The industry event Piscina & Wellness Barcelona will be held between 13-16 October 2015 at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via Exhibition Centre to cater for a Spanish, and global, increase in demand for water-related facilities associated with health, wellbeing and leisure.

Featuring a full range of aquatic facilities and installations, the event already attracts 62 per cent of its exhibitors and 37 per cent of visitors from abroad. In view of the increase in demand associated with ‘wellbeing’, the word has been incorporated into the title of the event.

In addition to providing a platform for meetings between exhibitors and buyers from more than 20 different countries to promote exports, Piscina & Wellness Barcelona will also host congresses, conferences and seminars. For example, the second edition of the Wellness & Spa Experiences Event will take place, featuring case studies, market research surveys and the latest trends and ideas in the management, design and sale of products and experiences in the wellbeing industry.

A new products area called the Innovation Zone will be set up for technology centres, universities, start-ups and sector associations to showcase their prototypes and projects to investors and companies working in the aquatic sector.

The Piscina & Wellness Barcelona Awards will also take place at the event and will recognise the most innovative and sustainable products in the sector of swimming pools, wellness centres and aquatic facilities.

“Our show is attended by exhibitors and trade professionals from around 100 different countries with an interest in the Spanish swimming pool market – the second largest in Europe and fourth biggest in the world – and in the event’s export connections with the Mediterranean Arc and Latin America,” said Eloi Planes, chief executive of global water solutions group Fluidra.

“This is why, event after event, we try to adapt as fully as possible to market needs so we can provide new business opportunities and consolidate a recovery that has already begun,” added Planes.

In 2013, Andrea Lomas, head of group spa operations at Mandarin Oriental, was a keynote speaker at the event. She shared insights into the group's spa business.