"Our Congress for Pool and Bath Technology was more wide-ranging than ever before while the number of delegates, over 1,000, matched the very high level at the last Interbad,” says Dr. Christian Ochsenbauer, Managing Director of the German Association for the Recreational and Medicinal Bath Industry. "Apart from Interbad, there is no other event which presents our bath industry in its entirety,” he adds.
According to the representative survey of show visitors, 37 percent traveled nearly 200 miles or more to attend the show. While 24 percent of the Interbad 2010 visitors traveled from abroad, this increased to one third for Interbad 2012. Key regions for the show include Austria, Switzerland, Eastern Europe, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemborg.
In addition to a broad international scope, Interbad 2012 boasted attendees with power. Ninety percent of visitors were involved in purchasing and procurement decisions in their company, while 67 percent were actually solely or jointly responsible for such decisions. Of the joint decisionmakers, 79 percent said they had “firm investment intentions.” And 25 percent of them said they were planning a project volume in excess of €100,000.
In addition, Interbad hosted more than 1,500 people at the 64th Congress for Pool and Bath Technology of the German Association for the Recreational and Medicinal Bath Industry, the 4th Spa Market Conference of the Spa Business Verlag (Publishing Company) and other annual meetings and trade association events.
Another highlight of the show was the “Green Pool” presentation by the European Waterpark Association (EWA). As the green movement becomes more prominent in the industry, this presentation offered insightful discussion about how the sustainability trend can be applied to various facets of the industry, including the resource-conserving construction method, innovative materials, regenerative energies and sustainable offers for guests.
Also a first for Interbad was “Natural Open-Air Pools,” presented by the German Association for Near-Natural Bathing Waters, which addressed how a natural pool can be successfully realized.
The next Interbad with the accompanying Congress will be held at the Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre from October 21 to 24, 2014.
