1. As a member of the International Pool | Spa | Deck Expo’s advisory board, can you tell us what your role is in the planning process for the show?  What are your responsibilities?

As a member of the advisory board, I am included in the general overview of the show planning with an opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions. The advisory board reviews speaker and presentation applications and provides feedback to the show team. After the show, the advisory board meets to review the event and talk about successes and opportunities for future trade shows.

2. Can you speak of the need for more registration of retailers and service providers? Why should retailers and service providers attend the show this year?

As a retailer and service provider, I have attended the show for over 20 years and find value in it every year. There are so many opportunities at the trade show to network, find new products, learn new best practices and hear great speakers. We make it a practice to walk by every vendor at the show and really explore if there is something to learn from them—and there usually is. At the end of each day, we have a download session with a network of friends and peers in the industry and share what we found or what we learned from the day. That is a best practice that I would highly recommend to other attendees.

3. What are you most looking forward to in terms of the show this year?

I always enjoy the speakers, but I would say that this year I’m particularly excited about finding new revenue opportunities. Although, the CEO panel is sure to be a great event.

4. What is the most exciting part of being a board member for the show?

For the first several years of my career in the industry, I focused primarily inside my company and my own little world. Aqua Quip has a long tradition, started by Dick Quint, Brian Quint, Kathleen and Erik Carlson, of giving back and contributing to the industry. I find it rewarding to participate and contribute, if even a little bit, to try and continue their legacy.

5. Do you see any developing trends that people should pay attention to?

I think we are all going to have to work just a little bit harder than we have in the last few years. As we adjust to the changing economy, we are going to have to be sharper than ever. We are going to have to maximize efficiencies and look for ways to do more with fewer people. We are going to have to find new revenue streams and focus hard on elevating the customer experience on the service side. The trade show is a great time to find solutions in these areas.

6. Is there anything else you would like to communicate to the Pool & Spa Pro audience about the show? 

There are so many ways to leverage the opportunities at the show. The show management team does a fantastic job with the networking happy hour on Wednesday night. I recommend taking the time to attend and reach out to someone new there. I also strongly recommend attending the educational sessions. There are always great takeaways from those experienced presenters.