefore also right at the top of the agenda of interbad, a trade fair which provides the industry with valuable impetus."

interbad 2022 Experience products live

interbad 2022: Experience products live. Copyright: Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH

Water is his element

Dr. Michael Gross, an Olympic and World Champion in swimming between 1982 and 1991, presented different theses on sport and commerce in his keynote speech during the DGfdB Congress. He said: "Commerce needs active sport and competition. Sport would lose its appeal without sponsors, patrons and media attention. Commerce produces new ideas and momentum. Sport motivates billions of people and involves billions of Euros," was his conclusion.

Topics in touch with the latest trends

The contents of the trade fair were innovative: the visitors were able to obtain information about current developments in the industry during a large number of talks, workshops and panel discussions that formed part of the Congress and accompanying programme. Experts and industry representatives discussed trends and urgent questions such as sustainability, digitalisation and energy efficiency at the DGfdB Congress, one of the cornerstones of interbad. Christian Mankel, Managing Director of the German Association for the Recreational and Medicinal Bath Industry (DGfdB), drew some positive conclusions: "Four years after the last interbad, you could see on every day of the trade fair that the entire industry was delighted with the return to some semblance of normality. We at the DGfdB were very happy with the high-quality discussions. interbad proved that the propensity to invest in the industry is much greater than the widespread global crisis would seem to suggest. Swimming pools are adept at coping with crises."
The International Sauna Association (ISA) also staged the International Sauna Congress for the first time concurrently with interbad. Martin Niederstein, Managing Director of the German Sauna Association, concluded: "The current challenges in Europe have led to an incredible increase in climate-neutral energy supply in companies. Specific examples were shown in this respect. The Congress also presented the latest health findings, as well as worldwide trends and commercial formats against the respective cultural backgrounds. The International Sauna Congress was a unique forum in combination with interbad."

Visitors were able to honour the most innovative ideas and the latest product launches with the interbad Innovation Award. This objective of this Award, which is presented jointly by Messe Stuttgart and the German Association for the Recreational and Medicinal Bath Industry (DGfdB), is to honour solutions which are very important and applicable in practice, and improve the environmental and energy situation. The winner of the interbad Innovation Award was Metzger MSK for its development of an energy-saving cold and hot water heating pump. Saunum Sauna took second place with its innovative sauna oven featuring an air-conditioning system. NoviNato finished in third place with its development of a new disinfection system for public swimming pools with a very low chlorine content.

interbad 2022 Product Innovations

Discover product innovations. Copyright: Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH

Sustainable conclusion

interbad was also impressive on the product side with a large number of innovations. In particular, the focal point chosen for interbad 2022 - i.e. resource-conserving and sustainable solutions - could be seen on the exhibition stands and in every exhibition hall. The newly implemented guided tours provided the visitors with a concentrated overview and proved extremely popular with visitors and exhibitors alike. A total of 16 companies presented their portfolio during the guided tours.
Messe Stuttgart was very satisfied with the outcome of the event: "For me it was the first interbad in my new function. I was positively impressed by the innovative strength of the exhibitors," said Claudia Döttinger. "The industry's thinking outside the box is really remarkable. Whether sustainability, energy efficiency or digitalisation, the important social issues of our time have long since found their way into the industry and are actively addressed."

The next interbad will take place in Stuttgart from 22 to 25 October 2024.