interbad will be held this year for the 30th time. The industry will meet under one roof for the first time at this anniversary event. In the L-Bank Forum (Hall 1), the largest hall at Messe Stuttgart, there will be 26,800 square metres of exhibition space (gross) available for the topic areas of swimming pool, sauna and spa. 85 per cent of this space was already occupied two months ago.
The international pool, sauna and spa trade fair, rom 22 to 24 October 2024 at the L-Bank Forum in Stuttgart
This reaffirms interbad's status as one of the world's most important industry platforms for public and private swimming pools. The premium hall at Messe Stuttgart will also be available for the next two editions of interbad in 2026 and 2028.
"We are delighted to have acquired the L-Bank Forum (Hall 1), our most popular and most coveted mega-hall, for interbad as THE industry event," said Claudia Döttinger, Vice President of Messe Stuttgart. "Almost 300 exhibitors will present there solutions, products, ideas and answers to the current challenges in the industry. The forthcoming interbad could therefore be summarised under the motto 'smart' and 'sustainable'. We have translated this into a general slogan for the industry and therefore say the following: 'Water is our element. Sustainability is our principle'".
There will be other anniversaries besides the 30th interbad. For example, the concurrently staged Congress of the German Association for the Recreational and Medicinal Bath Industry will take place for the 70th time while the German Sauna Association will celebrate its 75th anniversary this year. "The German Association for the Recreational and Medicinal Bath Industry is already 127 years old and has been connected to Messe Stuttgart since 2007. We want to continue this successful partnership. This year, the 30th interbad will be a special trade fair. It will be held at a time when the industry is experiencing some innovations," said Christian Mankel, Managing Director of the German Association for the Recreational and Medicinal Bath Industry. "The corona pandemic was a catalyst for digitalisation and the energy crisis a catalyst for the heating transformation. The industry must help to shape this transformation - in a smart and sustainable manner."
The popular special section "Saunas from Finland" will also again form part of interbad in 2024. A large number of companies have already announced their participation. The Young Innovators Programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) will also promote the participation of young innovative companies in interbad on a joint BMWK stand. "We are proud that we will be present again since this demonstrates the quality of interbad and the innovative capacity of the industry. Successful participation in the Young Innovators Programme often then leads to regular attendance as an exhibitor," explained Joachim Sauter, Division Director Trade Fairs & Events at Messe Stuttgart.
In 2024 there will also be a special section entitled "Saunas from Finland" at interbad ©Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH
The DGfdB will place its concept "Commune 2030" at the forefront of its trade fair presentation in October. The question of how swimming pools can act as an facilitator of an urban community will then be explored. Sustainability plays an important role in this respect. In particular, the modular design concept will examine the following topics for example:
- Green energy and decarbonisation
- New ways to maintain universal services
- (Mental) health and resilience in town planning
- Smartification and virtualisation
- Greater segregation and social tensions
- Multi-coding of places
According to the economic research of KFW, 80 per cent of the population regard swimming pools as indispensable. "Bathing and swimming are still the most popular and straightforward leisure activities which people can do throughout their entire life," said Christian Mankel. "Learning to swim and getting used to water are also important in order to ensure a safe visit to a swimming pool." In situations where locally not enough water facilities are available, it may be practical to supplement these with mobile services such as "Wundine on Wheels".
"I am delighted that we will have a project of the heart with Josef Wund Stiftung gGmbH and the swimming container 'Wundine on Wheels' at interbad. The objective of this small but excellent topic is to promote participation and public swimming pools. That's a good thing and shows what form an innovative solution for schools and kindergartens can take," enthused Claudia Döttinger.
