2012 Pool | Spa | Patio Expo moves to New Orleans

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 11/14/2011 9:30:14 AM

After four consecutive shows in Las Vegas, the 2012 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo is moving to New Orleans in 2012 and will take place Nov. 6-8 at the Morial Convention Center.

To continue to build the show and meet the industry's needs, extensive research was conducted in order to choose the best possible location for the event. Attendees and exhibitors both had a positive response to moving the event to New Orleans.

"Las Vegas is definitely one of the top destinations for trade shows and is still the top-ranked city among our entire audience for a West Coast location," said Lindsay Roberts, director of the Expo. "However, we feel it is critical to rotate the event geographically, and New Orleans was the top choice for the Southern region."

New Orleans is a convenient hub for national and international transportation and is as close to being the "center" of the country as any American city. "New Orleans is more centrally located to pull attendees from the South, Midwest, Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic states," Roberts said.

The show will take place at the Morial Convention Center, named for the late New Orleans mayor who championed its construction. Built on some of the highest ground in New Orleans, the Convention Center experienced minimal damage when Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast region in August 2005.

"Hanley Wood has hosted a few shows in New Orleans over the past few years and they were extremely successful," Roberts said. "Attendance was strong and the service in the hotels, convention center and other businesses was excellent."

"Hosting the show in New Orleans is a positive move," added Bill Weber, president and CEO of APSP, the show's official sponsor. "The new host city will offer fresh, new and exciting elements. We're already encouraging our members to mark their calendars for next year's Expo in the Big Easy."

The 2012 Expo will showcase the latest products, materials, equipment and services relevant to the pool, spa and backyard industry, including a wide variety of pools, spas, hot tubs, water features, casual furniture, pumps and heaters, lighting, landscape décor, hearth, grills and more.

A new feature debuting in 2012 is the Commercial Pavilion that will feature an area for vendor presentations, product displays and exhibit booths. Located on the show floor, products featured in this area are targeted to professionals who design, build, maintain and manage commercial pools.

The show's educational conference will feature 70-75 seminars focusing on topics designed especially for residential and commercial builders/contractors, retailers, service companies and landscape architects/designers.

For more information about the Expo, visit www.PoolSpaPatio.com/attendee or call 972.536.6350 or 888.869.8522.