POOL & SPA INDUSTRY
Summing Up A Challenging Year BSPF Managing Director Chris Hayes reflects on a COVID-19 impacted year, thanks those that played their part in ensuring industry continuity and looks forward to events at the start of a new year
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fter a challenging 2020 for many, I hope everyone enjoyed a great, albeit somewhat different than usual, festive break. What an incredible year we have just witnessed. With the latest news of virus cases increasing, and Governments across Britain again tightening restrictions, it is likely that business will be challenging for many during the first quarter of 2021. However, with vaccines being produced and rolled out, there is much to be optimistic about going forward. COVID-19 has significantly shaped the way that we work in many ways, and online meetings (used by many) have now come of age. No longer are they a lesser option to keep in contact with other businesses and end-user clients. Although more people will now be used to this way of working, given human nature is for contact with other people, 2021 will likely see a resurgence in face-to-face meetings when it is deemed safe to do so. Our industry has adapted and changed, with more information being shared online in webinars. It has also helped that many of the representatives who sit on the industry committees have been doing so for a long time. An online presence was the agreed way forward for both the BISHTA and SPATA Information Days (rather than had been initially planned for events in Andover and also in Doncaster). The speakers provided some excellent topics, and you can read a follow-up from some of them in this issue of SPN (please see pages 30 and 31 for an article by Sarah Barrett, who is based at the Home Office, and also Mike Kearney
and Susan Winsor, who are from the Office for Product Safety and Standards). Future issues of SPN will feature some of the other speakers and their contributions. Please note the presentations are available in the members’ hub on the respective websites. With the uncertainty for hosting physical events and with the government announcement that indoor exhibitions would not be possible until at least March 2021, SPATEX swiftly moved into action (having been exploring online options behind the scenes). Following a vast amount of research from Michele Bridle and Helen Mulingani, a shortlist of possible providers made a presentation to the SPATEX Board and a preferred supplier was asked to provide details to the exhibitors on what we could offer in 2021. Nick Brake at vFairs organised a very successful online meeting with the exhibitors present, with very positive feedback. Following this, SPATEX 2021 was approved to be a virtual show which provides the opportunity to maintain business engagement with each other at a broader industry level along with the educational opportunities and to showcase winners of the 2021 British Pool & Hot Tub Awards (hosted by BISHTA and SPATA). The winners of the British Pool & Hot Tub Awards will be announced online on Tuesday 2 February during the SPATEX Virtual event. Hopefully, many of the entrants will be arranging safe (if virtual) ways to get-together with their staff while the awards are taking place to celebrate their achievements. Some of the British Pool & Hot Tub Award winners have also been waiting to find out if they have won a Gold, Silver or Bronze award at the 2020 EUSA European Pool and Spa Awards. With the awards initially scheduled to be announced in Lyon as part of Piscine Global Europe (was cancelled), discussions have taken place with EUSA and winners were
COVID-19 has significantly shaped the way that we work in many ways, and online meetings (used by many) have now come of age�
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announced in early January, so congratulations to Rigo Spa and Tanby Pools for their respective Bronze awards (and to all of the other Gold, Silver and Bronze winners from across Europe). The trophies will be formally presented at aquanale in October 2021. SPATEX will be promoting the 4th meeting of WAPSA which has also been rescheduled due to the cancellation of Piscine Global Europe. This is an exciting opportunity to bring all of the national pool and spa associations together for an online event. WAPSA (The World Alliance of Pool and Spa Associations) will provide updates on the progress to date regarding the subgroups looking at data (statistics), education, safety, and environmental impacts. Finally, and with this issue being delayed due to COVID-19 disruption and therefore coming out at the start of a New Year, I would like to thank the dedicated team that provided the support to our members and exhibitors/ visitors throughout last year; Jan Hardy, Sallie Leslie-Golding, Isabel Lock, Caroline Cross and Debbie Thornton all play a vital part in the Andover office on behalf of the BSPF, BISHTA, SPATA and PIP. I would also like to thank the SPATEX team for all of their hard work, especially in relation to the forthcoming Virtual Show: Michele Bridle, Helen Mulingani, Penny Farmer and Thay Castro, Howard Gosling (SPATEX Chairman and to the rest of the SPATEX Directors). To the other dedicated Chairs of the respective Boards, Committees and Councils and all of their respective colleagues: Jamie Smith (BSPF), Richard Carrington (SPATA), Pete Grinnall (BISHTA), Dyfed Thompson-Smith (PIP), and Patrick Thorpe for his role as Company Secretary (for BSPF, SPATA, BISHTA and PIP). The many dedicated members, of the BISHTA and SPATA technical committees, who worked tirelessly again in 2020, under the respective chairmanship of Howard Gosling and Peter Lang. SPATA is also very fortunate to have five inspectors to call upon (Peter Lang, Tim Bareham, Ian Betts, Dennis Freeman-Wright and Steve Conway). My thanks to you all.
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